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Otago Daily Times
17-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Call for better psych services amid mental health 'crisis'
Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board members are calling for better services to end the "tragic" mental health crisis in the region, as suicide rates increase. The most recent Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora data shows suicides have increased to 23 in the Lakes District — the biggest shift in over a decade. The rate had steadily been around 16 to 18 people a year between 2017 and 2022. Community board member Linda Joll said there was now a mental health crisis in the region. Youth mental health should be the focus, as young people who did not get the support they needed in school would struggle once they left, she said. "It starts at [school], but it doesn't stop when you leave." A recent report by Health Action Wānaka further highlights the dire state of mental health services in Wānaka, proving residents struggle with high costs, long wait times and limited specialist availability. The report states that youth and adolescents are especially vulnerable, with youth-focused mental health services being limited. When it came to mild and moderate mental health issues, young people had some support through school counsellors or services such as Kahu Youth and ADL, a not-for-profit organisation supporting young people's mental health in the South Island. However, there was less availability of mental health specialists and services for long-term issues after young people left school. Youth worker at Kahu Youth, Imogen Smith, said the main issues young people in Wānaka dealt with included anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, which stemmed from social pressure online. "Body image issues is quite a big one as well, I think, especially with all the social media and the pressures that young people face," she said. She agreed there was room for improvement with services in Wānaka and identified that there were not a lot of long-term services or adequate crisis intervention. Dunstan Hospital had the nearest mental health crisis team, which had a tedious process with long wait times, Ms Smith said. Kahu Youth operations director Anna Sutherland said the root of the issue was the region's inability to keep up with growth. She felt that, in addition to having more services and specialists, being able to grow existing services would also benefit young people in Wānaka. ADL chief executive Clive McArthur said referrals had increased across the lower South Island over the last five years with most being in the 15- to 18-year-old age group. That was also due to an increase in demand. "I think mental health has far less stigma around that than it had before. People are seeking help earlier than they did," he said. From the referrals ADL had received across more remote regions, there were challenges for young people living in rural areas, especially if they belonged to a minority. "That sense of isolation can compound other issues. For example, if you're the only one or two or three people in a particular ethnic group in your area." There was a great need for more consultants and psychology specialists across the region, Mr McArthur said. "We've had huge growth in Wānaka and the services haven't grown in response to that." Where to get help Healthline 0800 611 116 0800 611 116 Lifeline Aotearoa 0800 543 354 0800 543 354 Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) Youthline 0800 376 633 txt 234 or talk@ 0800 376 633 txt 234 or talk@ What's Up (for 5-18 year olds; 1pm-11pm): 0800 942 8787 (for 5-18 year olds; 1pm-11pm): 0800 942 8787 Kidsline (aimed at children up to age 14; 4pm-6pm weekdays): 0800 54 37 54 (0800 kidsline) (aimed at children up to age 14; 4pm-6pm weekdays): 0800 54 37 54 (0800 kidsline) Rainbow youth (LGBTQ youth helpline): (09) 3764155
Otago Daily Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Ideas for asset fund sought
The Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board is calling for bold ideas from the community on how to spend over $4 million in asset funds. The board had its monthly meeting on Thursday and began discussing what the community plans to do with its asset funds. Ideas and issues around event management, traffic control, transport and social infrastructure were brought forward by both board members and local organisations. The asset sales reserve is currently about $4 million but is expected to grow substantially once the board sells land in Ironside Dr. Improving event management was a key topic, especially following the success of Wheels at Wānaka. The event held over Easter weekend brought record numbers of visitors to Wanaka as it sold over 60,000 tickets, causing severe traffic congestion. Board member Linda Joll voiced her concern that traffic management was unable to accommodate the growth of events in the region. "I felt like there was no traffic management plan or a very inadequate one," she said. Oliver Harcus, spokesman for pride group Out and About, spoke during the public forum and further expressed the need to improve event capacity in Wānaka. Mr Harcus focused on the increasingly limited capacity of the Lake Wānaka Centre, saying the building was a better fit for meetings rather than events. "Is this an attractive place to hold an event?" he said. He used the Festival of Colour as an example, saying it would have been hard for the festival to make money as its ticket sales were limited by the building's capacity of about 500 people. Mr Harcus also argued the building did not reflect the diversity of the town nor was it adequately accessible for someone with a disability. Queenstown Lakes District Council arts and events relationship manager Jan Maxwell said the region held more events than any other district of the same size. "We're not matching that need ... I do know it has its limitations," she said. Ms Maxwell, alongside a team from the council, presented a draft of the event policy review which promised to work on streamlining event services. This would include a single point of entry for anyone wishing to book a space for an event. Chairman Simon Telfer said the board was encouraging bold and large ideas that would be valuable to the community. He said this could include a new performance arts centre, potentially a sports fields and an artificial turf. Aside from event management social infrastructure, the board also heard from Electrify Wānaka, a local group advocating for the town to be powered by electricity rather than gas or petrol. The final recommendation on what to spend the asset fund on will be shared with the council in November while discussing the region's long-term plan.
