Latest news with #Kaikohe-based
Scoop
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania Undecided On Future As Parliament Calls Grow
Article – RNZ Far North Mayor Moko Tepania has yet to decide if he'll seek a second term, with multiple political parties trying to convince him to run for Parliament instead. A high-profile Northland mayor has yet to decide if he'll seek a second term, with multiple political parties trying to convince him to run for Parliament instead. Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said he would make the call about seeking re-election in the next few weeks after talking it over with whānau. Tepania confirmed he'd also been shoulder-tapped by a number of parties about entering national politics – but said he wasn't considering a tilt at Parliament 'at this point'. Tepania was just 31 when he was elected Northland's youngest mayor in 2022. He was also the Far North's first Māori mayor. The Kaikohe-based te reo teacher, who entered local politics as a councillor in 2019, said he was still considering whether to contest the mayoralty for a second time. 'It's such a big decision, so it's not one I want to take lightly … and it's not one that I can make on my own, because if I run again, and I get it, it's not just me that's going to be carrying the responsibilities of being there, but it's also my whānau by extension. So it's something that we are still giving careful consideration to.' Tepania said he decided to run for mayor in 2022 around the same time of year, Matariki and Puanga. 'It's a really good time to plan ahead, so I'm looking forward to making a decision in the next couple of weeks. If that decision is yes, Far Northerners are going to have me 110 percent for not only the campaign but, if successful, as mayor for the next three years.' Asked if he was considering a run at Parliament, Tepania said he would do it only if he was in 'a position of power to see transformative change for the people of the Far North'. 'Yes, I've been shoulder-tapped by a number of parties, but I wouldn't be looking to go to Wellington at this point. I wouldn't close any doors, of course. But for me, this decision is about the people of the Far North and whether or not I will run to be the mayor again.' One thing Tepania didn't have to mull over was his support for Māori wards. He was already campaigning for retention of the district's four-seat Ngā Tai o Tokerau ward, with its future to be decided in a government-mandated referendum held alongside the local elections in October. While Māori wards had failed to win majority support in past polls – including in the Far North in 2015 – he believed this time would be different, because during the past three years Far Northerners had seen the 'incredibly positive benefits' for council decision-making and communities. Tepania said it was 'really unfortunate' that only the Māori ward was subject to a binding poll, and none of the council's 16 other wards or community board subdivisions. Nominations for the upcoming local elections opened on 4 July and a list of candidates confirmed so far had been expected on 7 July. However, the Far North District Council said publication had been delayed because Election Services had to check the candidates' eligibility first. In 2022, veteran councillor Ann Court led the race to be Far North mayor in the initial election-night count, but Tepania pulled ahead as special votes were counted. The final result put Tepania on 7805 votes to Court's 7362. Court served as deputy mayor when both Wayne Brown and John Carter were mayors. She told RNZ she would not contest the mayoralty but would seek re-election as a councillor. Former Horowhenua Mayor Michael Feyen, who now lives in the Far North, has previously stated he wanted to put his hat in the ring. Feyen confirmed to RNZ he would stand for the council but had yet to decide on the mayoralty. He has been a city councillor in Palmerston North and was a candidate for the New Zealand Loyal Party in the 2023 general election. Northland has two other mayoral contests to look forward to, at least one of which will see a changing of the guard. In the Kaipara District, Mayor Craig Jepson said he would seek re-election only as a councillor representing his home town of Mangawhai. He called on his supporters to back deputy mayor Jonathan Larsen as his successor. Jepson made national headlines early in his term by removing karakia from council meetings. His council was also the first in the country to abolish its Māori ward following a law change in 2024. High-profile iwi and business leader Snow Tane has also put his hand up for the Kaipara mayoralty. Currently general manager of Dargaville-based Te Roroa Development Group, Tane's previous career was in supermarket management. In the Whangārei District, sitting mayor Vince Cocurullo confirmed to RNZ he would seek another three-year term. First-term councillor Marie Olsen has also stated she would contest the mayoralty. Earlier this year a Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll found Tepania was the most popular mayor in New Zealand and Jepson the third most popular, despite their diametrically opposing positions. However, the poll had a large margin of error due to the small sample sizes. Tepania had a 39 percent approval rating, with an almost 5 percent margin of error, while Jepson had a 35 percent approval rating with an almost 10 percent margin of error. Nominations for the mayoralty, council and community boards close at noon on 1 August. Candidates will be announced on 8 August. Voting in the postal ballot will take place between 9 September and 11 October, when preliminary results will be announced.
