Health Action Wānaka

06/10/2026

Got a health-related question for the Waitaki electorate candidates?

The Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board, with assistance from a group of local volunteers, is holding a Waitaki candidates event this Thursday 8 October, and locals are invited to submit their questions.

Submit up to three questions for the candidates here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdUBinCkRIanrdrmJuPOlIFv9Qg5wO9gJhZHHC4x9CPrHv8Tg/viewform

04/10/2026

Ahead of the 7 November election and this week's Meet the Candidates event, we asked Waitaki candidates and party representatives where they stand on some of the health issues that matter to our community - public health infrastructure, dental care, dementia, maternity services, mental health, urgent care, and more.

We've published the responses in full and haven't scored or ranked anything — just given you the information to make up your own mind.

Labour, the Green Party and the Opportunity Party responded. Miles Anderson (National) was invited to take part but declined, saying the survey questions were "too narrow in scope."

Read the survey responses and Mr Anderson's full response here: https://www.healthactionwanaka.nz/resources-1

02/09/2026

𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮̄𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗮

Since the BreastScreen Aotearoa mobile unit stopped coming to Wānaka in 2017, women across the Upper Clutha have had to travel to Queenstown or Clyde every two years for something as routine and important as a mammogram. For many, that's meant a half-day commitment once travel there and back is factored in, as well as time off work, childcare to arrange, and other commitments to reshuffle around one appointment.

We're very pleased to learn that Pacific Radiology Group (PRG), along with BreastScreen Aotearoa, will be bringing breast screening back to Wānaka from the end of this year.

Access to breast screening shouldn’t depend on having the time, transport or flexibility to travel more than an hour out of town. Bringing screening back to Wānaka makes an important health service more accessible and helps address an inequity that has existed for far too long.

This is another significant step towards equitable healthcare access for our fast-growing community.

Read more in the Wanaka App: https://wanakaapp.nz/NewsStory/breast-screening-returns-to-w-naka-after-a-decade/6a978bfab53c77002e640329

03/07/2026

Recently, we've been talking about the negative impact of the GP capitation funding reclassification on Wānaka's medical practices. This opinion piece from Dunedin GP and palliative care doctor David McKay lays out his concerns with the funding model.

He says capitation rewards seeing patients less, but high-needs patients don't fit that model. The harder a GP works for complex or palliative patients, the more they can lose financially — an inverse-value system that penalises the very people who need care most. He also warns the new funding deal doesn't keep pace with rising costs.

McKay also challenges the Minister of Health's claim that GPs "overwhelmingly back" the deal, based on 86% of practices voting in favour. He points out that figure reflects practices, not individual clinicians, and doesn't capture the real concern about the offer's long-term viability. As he puts it, the choice wasn't between a good option and a better one, but between "half a loaf" and "crumbs to a quarter of a loaf," depending on the practice. He says most chose the less damaging option — a pragmatic response to limited alternatives, not a genuine endorsement.

Worth a read 👇
https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/reality-behind-big-gp-shake

29/06/2026

On Friday night we attended the community meeting with Christopher Luxon at the Lake Hāwea Community Centre. After the formal part of the evening, we took the opportunity to speak with the PM directly about two pressing issues facing our community: the urgent need for a sustainable and equitable urgent care service for the Upper Clutha, and the impact of the recent GP capitation funding reclassification on Wānaka's medical practices.

He seemed unaware of the local impact of Wānaka’s reclassification, and we urged him to help facilitate an exemption for Wānaka or revert the classification.

While the Geographic Classification for Health is a useful tool, its own authors are clear it should not guide funding decisions alone. Geographic isolation, access to services, and local knowledge must also be considered. Wānaka is growing, but growth alone does not erase our rurality. We remain a significant distance from the nearest emergency department, and we still lack a sustainable urgent and after-hours service.

We appreciated the PM taking the time to listen, and we hope that conversation leads to meaningful change for our community.

Photo (L-R): Dr Allan Panting, Dr Brigid Loughnan (HAW), Monique Mayze (HAW), PM Christopher Luxon, Lucy Middendorf (HAW)

Miles Anderson MP for Waitaki Christopher Luxon

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