Health New Zealand funding for vital service shrinking

Media Release

4 June, 2026

With Health New Zealand funding for a vital South Taranaki service shrinking, Ngāti Ruanui Healthcare are facing the slow strangulation of their targeted, wraparound comprehensive care service.

Last year, after Ngāti Ruanui highlighted the impending cuts to the Kaiawhina (navigator) roles, Health New Zealand chipped in for another year.

Now, Health New Zealand are only promising a six-month extension with a fraction of the funding needed to employ one full-time equivalent.

Ngāti Ruanui Tahua general manager Graham Young said funding uncertainty caused real harm.

“Playing games with this crucial health service erodes our ability to deliver a service that ultimately saves our health system much more than it costs to run.

“Our work operates on multiyear timelines. Each one requires staff and systems to track outcomes.

“When funding is slowly strangled our service risks being degraded and patients can lose confidence in what was once a great service.

“The expectation that this role will be absorbed into our Primary Healthcare funding model is flawed and adds additional strain to the whole of service we provide.”

Mr Young said the service led to better health outcomes, such as reduced hospitalisations, improved quality of life, and increased life expectancy.

“Navigating the health system, coordinating appointments, and managing medications as you grapple with your health can be mentally and physically exhausting.

“Our kaiawhina work alongside various other healthcare professionals and services to ensure the best possible health outcomes for our most vulnerable patients.

“It’s about cultivating positive, lasting relationships between your GP, your specialists, and any health provider.”

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust Pou Whakahaere Rachel Arnott said Health New Zealand needed to stop gambling with lives of South Taranaki’s most vulnerable.

“The Government has repeatedly claimed any funding cut would not impact frontline services, clearly that is a lie they continue to make.

“You cannot dump funding for frontline staff, who create positive and lasting change to our wider community, and think you can get away with undermining this service responsibly.

“We’re operating with very little confidence that this Government will ever honour Tiriti-guaranteed rights of iwi, hapū and whānau.”