The town where meth use has spiked by more than 300%

1News

20-05-2025

Police say they are concerned at the lack of information they're receiving from the public as methamphetamine use in the small rural Central Hawke's Bay town Waipukurau surges.
Wastewater testing site at Waipukurau recorded the biggest increase in meth consumption in the country in 2024 — up 333% on 2023.
District crime manager Detective Inspector Martin James told 1News that the high readings are "very concerning for us" but Police needed more information to act.
Police in Waipukurau are alarmed at the lack of information they're getting from the public, as meth use soars. (Source: 1News)
"One of the key concerns for me here in Central Hawke's Bay is a lack of information that is coming through from the public to support us, there will be people within this community that know who are supplying this drug, this heinous drug, and we need them to come forward."
While meth use in Waipukurau has increased there hasn't been a corresponding increase in other types of crime in the area.
"So we haven't seen a significant increase in crime in Central Hawke's Bay, but for us that's not the point," James said.
"What we do know is there's a large amount of methamphetamine consumed in this community and we need to reduce it, and we need the public's help to make that happen."
Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Alex Walker said many in the community are battling.
"We're seeing lots of pressure on the community, pressures on families, the cost of living is really causing some struggles and that is putting a lot of pressure on to our families."
Walker said given the town hadn't seen an increase in other crimes, some felt the high meth readings were "odd".
"But there is no denying that we definitely do have methamphetamine circulating in our community and use circulating in our community, the fact that it's rising says that we have to pay attention to this because this could escalate into something far bigger."
In late 2023, the Central Hawke's Bay lost funding for a programme — Herenga Whānau Ora; that was helping people who were struggling with meth addiction navigate the services that were available to them.
"Unfortunately, that was really starting to have an impact," the mayor said.
She urged the Government to step up and provide addiction support.
"Just because we're small and a small population doesn't mean that we're immune from the really big issues and we need that support on the ground to help us to help our community as we are fronting up to this issue, we desperately need their support for us to be able to tackle it.
"A one off trip to a councillor does not fix a methamphetamine addiction."
When 1News interviewed Waipukurau locals this week, some found the high meth readings hard to believe and others said they'd never seen any evidence of it.
Another described the town as a very friendly place, where there was no need to lock the doors when you go out.
Recently released data from Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR)'s wastewater testing programme revealed New Zealand's meth consumption rose from 732kg in 2023 to 1434kg in 2024.
Using the Official Information Act, 1News obtained the wastewater testing sites that recorded the biggest increases in 2024.
Meth use in Huntly rose 41%, in Tokoroa it rose 61% last year, in Levin it was 90% in South Auckland it was 98%.
In Waipukurau, it increased 333%.
In 2023 in Waipukurau the meth consumption rate was 1.1 grams per day, per 1000 people.
In 2024, this had risen to more than 4.8 grams per day, per 1000 people.
The wastewater testing didn't indicate whether a lot more people were using methamphetamine or a smaller group of users were consuming much larger quantities of the drug.