Kāpiti Coast District Council is well placed to facilitate community identification of local health needs in Kāpiti if the Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announces a greater role for the local government sector in the governments delivery of health services. The Minister is due to make a major announcement tomorrow in Lower Hutt on the reform of local government.

Her announcement will follow hot on the heels of Minister of Health Andrew Little’s radical shake up of the health sector with the demise of all 20 DHBs and the creation of a single Health NZ organisation working in partnership with an independent Māori Health Authority.

This highly centralised approach will create a premium for grassroots community engagement through locality networks. To keep the positive reform solutions of Minister Little’s radical shake up going it will be great, and timely, if the Local Government Minister’s announcement tomorrow included a role for councils as health facilitators in the health sector. A significantly increased and focussed role apart from the general one under the four wellbeing’s of the Local Government Act. This could go a little way to reshape the local government sector given the removal of core council activities through the 3 Waters Reform and pending RMA reforms.

The value of the local government sector in the health area was significantly highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic when central government suddenly appreciated, in a practical way, the ability of councils to drill down and engage with its communities.

Kāpiti Coast has developed over the last five years a local network through the Kāpiti Health Advisory Group, supported by Council admin staff, which reports directly to the Mayor’s Office. It was chaired by former Director General of Health Dame Karen Poutasi. Dame Karen, a Kāpiti resident, left the chair recently following her appointment as chair of Tamata Arawai the new National Water Regulator. She has been succeeded by Kāpiti resident and former Chief Medical Adviser to the Ministry of Health, Dr Colin Feek. He will also take over as chair of the Kāpiti Community Health Network of service providers set up by CCDHB. I’m expecting the centralisation of the public health sector to increase the focus on local engagement. Kāpiti and the Kāpiti Coast District Council are willing and ready if Minister Mahuta includes an increased role for the local government sector in the health wellbeing of our communities.

© Scoop Media