Localising health already under way, Ashburton mayor says
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Health Minister Shane Reti says the Government will shift more health decision-making back to the regions, but Ashburton’s mayor believes it is already under way.
District health boards were scrapped 18 months ago to form Te Whatu Ora/Health NZ in a bid to end geographical differences in healthcare.
Reti said the reforms went too far in removing local decision making.
"There are some parts that need to be owned by the centre [Te Whatu Ora], absolutely, but we need to be very careful because what has happened here is we've lost local accountability.
“We've lost local decision making and it's all owned by the centre."
Ashburton mayor Neil Brown said he believed a move to localise health was already happening under the current model.
The council doesn’t do health, its role is advocacy, but they have been involved in setting up a locality for health, Brown said.
Localities are part of the shift to the Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand system, aimed at delivering place-based planning for health and wellbeing services.
“We have been working with other councils to set up a locality for Mid-South Canterbury,” Brown said.
Ashburton is working with the Timaru, Waimate and Mackenzie councils, and local rūnanga to form a locality.
“To do localities you had to have council on board. We have the four mayors on board and our iwi Arowhenua ... all heading in the same direction, all wanting the best services for everyone.”
Whether the locality model would be retained under the new Government was yet to be seen.
However, Brown said the work had progressed to a point where it would work with Reti's suggestion.
“If it’s not called a locality we can still progress with it as a region.
“I think they will work quite well and have local people making local decisions for health from the Rakaia River to the Waitaki River.”
Reti stopped short of saying he would reintroduce district health boards and Brown questioned if the DHB model was that localised.
The Canterbury District Health Board was Christchurch-centric and rarely had elected members from Mid Canterbury, he said.
The council’s advocacy work is also looking at extending Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua’s Whānau Services into Mid Canterbury, which would happen under the locality system, Brown said.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.4% Yes
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46.6% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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