Scoop
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania Undecided On Future As Parliament Calls Grow
A high-profile Northland mayor has yet to decide if he'll seek a second term, with multiple political parties trying to convince him to run for Parliament instead. Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said he would make the call about seeking re-election in the next few weeks after talking it over with whānau. Tepania confirmed he'd also been shoulder-tapped by a number of parties about entering national politics - but said he wasn't considering a tilt at Parliament "at this point". Tepania was just 31 when he was elected Northland's youngest mayor in 2022. He was also the Far North's first Māori mayor. The Kaikohe-based te reo teacher, who entered local politics as a councillor in 2019, said he was still considering whether to contest the mayoralty for a second time. "It's such a big decision, so it's not one I want to take lightly ... and it's not one that I can make on my own, because if I run again, and I get it, it's not just me that's going to be carrying the responsibilities of being there, but it's also my whānau by extension. So it's something that we are still giving careful consideration to." Tepania said he decided to run for mayor in 2022 around the same time of year, Matariki and Puanga. "It's a really good time to plan ahead, so I'm looking forward to making a decision in the next couple of weeks. If that decision is yes, Far Northerners are going to have me 110 percent for not only the campaign but, if successful, as mayor for the next three years." Asked if he was considering a run at Parliament, Tepania said he would do it only if he was in "a position of power to see transformative change for the people of the Far North". "Yes, I've been shoulder-tapped by a number of parties, but I wouldn't be looking to go to Wellington at this point. I wouldn't close any doors, of course. But for me, this decision is about the people of the Far North and whether or not I will run to be the mayor again." One thing Tepania didn't have to mull over was his support for Māori wards. He was already campaigning for retention of the district's four-seat Ngā Tai o Tokerau ward, with its future to be decided in a government-mandated referendum held alongside the local elections in October. While Māori wards had failed to win majority support in past polls - including in the Far North in 2015 - he believed this time would be different, because during the past three years Far Northerners had seen the "incredibly positive benefits" for council decision-making and communities. Tepania said it was "really unfortunate" that only the Māori ward was subject to a binding poll, and none of the council's 16 other wards or community board subdivisions. Nominations for the upcoming local elections opened on 4 July and a list of candidates confirmed so far had been expected on 7 July. However, the Far North District Council said publication had been delayed because Election Services had to check the candidates' eligibility first. In 2022, veteran councillor Ann Court led the race to be Far North mayor in the initial election-night count, but Tepania pulled ahead as special votes were counted. The final result put Tepania on 7805 votes to Court's 7362. Court served as deputy mayor when both Wayne Brown and John Carter were mayors. She told RNZ she would not contest the mayoralty but would seek re-election as a councillor. Former Horowhenua Mayor Michael Feyen, who now lives in the Far North, has previously stated he wanted to put his hat in the ring. Feyen confirmed to RNZ he would stand for the council but had yet to decide on the mayoralty. He has been a city councillor in Palmerston North and was a candidate for the New Zealand Loyal Party in the 2023 general election. Northland has two other mayoral contests to look forward to, at least one of which will see a changing of the guard. In the Kaipara District, Mayor Craig Jepson said he would seek re-election only as a councillor representing his home town of Mangawhai. He called on his supporters to back deputy mayor Jonathan Larsen as his successor. Jepson made national headlines early in his term by removing karakia from council meetings. His council was also the first in the country to abolish its Māori ward following a law change in 2024. High-profile iwi and business leader Snow Tane has also put his hand up for the Kaipara mayoralty. Currently general manager of Dargaville-based Te Roroa Development Group, Tane's previous career was in supermarket management. In the Whangārei District, sitting mayor Vince Cocurullo confirmed to RNZ he would seek another three-year term. First-term councillor Marie Olsen has also stated she would contest the mayoralty. Earlier this year a Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll found Tepania was the most popular mayor in New Zealand and Jepson the third most popular, despite their diametrically opposing positions. However, the poll had a large margin of error due to the small sample sizes. Tepania had a 39 percent approval rating, with an almost 5 percent margin of error, while Jepson had a 35 percent approval rating with an almost 10 percent margin of error. Nominations for the mayoralty, council and community boards close at noon on 1 August. Candidates will be announced on 8 August. Voting in the postal ballot will take place between 9 September and 11 October, when preliminary results will be announced.
