Source: New Zealand Government
For the first time, New Zealand has a clear picture of where mental health and addiction ringfenced funding is being spent, what is making a difference, and where more attention is needed, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says.
“Billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money goes into mental health and addiction every single year, but until now we haven’t had a clear enough picture of whether that investment was reaching the right services, in the right places, for the people who needed it most,” Mr Doocey says.
“Before coming into government, I repeatedly asked where the $1.9 billion mental health investment had gone and what difference it was making.
“New Zealanders were repeatedly told how much money had been announced but couldn’t get a clear answer on where it was going or what it was achieving.
“That’s a problem when you can’t, hand on heart, say that what you’re investing is going to where it’s most needed.
“That’s why we established the Mental Health and Addiction Ringfence Taskforce – to get the answers we didn’t have.
“Three independent reports published today give us the clearest picture yet across infant, child and youth mental health and addiction services, alcohol and other drug services, and forensic mental health services.
“We can now see where investment is going, who is using services, where services are under pressure and where there are gaps.
“That means we can make better decisions about where funding should go next, rather than simply putting more money into the system and hoping for the best.
“Our mental health plan is focused on faster access to support, more frontline workers, and a better crisis response. We need to know that investment is translating into those better outcomes for New Zealanders.
“By publishing these reports, we are again proving that we are not afraid of being held accountable and being transparent with New Zealanders about where we need to do better.
“The findings are already informing and will continue to inform future policy and investment decisions, particularly so we can ensure our young people are getting the support they need and deserve.
“The dedicated youth mental health roadmap being co-designed by young people will complement this work by also ensuring their voices are heard and that it is designed around their needs and what works best for them.
“This is a step forward in continuing to turn the corner, fix the basics and build a better mental health system.”
Notes to editor:
The reports can be found here and here
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/22/funding-clarity-to-deliver-better-outcomes/