Government Backing Rural Resilience And Wellbeing
Minister for Mental Health
Minister for Rural Communities
The government is boosting support for rural resilience and wellbeing announced by Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson.
'We're backing Rural Support Trusts by committing $3 million over the next four years, to help improve rural communities' access to primary mental health services and specialist services,' Mr Doocey says.
'A range of services already exist, this is about making them easier to access, better connected, and focused on delivering support that makes a difference for people in rural communities.
'Whether it's help on the farm, over the phone, or at a local event, we're ensuring rural people know where to turn and can get support when they need it.'
This funding is on top of the ongoing funding of $3 million over the next four years allocated to Rural Support Trusts through the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
'The Government is also investing $2 million of Health funding in the Rural Wellbeing Fund. Building on from Budget announcements this means the Rural Wellbeing Fund will double to $4 million over the next four years,' Mr Doocey says.
'The Rural Wellbeing Fund will be specifically focused on supporting the wellbeing and resilience of hard-working New Zealanders who live outside of the major centres.'
Mr Patterson says the package reflects the realities of rural life and the need for practical, locally driven support.
'I am delighted that we are bolstering funding to support those who need help the most – living rurally presents a unique set of challenges which include isolation and lack of services. When added pressures arise, rural people can find themselves facing challenging situations in need of mental wellbeing support.
'This is about investing in the people who drive our primary industries — and making sure they're connected to the right support, whether it's peer networks, wellbeing initiatives, or expert advice,' Mr Patterson says.
'It's about building resilience and supporting rural New Zealand to stay strong, stay productive, and keep powering the country forward.'
'When rural communities mental health and wellbeing are supported, economy is stronger for it,' Mr Doocey says.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Bowel screening uptake in Bay of Plenty appalling
It is a similar story in the Lakes health district, covering Taupō and Rotorua, where 27,694 were sent between August 1, 2022, and May 26, 2025. Of those, only 15,039 were returned. These figures are alarming because New Zealand has one of the world's highest bowel cancer rates, and it is the second-highest cause of cancer. That means an average of about eight people a day are being told they have it. It's not just an older person's cancer either, because more than 350 people under 50 are diagnosed annually. Many people know someone who has survived bowel cancer or died from it, and much has been done over the past eight years to try to get in front of the problem. The National Bowel Screening Programme started in July 2017 and has been introduced by all the former 20 district health boards, with Bay of Plenty being the last. People are invited to join the programme at 60, and are then sent a free home-test kit every two years until the age of 74. The Government is lowering the eligibility age to 58 nationwide from March. It has, however, been criticised for axing plans to lower the age for Māori and Pacific people to 50. The national charity Bowel Cancer New Zealand wants the screening age lowered to match Australia, where it is 45. It is, understandably, unhappy with the Government's slow progress. The media and advertising also play important roles in raising awareness. There are countless news articles in the media, and the national bowel screening multimedia campaign launched in July 2022 encourages people to take part in screening, emphasising it is free, quick and simple, 'and you can do it at home'. The good news is that Health NZ credits the campaign with raising awareness. But perhaps among the most powerful weapons for raising awareness are the individual patient stories. Kiwis such as Tauranga survivor Rachael Ferguson, who was 32 when she was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in December 2020. She has been 'clear' since surgery in February 2021. Then there's Rotorua father Matthew Keogan, who was 49 when he was diagnosed in 2021. He was told to get his affairs in order and say goodbye to his family as he might live only another three to six months. He has made a miraculous recovery after chemotherapy and immunotherapy with pembrolizumab (Keytruda). Last month, Northland's Cheryl Waaka, a former Black Fern and mother of two teenagers, talked about facing her toughest opponent yet: stage 4 bowel cancer. There are plenty of other personal stories on Bowel Cancer NZ's website, each offering an insight into that person's journey, each offering hope and each helping drive a greater understanding. All these people are brave and inspirational. So, given there's been a national screening campaign, heightened awareness, personal stories, and a lowering of the screening age, a reasonable question remains: Why would people fail to do something simple that costs them nothing but could save their lives? Reasons could include fear, stigma and people simply not wanting to go through what they perceive as the unpleasant procedure of having to collect samples and send them off. However, it would be fair to say some people probably can't be bothered, are ignorant or believe it won't happen to them. Whatever the reasons, the Bay of Plenty and Lakes figures are appalling. As survivor Rachael Ferguson rightly says, there are 'so many people under the age of 60 that are screaming out to have those kits' that eligible people not returning them is simply 'wasted resources'. The Government needs to lower the screening age further. At the same time, everyone eligible needs to take up the offer. It could save their lives. Bowel Cancer NZ chief executive Peter Huskinson has the final word. 'That free test in your mailbox doesn't just detect cancer – it can stop it before it starts,' he says. 'Don't leave it in a drawer. Put it by the loo and get it done.' Wise words indeed. Sign up to the Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Health NZ board costs could triple amid deficit and staffing woes