Scoop
05-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Northland's Meth Crisis: ‘There's No Magic Wand For Any Of This'
Article – RNZ Organisations trying to help people get off meth in Northland towns like Kaikohe say they are overwhelmed by 'a tsunami of need'. More funding – and residential care for addicts trying to quit – is desperately needed to tackle the problem, they say. Wastewater testing has shown methamphetamine use tripled in Northland last year, which now has the unenviable title of meth capital of New Zealand. Tia Ashby heads Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi, a Kaikohe-based iwi organisation that provides housing, health services and programmes like Paiheretia, which helps men caught up in the Corrections system. She said the meth crisis was 'real, complex and growing'. 'We see the daily toll it takes on whānau, on their wairua, their homes and their hope. We do what we can, but the reality is, the demand is outpacing our capacity,' she said. 'We're just not funded at the scale needed to respond to the tsunami of need we are facing.' Jade and Scott – they did not want to give their last names, because their work brings them into contact with organised crime – are employed by Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi as kaiarataki, or navigators, helping meth addicts and their whānau get the help they need. Jade said the problem was getting worse, and the money spent on drugs meant other family members missed out on essentials. 'The biggest thing that we see is the effect on the kids, on the mokos. You've got whānau that are going without kai, the living conditions can be appalling. It's a real pandemic, you could call it, and has some real atrocious effects.' Scott said the men they helped came with a whole raft of problems, including homelessness, poor health, mental distress, and crime. But when they burrowed deeper, they often found the underlying cause was meth. Scott said there were many reasons behind the drug's prevalence. 'Obviously, the cost of living out there. High unemployment. And people's trauma as well. It's about unpacking it all to find out why people are addicted to methamphetamine. It ruins households, it ruins families, it ruins communities, it brings crime. Nothing will ever end good unless people stop taking it.' Ashby said the government's Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities ROCC programme, which had so far been rolled out in seven regions across New Zealand, was a good start. Although still in its early stages, ROCC aimed to stop people becoming addicted in the first place. 'It will build up resilience within whānau and prevent rangatahi [youth] from ever wanting to pick up the pipe, by making sure they're on the right pathway for education or employment, and not being led by gangs,' Ashby said. 'The focus needs to be upstream, we don't want to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff all the time. But the reality is, those who have addiction need support now. There's no magic wand for any of this.' While ROCC was 'a step in the right direction', more and sustainable investment in prevention was needed. Also desperately needed was comprehensive, culturally responsive residential treatment in mid-Northland for people who wanted to come off drugs. Currently most providers of those services, such as Grace Foundation and Higher Ground, were based in Auckland. Ashby said everyone would have to work together to tackle the meth conundrum. Police, MSD, iwi, Māori providers and local services such as Whakaoranga Whānau Recovery Hub were doing their best with the resources they had, she said. 'But without the right tools, good intentions can only go so far. It's time to match the scale of the response with the scale of the need.' While the meth problem was not new, it hit headlines last month when Ngāpuhi chairman Mane Tahere made a public call for more policing and direct funding for iwi organisations whose work was slowed by government red tape. Northland MP Grant McCallum subsequently met Tahere and Far North Mayor Moko Tepania, who lives in Kaikohe, as well as staff at the local medical centre. He was shocked by the stories they told him. They included accounts of a young man high on meth assaulting staff and 'causing mayhem' at the medical clinic, and of drug-induced family dysfunction with girls as young as 11 becoming pregnant. 'But the thing that just got me is, you know how when we were growing up, your dad might give you a sip of his beer or something when you're a young kid? Well, in some families, they're giving him a little bit of P.' McCallum said he was pleased Tahere and Ngāpuhi were standing up and saying they had had enough. 'We have to try and break this cycle. It won't be fixed in five minutes, but we have to start, and one of the key things we've got to do to help break that cycle is get children to school and keep them there,' McCallum said. In the longer term, he said the answer lay in a stronger local economy and a good education system, so people in towns like Kaikohe had well-paying jobs and children had options for their future. 'But ultimately – and this applies to any community, we're not picking on Kaikohe here, it's just the first cab off the rank – the community has to own this problem. If they don't want drugs in their community, they need to make it clear they don't want it in their community. And they need to push back and feed information through to the police when they find people dealing.' During a recent visit to Whangārei, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the government was focussed on trying to stop drugs entering the border, coming down hard on dealers and organised crime, and taking a health-led approach to drug users. Although wastewater testing had shown a big jump in meth use, other data showed the number of users had not increased significantly. That suggested the same group of people was taking more meth, he said. Doocey offered a sliver of hope to organisations like Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi, who were calling out for more funding to prevent people becoming addicted in the first place. 