Joseph Mooney - MP for Southland
In what I hope will be a significant step forward for healthcare in Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago, a steering group I lead alongside local mayors and MPs has delivered a locally driven strategic report to Minister of Health Simeon Brown.
Since the last election, our steering group has been meeting regularly and bringing in perspectives from all over the health sector, aiming to identify options to address the lack of suitable publicly funded health services and facilities available here. We have great healthcare professionals in our region doing the best with what they have, but the reality is we need much more.
I’m proud to have helped lead the group to the stage we are at. Delivering change in health is a complex process, but our strategic report has identified the clear need of our growing communities and presents realistic solutions for the Minister to consider.
The steering group has been working towards solutions for ‘Otago Central Lakes’, the combined areas of the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and Central Otago District Council (CODC).
70% of people in New Zealand who live more than two hours from a base hospital live in Otago Central Lakes. That often means 2-4 hour road trips for appointments and non-urgent treatments, helicopter flights when things are urgent, and risk to life when those flights are delayed. As a community, we need a long-term solution - we’re simply growing so fast.
We identify opportunities to enhance publicly funded health services by potentially partnering with private hospitals, clinics and investors that are either in the planning process or have started building in the Otago Central Lakes area. We see an opportunity to work with them to achieve the delivery of more public health services in our region.
Public private partnerships are not a new concept for our region. Wakatipu High School is a successful example of a public private partnership that has delivered an important and valued local community asset, with the private partner responsible for designing, financing, building and maintaining the school property.
We look forward to further discussions with the Minister of Health about our report, the immediate priorities from the opportunities presented and guidance of Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora to participate in our next stage, which is to develop business cases for identified priorities by the end of this year.
With healthcare factored into the “light touch” Otago Central Lakes Regional Deal proposal put forward to the Government recently by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, Central Otago District Council and Otago Regional Council, the Regional Deal proposal has great potential. It is currently under consideration by the Government, and I am strongly advocating for it to go to the next stage.
A closing note this week on Anzac Day. I have a strong history of service in my family having been a former reservist in the New Zealand Army myself, with members of my family having served in the New Zealand armed services in both World Wars (and going further back one of my 4th great grandfathers served during the Battle of Trafalgar among other campaigns, his service medals were brought to New Zealand by his grandson and are on display in the Auckland War Musuem).
I have a particularly strong connection to Anzac Day with one of my great-granduncles having lost his life at Gallipoli on Anzac Day in 1915, and one of my grandfathers having served in the only ANZAC Corps briefly re-established in the Second World War to counter the invasion of Greece.
I am proud to see legislation to formally recognise the service of more New Zealanders as part of official Anzac Day commemorations passing its first reading in Parliament.
Today’s service personnel carry forward a long and proud tradition. It’s time for overdue change - every New Zealander who has served in war and war-like conflicts deserves official recognition and honour. Anzac Day is the right moment to acknowledge them.
The Anzac Day Amendment Bill is expected to be passed in time for Anzac Day 2026.
