Wairarapa Hospital Litigation

Greenwood Roche acted for Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora as plaintiff in a dispute with Masterton District Council (MDC) concerning defects in the construction of Wairarapa Hospital in Masterton.

The dispute related to structural defects in the design and construction of the hospital, built in 2005–2006. In 2023, the matter was heard in the Wellington High Court. Te Whatu Ora alleged that MDC was negligent in issuing a code compliance certificate (CCC) for the hospital in 2011, despite the presence of defects affecting seismic performance and other aspects of Building Code compliance.

Te Whatu Ora sought $90 million in damages, plus interest and costs, to remediate the defects. MDC contended that the issues could be remedied for approximately $4 million.

Following the hearing, in 2024, the parties reached a satisfactory confidential settlement.