The Cabinet signed off on the exceptional fees; Health Minister Simeon Brown said the contingency would be drawn on only in 'exceptional circumstances' and approval is at his sole discretion. The pay levels are extraordinary and far outstrip the Government's recently increased fees guidance for board work; however, the amount of work on which the Health NZ fees are predicated is also extraordinary. Health NZ was established in 2022 through the combination of the country's district health boards (DHBs). It is the largest Crown-owned entity, its budget tops $27 billion, and it's responsible for either delivering or funding the vast majority of the country's healthcare. It is also struggling with deficit spending and poor financial management, specialist staff shortages, widespread complaints of burnout by clinical staff and long wait times for patients. Health NZ board chairman Lester Levy is up for a maximum payment of $450,000. Photo / Mark Mitchell Union representatives greeted the news of the extraordinary fees with incredulity. The New Zealand Nurses Organisation, which represents the single largest chunk of the Health NZ workforce, has highlighted what it calls 'cost-cutting' and 'staff shortages' in ongoing contract negotiations – a further strike of two days is planned for September. President Kerri Nuku said the high board fees are in stark contrast to the Government's attitude toward the nurses, midwives and other healthcare assistants who provide New Zealanders' healthcare. 'At a time when understaffing at hospitals has actually become the norm, and patients' safety is a serious concern, these figures defy belief.' Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons echoed the sentiment. 'Health workers are seeing their own wages kept low, as well as the continued and deliberate underfunding of the whole health system. The hypocrisy is palpable – there's no money for care and support and mental health workers helping our most vulnerable, but there is plenty for those at the top?' Brown emphasised the new board receives the same daily rates that were set under the previous Labour Government, albeit for a far higher time commitment and total spend. He said the board has a governance role that is 'more extensive than in previous years', noting the entity's 'significant, ongoing challenges'. Those difficulties are both substantive and political. The Government has staked considerable credibility on eliminating Health NZ's deficit spending – estimated at $1.1b in the past financial year – and reaching a series of health performance targets, soon to be embedded in law. Nurses Organisation co-leader Kerri Nuku says the board pay figures defy belief. Photo / Paul Taylor Pay breakdown Chair Lester Levy receives a day rate of $2500 for up to 130 days' work, with a further 50 days' work provided for in the contingency. His term covers only the current financial year. Deputy chair Dr Andrew Connolly receives a day rate of $2000 for up to 80 days' work, with a further 50 days' work provided for in the contingency. And five board members – Roger Jarrold, Dr Frances Hughes, Parekawhia McLean, Peter McCardle and Terry Moore – receive a day rate of $1750 each for up to 80 days' work, with a further 30 days' work apiece provided for in the contingency. The board also includes Crown observer Hamiora Bowkett, who heads the small but important 'health assurance unit' – now housed in the Ministry of Health – providing advice directly to Brown. Bowkett is a public servant and not covered by board fees. Public sector board pay is typically predicated on 50 days' work a year for the chair, and 30 days for other board members – extensive reading and preparation is not often included in this total. Brown said the current fees are fixed for 18 months, to reflect 'the additional work required' during the board re-establishment phase, and the arrangement will be reviewed toward the end of 2026. He claimed the Health NZ problems flow from 'a botched merger' of DHBs under the last Government, during the Covid-19 pandemic. A Deloitte review of the entity's financial performance, done in October 2024, found myriad problems, including that the agency relied largely on a single, error-prone Excel spreadsheet (in fiscal 2023/24) to track and report on some $28b of expenditure. Comparisons with other public sector boards Even without the half-million-dollar contingency, the underlying $1.185m board cost appears to rank as the highest in the public sector. By comparison, board costs at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the Financial Markets Authority come in well below the $1m mark – both are reckoned to be among the sector's best paid. Board costs for other large Crown entities such as Kāinga Ora (Homes and Communities) and ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) are closer to half a million dollars. In June last year, the Government declared a loss of confidence in the Health NZ board, which it dissolved and replaced with Levy as commissioner and two deputy commissioners. A year of commissioners In fiscal 2024/25, Levy earned $320,000 as Health NZ commissioner, with additional expenses of $20,400, including: $10,600 for flights, $4855 for accommodation, and $2599 for taxis (parking and mileage made up the balance). Levy is Auckland-based and the work entailed frequent travel to Wellington, a Health NZ spokeswoman said. He worked alongside deputy commissioners Ken Whelan and Roger Jarrold; Health NZ has not yet released their fees and expenses. Levy is a professor of digital health leadership at the Auckland University of Technology and a medical doctor. His AUT workload is 15 hours per week, divided between research and teaching four courses (two per semester). Labour health spokeswoman Ayesha Verrall during a select committee hearing. Photo / Mark Mitchell Levy is also chair of the Health Research Council, a commitment of about five hours per week, a Ministry of Health spokesperson said. Labour's health spokeswoman, Ayesha Verrall, criticised the new board arrangements as a 'licence for Lester Levy to act like he is the executive director of the board, rather than its chair, centralising power to enact cuts and a hiring freeze'. Verrall also said Levy played politics when, as Health NZ commissioner, he attempted to shift some $130m in financial costs from fiscal 2024/25 into the previous financial year. The move was blocked by the Office of the Auditor-General, she