Hopes for bold Budget 2018 for Māori health

Hāpai Te Hauora hopes more resources will be put into papakainga, such as the development above Waimarama Marae that opened in March last year. Photo/file

Housing, preventative healthcare, addiction treatment and mental health services are some of the key areas Hāpai Te Hauora, the largest Māori public health collective in Aotearoa, hopes will get more investment from Budget 2018.

This afternoon's announcement had been signalled to increase public sector funding and Hāpai Te Hauora chief executive Lance Norman said he hoped this government's first budget would reflect their rhetoric around creating a better New Zealand for everyone.

Priority areas the collective had identified would have the biggest impact on whanau centred on public health and education.

This included meeting urgent housing needs in Tāmaki Mākaurau and Te Tai Tokerau so all families have the ability to live in warm, dry homes, and funding to support papakainga housing in rural areas.

Increased health spending with a focus on investment in primary and preventative healthcare were also important to reduce costs, and the collective called for more money for alcohol, drug and other addictions treatment and mental health services, coupled with research primarily focused on Māori and Pacific to support best practice models of delivery.

Emphasis on funding for rehabilitation in the criminal justice system, especially culturally appropriate services for Māori was also on the wish-list as was making Te Reo Māori compulsory in all schools with more money for teaching resources.

Also in the education field, the group said increased funding for special education would give vulnerable children the same opportunity as the peers to reach their full potential.

More investment in wrap around services, including building health and financial literacy within communities, and Whanau Ora, would be another valuable way to promote wellbeing.

"Public health is both the hardest and most rewarding area of the health system to work in," said Norman.

"It's hard because the issues are complex and they're huge, but rewarding because it's where you can do the most good in terms of improving people's holistic wellbeing and opportunities to succeed in life.

"We hope this government will act boldly to make meaningful change."