'We're looking at the Proceeds of Crime Fund to fund some of that. When you look at some of the high-need areas like Northland, it will be a more targeted response. Also, we'll be looking at how we can resource existing services on the ground, who are already delivering, to scale up to the need,' he said. The Proceeds of Crime Fund, which reopened recently for applications after a three-year freeze, would now focus on reducing violent crime. Such crime was often driven by drugs, Doocey said. Meanwhile, back on the front line, Jade said collective action and more funding were vital. 'I'm not sure that heavy handedness in the justice system, and filling the jails in a system that isn't working for our people anyway, is the right solution,' he said. 'It's going to get worse unless we can get ahead of it, and work together in the same direction. I'm not saying we haven't done that in the past but it's going to need an even more collective approach. And I'm hoping people come with wallets open because it's going to need to be funded.' Scott highlighted the need for comprehensive residential treatment in Northland, so people didn't need to have to be shipped off to Auckland for help. 'You'll never stop drugs, but we can come together and try to minimise it. What that looks like, I don't know. Police are obviously under the pump out there, like everyone else,' he said. 'I think we need some more healing centres for whānau up here in Kaikohe. I don't like using the word rehabilitation. What's needed is a one-stop shop where people can reside, they can heal, get counselling, work on physical fitness, and the kids can go to school.'
Scoop
05-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Northland's Meth Crisis: ‘There's No Magic Wand For Any Of This'
Article – RNZ With use tripling last year, groups trying to help people in the 'meth capital' say they're totally overwhelmed. Organisations trying to help people get off meth in Northland towns like Kaikohe say they are overwhelmed by 'a tsunami of need'. More funding – and residential care for addicts trying to quit – is desperately needed to tackle the problem, they say. Wastewater testing has shown methamphetamine use tripled in Northland last year, which now has the unenviable title of meth capital of New Zealand. Tia Ashby heads Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi, a Kaikohe-based iwi organisation that provides housing, health services and programmes like Paiheretia, which helps men caught up in the Corrections system. She said the meth crisis was 'real, complex and growing'. 'We see the daily toll it takes on whānau, on their wairua, their homes and their hope. We do what we can, but the reality is, the demand is outpacing our capacity,' she said. 'We're just not funded at the scale needed to respond to the tsunami of need we are facing.' Jade and Scott – they did not want to give their last names, because their work brings them into contact with organised crime – are employed by Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi as kaiarataki, or navigators, helping meth addicts and their whānau get the help they need. Jade said the problem was getting worse, and the money spent on drugs meant other family members missed out on essentials. 'The biggest thing that we see is the effect on the kids, on the mokos. You've got whānau that are going without kai, the living conditions can be appalling. It's a real pandemic, you could call it, and has some real atrocious effects.' Scott said the men they helped came with a whole raft of problems, including homelessness, poor health, mental distress, and crime. But when they burrowed deeper, they often found the underlying cause was meth. Scott said there were many reasons behind the drug's prevalence. 'Obviously, the cost of living out there. High unemployment. And people's trauma as well. It's about unpacking it all to find out why people are addicted to methamphetamine. It ruins households, it ruins families, it ruins communities, it brings crime. Nothing will ever end good unless people stop taking it.' Ashby said the government's Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities ROCC programme, which had so far been rolled out in seven regions across New Zealand, was a good start. Although still in its early stages, ROCC aimed to stop people becoming addicted in the first place. 'It will build up resilience within whānau and prevent rangatahi [youth] from ever wanting to pick up the pipe, by making sure they're on the right pathway for education or employment, and not being led by gangs,' Ashby said. 'The focus needs to be upstream, we don't want to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff all the time. But the reality is, those who have addiction need support now. There's no magic wand for any of this.' While ROCC was 'a step in the right direction', more and sustainable investment in prevention was needed. Also desperately needed was comprehensive, culturally responsive residential treatment in mid-Northland for people who wanted to come off drugs. Currently most providers of those services, such as Grace Foundation and Higher Ground, were based in Auckland. Ashby said everyone would have to work together to tackle the meth conundrum. Police, MSD, iwi, Māori providers and local services such as Whakaoranga Whānau Recovery Hub were doing their best with the resources they had, she said. 'But without the right tools, good intentions can only go so far. It's time to match the scale of the response with the scale of the need.' While the meth problem was not new, it hit headlines last month when Ngāpuhi chairman Mane Tahere made a public call for more policing and direct funding for iwi organisations whose work was slowed by government red tape. Northland MP Grant McCallum subsequently met Tahere and Far North Mayor Moko Tepania, who lives in Kaikohe, as well as staff at the local medical centre. He was shocked by the stories they told him. They included accounts of a young man high on meth assaulting staff and 'causing mayhem' at the medical clinic, and of drug-induced family dysfunction with girls as young as 11 becoming pregnant. 'But the thing that just got me is, you know how when we were growing up, your dad might give you a sip of his beer or something when you're a young kid? Well, in some families, they're giving him a little bit of P.' McCallum said he was pleased Tahere and Ngāpuhi were standing up and saying they had had enough. 'We have to try and break this cycle. It won't be fixed in five minutes, but we have to start, and one of the key things we've got to do to help break that cycle is get children to school and keep them there,' McCallum said. In the longer term, he said the answer lay in a stronger local economy and a good education system, so people in towns like Kaikohe had well-paying jobs and children had options for their future. 'But ultimately – and this applies to any community, we're not picking on Kaikohe here, it's just the first cab off the rank – the community has to own this problem. If they don't want drugs in their community, they need to make it clear they don't want it in their community. And they need to push back and feed information through to the police when they find people dealing.' During a recent visit to Whangārei, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the government was focussed on trying to stop drugs entering the border, coming down hard on dealers and organised crime, and taking a health-led approach to drug users. Although wastewater testing had shown a big jump in meth use, other data showed the number of users had not increased significantly. That suggested the same group of people was taking more meth, he said. Doocey offered a sliver of hope to organisations like Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi, who were calling out for more funding to prevent people becoming addicted in the first place. 'We're looking at the Proceeds of Crime Fund to fund some of that. When you look at some of the high-need areas like Northland, it will be a more targeted response. Also, we'll be looking at how we can resource existing services on the ground, who are already delivering, to scale up to the need,' he said. The Proceeds of Crime Fund, which reopened recently for applications after a three-year freeze, would now focus on reducing violent crime. Such crime was often driven by drugs, Doocey said. Meanwhile, back on the front line, Jade said collective action and more funding were vital. 'I'm not sure that heavy handedness in the justice system, and filling the jails in a system that isn't working for our people anyway, is the right solution,' he said. 'It's going to get worse unless we can get ahead of it, and work together in the same direction. I'm not saying we haven't done that in the past but it's going to need an even more collective approach. And I'm hoping people come with wallets open because it's going to need to be funded.' Scott highlighted the need for comprehensive residential treatment in Northland, so people didn't need to have to be shipped off to Auckland for help. 'You'll never stop drugs, but we can come together and try to minimise it. What that looks like, I don't know. Police are obviously under the pump out there, like everyone else,' he said. 'I think we need some more healing centres for whānau up here in Kaikohe. I don't like using the word rehabilitation. What's needed is a one-stop shop where people can reside, they can heal, get counselling, work on physical fitness, and the kids can go to school.' Whatever the answer, for the kids Scott and Jade see every day, it can not come soon enough.
Scoop
05-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Northland's Meth Crisis: 'There's No Magic Wand For Any Of This'
Organisations trying to help people get off meth in Northland towns like Kaikohe say they are overwhelmed by "a tsunami of need". More funding - and residential care for addicts trying to quit - is desperately needed to tackle the problem, they say. Wastewater testing has shown methamphetamine use tripled in Northland last year, which now has the unenviable title of meth capital of New Zealand. Tia Ashby heads Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi, a Kaikohe-based iwi organisation that provides housing, health services and programmes like Paiheretia, which helps men caught up in the Corrections system. She said the meth crisis was "real, complex and growing". "We see the daily toll it takes on whānau, on their wairua, their homes and their hope. We do what we can, but the reality is, the demand is outpacing our capacity," she said. "We're just not funded at the scale needed to respond to the tsunami of need we are facing." Jade and Scott - they did not want to give their last names, because their work brings them into contact with organised crime - are employed by Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi as kaiarataki, or navigators, helping meth addicts and their whānau get the help they need. Jade said the problem was getting worse, and the money spent on drugs meant other family members missed out on essentials. "The biggest thing that we see is the effect on the kids, on the mokos. You've got whānau that are going without kai, the living conditions can be appalling. It's a real pandemic, you could call it, and has some real atrocious effects." Scott said the men they helped came with a whole raft of problems, including homelessness, poor health, mental distress, and crime. But when they burrowed deeper, they often found the underlying cause was meth. Scott said there were many