Health Action Wānaka

14/06/2026

We are proud to support this initiative. Air quality is a health issue, and this is a great opportunity for our community to get involved and find out more about what we're breathing at home and in our community. Well worth a look 👇

12/06/2026

𝗔𝗻 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗣 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹

Yesterday, Health New Zealand removed rural funding from the revised funding proposal and extended the timeframe for feedback on the proposal.

We remain concerned that Wānaka's R1 classification has been retained.

The Geographic Classification for Health is a useful tool, but its own authors are clear it should not guide funding decisions alone. Geographic isolation, access to health services, and local knowledge must also be considered.

Wānaka is growing, but growth alone does not remove our rurality. We are a significant distance from the nearest emergency department and we lack a sustainable urgent and after-hours service.

We continue to call on Health New Zealand to reclassify Wānaka as R2, in line with the evidence and the lived experience of our community.

Read more about the updated proposal in today's Otago Daily Times and on RNZ. Links in comments below.

08/06/2026

We are deeply concerned about proposed changes to GP capitation funding that would adversely impact health services in Wānaka and the wider Upper Clutha community.

A reclassification from R2 to R1 under the Geographic Classification for Health would reduce funding to local GP practices — resulting in fewer locally available services and more people forced to travel out of the region for care they currently receive at home.

If adopted, local practices will have insufficient funding to continue delivering the after-hours service currently available from 6–11pm, seven days a week, with weekend clinics. This service could cease as early as 1 July.

Our primary healthcare providers effectively function as a default emergency department — monitoring and stabilising patients with acute symptoms and preparing them for transfer to hospital. They must be adequately funded to continue delivering these vital services.

The Clinical Services Plan was created specifically to address the lack of local services, and in May Simeon Brown MP announced new funding to begin addressing that deficit. It defies belief that Health New Zealand would simultaneously implement changes that undermine that very commitment.

Under the proposed reclassification, Wānaka would sit in the same category as Ashburton — a town with a 75-bed hospital and a 24-hour Acute Admitting Unit. Applying the same classification to both communities makes no sense.

Health Action Wānaka is calling on Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora to reclassify Wānaka as R2 and ensure Upper Clutha residents can continue to access health services locally.

Read the story in today's Otago Daily Times Link in the comments.

Miles Anderson MP for Waitaki Simon Telfer: Chair of Wānaka/UC Community Board Quentin Smith - Deputy mayor of the Queenstown Lakes District

31/05/2026

We welcome the arrival of bone density scanning in Wānaka. This is a real step forward for the Upper Clutha community in identifying and managing osteoporosis. Thank you to Ashleigh West and Southern Ultrasound - Wānaka for making this happen locally. We will continue to advocate for publicly funded bone density scanning for our community — because everyone in our community deserves access to the same quality of care.

31/05/2026

This reflects what our own 2024 research found — unmet mental health need is real and significant in our community. We are grateful to the team at Community Link for their mahi in making support easier to find and access.

Supporting mental health in our community
A recent piece in the Wānaka Sun highlights something many people are already feeling, demand for mental health support in the Upper Clutha continues to grow, while access remains challenging, with long wait times and barriers to getting help when it’s needed.
At Community Link, we see this every day. That’s why we’ve strengthened our Wellbeing Connection service by welcoming Sarah Stewart to the team, working alongside Ana.

Together, we can now offer support five days a week, helping more people access local, practical support when they need it most.
Whether you're navigating stress, life changes, or finding the right services, we’re here to help you take the next step.

If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out — you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Hawea Community Association Wanaka Community Hub Wanaka Wastebusters Wanaka isite Visitor Bookings and Information Centre Wānaka Business Chamber Wanaka Mental Health Peer Support Group - Public Health Action Wānaka

24/05/2026

Alzheimers Otago provides services across Otago to support people living with Alzheimer's disease and their whānau.

Alzheimer’s Otago is seeking to bring Dr Yoram Barak to Wānaka to speak with the community about dementia. Dr Barak is an Associate Professior of Psychiatry at the Otago School of Medicine in Dunedin, with research interests in old-age psychiatry and su***de. He is also a member of the Alzheimer’s Otago Board.

To help make this valuable community event possible, Alzheimer’s Otago is seeking sponsorship to help fund Dr Barak’s visit to Wānaka. If you are able to assist with funding for this important community event, please contact Robyn Brighouse at Alzheimer’s Otago: [email protected]

23/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our community conversation on eating disorders last week. It was really incredibly encouraging to see so many people come together to learn more about this important - and often not openly discussed - topic.

A sincere thank you to our speakers Sarah Rowland (Chair, EDCS Eating Disorders Carer Support NZ) and Hayley Guinness (Clinical Nurse Consultant) for generously sharing their expertise and insights.