said, but, if allowed, would have made HNZ's current financial predicament appear less dismal. There is little doubt that Levy's tenure to date has been one of highly centralised control. A May report on Health NZ's financial performance by the Treasury for Finance Minister Nicola Willis highlighted 'the commissioner's tight top-down financial controls' and his 'highly centralised' regime. The document, released under the provisions of the OIA (Official Information Act), also indicated that Levy has had some success this calendar year in reducing Health NZ's monthly overspend, but that his managerial controls may be 'unsustainably tight' as Health NZ shifts to a new operating model, including devolved budget accountabilities for regions and districts. Underscoring the political risk Health NZ's performance poses to the entire Government, the Treasury highlighted a new series of monthly health joint ministers meetings with Willis, aimed at keeping her abreast of 'financial performance, capability, and risk at Health New Zealand' over the next year. Fees guidance The Health NZ board fees eclipse those provided for in the Government's guidance. The fees framework for board pay was updated at the end of last month, and provided for an 80% pay increase for the boards of the largest and most complex Crown entities. The maximum fee for board chairs is now $162,200, and the maximum fee for board members is $80,400. The framework provides only guidance to ministers for setting fees, to provide consistency across Crown-owned bodies and to 'contain expenditure of public funds within reasonable limits'.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
The king of Indian street food made an official advisory of snacks to be eaten in moderation
Usually served with tangy and sweet condiments, they cost as little as 15 cents at food carts or stalls throughout the country. So, when a recent government advisory put samosas — along with other deep-fried Indian snacks and Western foods such as burgers and fries — on a list of things that should be eaten in moderation because of their high oil and sugar content, there was an unsurprising outcry. Social media erupted with memes, and Indian media chimed in to say the country's most iconic bites were under attack. A love of the samosa is 'ingrained in us', said Rana Safvi, a cultural historian, who said it served as both street food and comfort food. If the Government had targeted only burgers or pizza, people wouldn't have cared, she said. 'Samosa is something that is too close to them.' Some news outlets fuelled the backlash by likening the directive to health warnings on cigarettes. The actual advisory was considerably milder than that. India's Health Ministry on June 21 sent out a notice to all government ministries requesting that they put up posters in public spaces, such as office cafeterias and meeting rooms, showing the oil and sugar levels in certain foods. In the sample posters, the much-loved samosa was first on the high-fat list. (Jalebis were lower down on the high-sugar poster.) The daily recommended intake of fats is 27 to 30 grams, and one samosa can contain between 17 and 28 grams, according to the posters (types of fat are not specified). Last month, the Government moved to clarify its intentions, saying it had not directed vendors to put warning labels on their products, and that it wasn't selectively targeting Indian snacks. It called the advisory a 'behavioural nudge to make people aware of hidden fats and excess sugar' in many types of food. Samosas are Dheeraj Sharma's snack of choice in New Delhi, India. Photo / Anindito Mukherjee, The New York Times The move was in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign to encourage active lifestyles, called Fit India. Earlier this year, Modi used his radio programme to call on people to reduce the amount of oil they consume. Nearly one in five adults in India's urban areas are overweight or obese, the 2021 National Family Health Survey found. The percentage of children aged under-5who are overweight is also increasing, it found. India, a country of about 1.4 billion people, is expected to have 450 million overweight or obese people by 2050, second only to China, according to a study by the Lancet medical journal. The Government has identified obesity, which can push up rates of cardiovascular problems, Type 2 diabetes, and other diseases, as a major public health challenge. Street foods such as jalebis, samosas and chole bhature — chickpea curry with deep-fried bread — are deep-fried in saturated or partially hydrogenated oils, and often refried in the same oil, which significantly increases trans fatty acid content, said Dr Anoop Misra, an endocrinologist. If government health programmes are executed and regulated well, it could 'lead to a significant reduction in obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease', he said. Street food lovers are not ignorant of the perils. On a recent afternoon, Sanjay Kumar, 29, stood by Old Famous Jalebi Wala, a shop that has been in business since 1884, in Delhi's bustling Chandni Chowk bazaar. He was eating a jalebi topped with rabri, a condensed milk dish. Kumar said he was overweight but allowed himself the occasional treat. Although jalebis are available everywhere, the freshly made ones at the stall — which is about the length of a bus — are of 'top quality', he said. 'I know that jalebis increase the weight, but what do I do?' Kumar said. 'Jalebis are so tasty.' Such snacks are necessary because lower-income workers cannot afford to buy food in expensive restaurants, said Rishabh Nath, who runs a food stall founded by his father adjacent to Delhi's high-end Khan Market. It opens at 5am daily and quickly becomes crowded with workers filling up for the day ahead. Dheeraj Sharma, who works for a driving school, said he had been eating samosas from a stall four times a week for the past decade. He is aware of the dangers of too much fried food, but he said samosas were his snack of choice because they're 'tasty, easy to eat and cheap to buy'. Sharma, 30, said it was a good idea for governments to urge shops to display more information about the foods they sell. But, he added, 'this is the fun of life, so why not enjoy?' This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Written by: Anupreeta Das and Hari Kumar Photographs by: Anindito Mukherjee ©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES
