A long-promised after-hours health facility in Rangiora remains in limbo, prompting Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey to call for action.

Doocey is urging South Link Health Services to either begin construction or step aside so another provider can take over.

The facility, first promised in 2019, was initially set to open at the Rangiora Health Hub on Ashley Street in 2022.

However, despite resource and building consents being granted, construction has yet to begin.

The Ministry of Health entered into an agreement with South Link Health Group in 2021 to establish the facility, following a petition that gathered 10,500 signatures from residents demanding after-hours healthcare.

The petition was presented to the former Canterbury District Health Board in 2019, leading to the project’s approval and a commitment to lease land to South Link Health.

Doocey said delays had left the community frustrated, particularly as there had been little communication about the reasons for the holdup.

“The community has been waiting patiently since 2019. Six years later, we are still waiting, but we are losing patience,” he said.

South Link Health Group, which operates a network of 26 medical practices, is responsible for funding and constructing the new facility. However, it has not provided a timeline for when work will start or when the facility will be operational.

Chris Lynch Media has approached South Link Health Group for comment.

Residents have been questioning the lack of progress, with Doocey saying he regularly fields inquiries from people wanting to know what is happening.

“We know the consents have been granted, so why are we still waiting to see some action?” he said.

The project has faced setbacks, including delays due to Covid, but with other developments moving forward, Doocey believes the health provider needs to be more transparent.

“We’ve been told the project is ‘still on track’ for years now, but I fail to see how this can still be true when we were originally promised an open facility by 2021, then 2024,” he said.

“With 2025 now here, I suspect we won’t have a health facility opened this year either.”

Health New Zealand has not commented on the delays, and South Link Health has yet to confirm when construction will begin.

Doocey said it was time for those responsible to provide answers.

“If they can’t build it, for whatever reason, then they need to hand it over to someone who will.”