We also extend our thanks to our panel members Victoria Stewart (Mount Aspiring College), Dr Andrew Boyd (Aspiring Medical Centre), Warren Scott (ADL), Donna Gillard (Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora), and Pip Miller (Carer) for contributing to such a valuable and thoughtful discussion.

We are very grateful to our funding partners Central Otago REAP and Path Wānaka Ara ki Wānaka and to our sponsors Community Link Upper Clutha and Yello! Wanaka for helping make the event possible.

You can view Sarah and Hayley's presentation on our website here:https://www.healthactionwanaka.nz/_files/ugd/2fbcfa_26f1beb9cc6f4e228bb53de726ce2ed2.pdf

19/05/2026

𝗘𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
We are looking forward to welcoming 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗥𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 as a guest speaker at this important community event.

Sarah Rowland is Co-founder and current Chairperson of EDCS Eating Disorders Carer Support NZ a national provider of online support, programmes, and resources for families and whānau supporting someone with an eating disorder.

Her work focuses on strengthening early intervention, carer and whānau inclusion, and improving how systems respond to the often-missed links between eating difficulties, disorders, neurodiversity, and wider public systems including health, education, and social care.

She has contributed to national strategy development, public awareness initiatives, and sector consultation processes in Aotearoa, and is recognised for connecting the dots between lived experience and system-level insight to support practical change.

Sarah brings over a decade of self-directed education and expertise alongside extensive lived experience as both a carer and someone with a long-term eating disorder recovery journey.
She is a trusted voice within carer and peer communities nationally and internationally.

Hosted by Health Action Wānaka, with support from Central Otago REAP and Path Wānaka Ara ki Wānaka, this free community event will bring people together for an open, informed conversation about eating disorders, recovery, and support pathways.

We look forward to welcoming community members, whānau, health professionals, educators, and anyone wanting to learn more about this important issue.

𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟭 𝗠𝗮𝘆, 𝟳.𝟬𝟬𝗽𝗺
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺, 𝗪𝗮̄𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝘂𝗯
𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 – 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://shorturl.at/TpuDm

Community Link Upper Clutha Yello! Wanaka

18/05/2026

𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀
In a lot of young people, dedication is something we actively encourage. Showing up to training, being disciplined, pushing through discomfort - these are often seen as strengths. And in many ways, they are.

But sometimes, what starts as commitment can quietly shift into something more rigid and harder to step back from.

In this Path Wānaka Ara ki Wānaka Caregiver's blog, Sarah Rowland talks about how early awareness isn’t about stepping in at the first sign of dedication. It’s about noticing when wellbeing starts to rate less than performance, rather than alongside it.

Sarah is the Co-founder and Chairperson of EDCS Eating Disorders Carer Support NZ and will be speaking at our upcoming FREE event, '𝗘𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻' 𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟭 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝟳𝗽𝗺 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮̄𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝘂𝗯.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵'𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁: https://wanakaapp.nz/NewsStory/when-strength-starts-to-shift-sport-discipline-and-the-early-signs-we-miss-caregivers-blog/6a0534d2360c550068310ca6

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: https://shorturl.at/mL26W

Community Link Upper Clutha Community Link Upper Clutha Yello! Wanaka

16/05/2026

𝗘𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

We are pleased to welcome 𝗛𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 as a guest speaker for this important community event.

With more than 20 years’ experience as a Clinical Nurse Consultant, Hayley Guinness has worked across specialist inpatient units, day programmes, and community settings, offering comprehensive assessments, individual therapy, and group-based interventions. These diverse experiences have shaped the heart of her work: creating spaces where people feel genuinely held, respected, and supported to move toward meaningful and sustainable change.

As an eating disorder specialist with over two decades of dedicated clinical practice, Hayley brings both depth of expertise and a deeply compassionate presence to her work. She has supported individuals across the spectrum of disordered eating, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and body image concerns. Her approach is evidence-based and trauma-informed modalities while always tailoring support to the unique needs of each person.

Hayley is also a certified practitioner of the Eat Breathe Thrive interventions that integrate yoga, psychology, and neuroscience to support body image, emotional regulation, and recovery from disordered eating. This work reflects her passion for bridging clinical practice with embodied, holistic approaches to healing.

Hosted by Health Action Wānaka, with support from Central Otago REAP and Path Wānaka Ara ki Wānaka, this free community event will bring people together for an open, informed conversation about eating disorders, recovery, and support pathways.

We look forward to welcoming community members, whānau, health professionals, educators, and anyone wanting to learn more about this important issue.

𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟭 𝗠𝗮𝘆, 𝟳.𝟬𝟬𝗽𝗺
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺, 𝗪𝗮̄𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝘂𝗯
𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 – 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://shorturl.at/TpuDm

Community Link Upper Clutha Yello! Wanaka EDCS Eating Disorders Carer Support NZ