Hospital site eyed for care of elderly

Conversion of the former Masterton Hospital into a major health centre for the elderly may prevent a residential care blowout predicted for the older population of Wairarapa.
David Meates, chief executive of Wairarapa District Health Board, said that once the new hospital is working any surplus buildings from the old site may be transformed into an aged care facility as the expected number of Wairarapa residential care homes will not be enough to cope with the older population forecast for the region.
Mr Meates also said Wairarapa had a rocketing population ratio of older people and the second greatest elderly population by region in the country after Canterbury.
"The aged care sector in the Wairarapa is not going to be viable into the future," he said.
"There are a lot of small rest homes being set up across the region, but they will not be enough.
"Our projections for aged care in the Wairarapa show a requirement for a lot more additional beds and facilities than will be available.
"We would like to see the old hospital site used for health or education, and it may well present us with an ideal opportunity to develop a large and modern aged care facility," he said.
"What we wouldn't want sitting out here is a factory or a situation where buildings are left to deteriorate over time and a site that is not properly developed."
He said any use of the old hospital site and buildings would first depend on the settling of any Maori claims over the land.
Mr Meates was not aware of any Treaty of Waitangi claims on the land although questions over the original procurement of the site will be investigated as a matter of routine after the health board declares as surplus "most of the old hospital".
"There is some confusion I think as to how the initial parcel of land came to be used for a hospital and we are very conscious that there were lot of marae sitting through here and that a lot of eeling was done.
"So this will be something we will be going back over very carefully."
There is now a considerable store of historic documents and material being kept in the old hospital basement, Mr Meates said, which is yet to be rigorously researched and archived.
This process has just begun, he said.
Mr Meates said surplus equipment and chattels from the old hospital would also be scrutinised and sold or otherwise dispersed to community organisations "wherever there is equipment with a value to someone".
He said a declaration will be made this year of any land and buildings deemed surplus and settlement of ownership will follow.
Masterton District Council ratings valuation officer Neil McEwen said the 13ha parcel of hospital land runs between Blair Street and Colombo Road and includes the site of the new hospital fronting Te Ore Ore Road.
The rateable value of the land is $700,000 and the value of improvements is just under $21 million, he said.