The Heretaunga Block at Hutt Hospital has been deemed earthquake prone, meaning the much-needed $9 million upgrade to Hutt Maternity services has been put on hold.

Hutt maternity services were in poor shape already and now the upgrade won’t be going ahead. This is disastrous news for Hutt families.

One easy thing the DHB and government could do is partner with the Te Awakairangi Birthing Centre at Melling, which was forced to close last year.

The centre was purpose-built for maternity care and provides first-class quality care for Hutt families.

This petition calls on the Hutt Valley DHB and the government to urgently partner with the Te Awakairangi Birthing Centre for the provision of maternity services in the Hutt.

It makes perfect sense to use a pre-existing facility just down the road!

Let’s get on with it as a priority.