The proposed site for a new Cranford Hospice on Fernie land in Pakowhai. Photo / File
The proposed site for a new Cranford Hospice on Fernie land in Pakowhai. Photo / File
Labour Tukituki candidate Anna Lorck has added her voice to those urging the region to step up to help Cranford Hospice.
Lorck's comments come after the Government declined an application made by the Cranford Hospice Foundation for $17.2 million under the shovel-ready project initiative, last week.
Lorck said Cranford Hospiceneeded positive action by the whole Hawke's Bay's community for its $17.2m bid seeking Government support.
"A call to arms across our region is the best way to send a strong message to the decision makers that our hospice is deserving of priority funding," she said.
"As a regional health leader, I believe we must work constructively together to help raise greater awareness of the project and the funding including Government support.
"Cranford is a cause to unite, politics aside."
Lorck said when the region came together, Hawke's Bay was better at gaining traction for support.
"Cranford touches all of us, through family, friends, colleagues and community over our lives," she said.
"I'm confident with the right approach and a diverse range of people coming on board as part of this important project we can target the right areas for funding."
The hospice's current building near Hastings Racecourse is too small and a new one is set to be built on Fernie land on the Hawke's Bay Expressway between Napier and Hastings.
The Cranford Hospice Trust recently applied for funding, but it was declined last week.
Anna Lorck believes Cranford Hospice is a cause worth uniting for. Photo / Supplied
Lorck's comments come after Tukituki National MP Lawrence Yule said he intends to appeal the decision to decline the funding application.
Yule said he was "shocked" the Government's shovel-ready project initiative to stimulate the economy under Covid-19 had overlooked the Hawke's Bay hospice's application.
A spokesperson for the ministers who oversaw the process said, of 1924 applications received, about 150 had been selected, and it had meant some "difficult decisions" had to be made.
"We know that there will be a number of applicants who will be disappointed that their projects weren't included," he said.
"We understand how important some of these projects are to their communities, but not all of them could be funded and ministers had to make some difficult decisions," he said.
"We will continue to work to find further ways to support economic and social infrastructure projects around the country."
In a letter provided to Hawke's Bay Today, Sean Wynne, deputy chief executive – housing infrastructure, laid out the reasons for declining the foundation's application.
Wynne said the Government was looking to support projects that could be under way within 12 months, were of a minimum scale with material employment benefits and which provided national or regional public benefit.
"The value of the submitted projects was much greater than available funding for this programme of work, and so not all projects were able to be included for support."