reasons behind the drug's prevalence. "Obviously, the cost of living out there. High unemployment. And people's trauma as well. It's about unpacking it all to find out why people are addicted to methamphetamine. It ruins households, it ruins families, it ruins communities, it brings crime. Nothing will ever end good unless people stop taking it." Ashby said the government's Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities ROCC programme, which had so far been rolled out in seven regions across New Zealand, was a good start. Although still in its early stages, ROCC aimed to stop people becoming addicted in the first place. "It will build up resilience within whānau and prevent rangatahi [youth] from ever wanting to pick up the pipe, by making sure they're on the right pathway for education or employment, and not being led by gangs," Ashby said. "The focus needs to be upstream, we don't want to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff all the time. But the reality is, those who have addiction need support now. There's no magic wand for any of this." While ROCC was "a step in the right direction", more and sustainable investment in prevention was needed. Also desperately needed was comprehensive, culturally responsive residential treatment in mid-Northland for people who wanted to come off drugs. Currently most providers of those services, such as Grace Foundation and Higher Ground, were based in Auckland. Ashby said everyone would have to work together to tackle the meth conundrum. Police, MSD, iwi, Māori providers and local services such as Whakaoranga Whānau Recovery Hub were doing their best with the resources they had, she said. "But without the right tools, good intentions can only go so far. It's time to match the scale of the response with the scale of the need." While the meth problem was not new, it hit headlines last month when Ngāpuhi chairman Mane Tahere made a public call for more policing and direct funding for iwi organisations whose work was slowed by government red tape. Northland MP Grant McCallum subsequently met Tahere and Far North Mayor Moko Tepania, who lives in Kaikohe, as well as staff at the local medical centre. He was shocked by the stories they told him. They included accounts of a young man high on meth assaulting staff and "causing mayhem" at the medical clinic, and of drug-induced family dysfunction with girls as young as 11 becoming pregnant. "But the thing that just got me is, you know how when we were growing up, your dad might give you a sip of his beer or something when you're a young kid? Well, in some families, they're giving him a little bit of P." McCallum said he was pleased Tahere and Ngāpuhi were standing up and saying they had had enough. "We have to try and break this cycle. It won't be fixed in five minutes, but we have to start, and one of the key things we've got to do to help break that cycle is get children to school and keep them there," McCallum said. In the longer term, he said the answer lay in a stronger local economy and a good education system, so people in towns like Kaikohe had well-paying jobs and children had options for their future. "But ultimately - and this applies to any community, we're not picking on Kaikohe here, it's just the first cab off the rank - the community has to own this problem. If they don't want drugs in their community, they need to make it clear they don't want it in their community. And they need to push back and feed information through to the police when they find people dealing." During a recent visit to Whangārei, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the government was focussed on trying to stop drugs entering the border, coming down hard on dealers and organised crime, and taking a health-led approach to drug users. Although wastewater testing had shown a big jump in meth use, other data showed the number of users had not increased significantly. That suggested the same group of people was taking more meth, he said. Doocey offered a sliver of hope to organisations like Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi, who were calling out for more funding to prevent people becoming addicted in the first place. "We're looking at the Proceeds of Crime Fund to fund some of that. When you look at some of the high-need areas like Northland, it will be a more targeted response. Also, we'll be looking at how we can resource existing services on the ground, who are already delivering, to scale up to the need," he said. The Proceeds of Crime Fund, which reopened recently for applications after a three-year freeze, would now focus on reducing violent crime. Such crime was often driven by drugs, Doocey said. Meanwhile, back on the front line, Jade said collective action and more funding were vital. "I'm not sure that heavy handedness in the justice system, and filling the jails in a system that isn't working for our people anyway, is the right solution," he said. "It's going to get worse unless we can get ahead of it, and work together in the same direction. I'm not saying we haven't done that in the past but it's going to need an even more collective approach. And I'm hoping people come with wallets open because it's going to need to be funded." Scott highlighted the need for comprehensive residential treatment in Northland, so people didn't need to have to be shipped off to Auckland for help. "You'll never stop drugs, but we can come together and try to minimise it. What that looks like, I don't know. Police are obviously under the pump out there, like everyone else," he said. "I think we need some more healing centres for whānau up here in Kaikohe. I don't like using the word rehabilitation. What's needed is a one-stop shop where people can reside, they can heal, get counselling, work on physical fitness, and the kids can go to school." Whatever the answer, for the kids Scott and Jade see every day, it can not come soon enough.
