The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Rural health initiatives constrained by dearth of funding

By Mike Houlahan
Otago Daily Times·
9 Apr, 2018 10:10 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Work on initiatives aimed at improving health services for rural areas has been paused while the Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand fights for its own survival.

RHAANZ last week hauled up the shutters, saying without government funding it would be forced to close permanently.

The future of projects such as RHAANZ's work on rural suicide prevention and boosting the rural health work force has been placed at risk by the move.

"We are in limbo as we have literally run out of money,'' RHAANZ chairman Martin London said.

"The office is paralysed, apart from carrying out the contracts which are already put in place and contracted, but beyond that we can't do anything.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A registered charity, RHAANZ is funded by member's fees and sponsorships.

However, that has proven inadequate, hence the approach to the Government.

There are only two other national rural health alliances in the world, and both received central funding, Dr London said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Public reaction to RHAANZ's plight had been encouraging although no official response had yet been made, Dr London said.

That might be forthcoming on Thursday, when RHAANZ is scheduled to meet Rural Communities Minister Damien O'Connor to discuss funding.

The organisation had been due to meet the minister earlier this year to discuss funding but that was cancelled after Mr O'Connor's father died. The delay forced RHAANZ to take drastic action.

"From overseas, we know that without core funding it is very difficult for an organisation like this to continue beyond the establishment phase. We are not disclosing numbers at this stage...but it is a significant figure we couldn't raise from members or sponsorship.''

Discover more

DairyNZ: Focus on quad bike safety is essential

21 Mar 04:30 AM

Rural Women critical of maternity care

21 Mar 11:23 PM

Farmer urges public to donate to St John appeal

04 Apr 11:15 PM

Hope new govt programme stops spread of mycoplasma bovis

08 Apr 10:30 PM

More than 600,000 people lived in rural New Zealand, equivalent to being the country's second largest city.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

live
The Country

Bus passengers rescued from floodwater in Taranaki, heavy rain sweeps country

03 Jul 08:18 AM
Premium
The Country

Court holds forestry directors accountable for environmental compliance

03 Jul 06:00 AM
The Country

Dairy price dip won’t last long - expert

03 Jul 02:30 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Bus passengers rescued from floodwater in Taranaki, heavy rain sweeps country
live

Bus passengers rescued from floodwater in Taranaki, heavy rain sweeps country

03 Jul 08:18 AM

Rain started falling at the top of the country before dawn.

Premium
Court holds forestry directors accountable for environmental compliance

Court holds forestry directors accountable for environmental compliance

03 Jul 06:00 AM
Dairy price dip won’t last long - expert

Dairy price dip won’t last long - expert

03 Jul 02:30 AM
North warned thunderstorms possible as watch issued

North warned thunderstorms possible as watch issued

03 Jul 02:25 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP