The time for action is now.
The Public Health Advisory Committee’s ‘Determining Our Future’ report couldn’t be clearer: if we keep doing “business as usual,” our health system will drown under the weight of unmet need.
The call is simple: strengthen the bedrock of our society, empower communities, and invest in solutions that deliver “win-win” outcomes for wellbeing, equity, and the economy… and that is exactly what we do at Whakamātūtū.
We’re a community-led programme supporting people in deep mental distress to recover, reconnect, and thrive. Every person who rebuilds their wellbeing with us reduces pressure on hospitals, police callouts, and emergency departments — while also reconnecting with whānau, work, and community.
The report calls for:
Invest in and empower communities – wellbeing starts in whānau, not waiting rooms.
Strengthen the bedrock – embed equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and human rights in practice.
Back “win-win” solutions – like Whakamātūtū, where recovery drives better health, social cohesion, and economic participation.
“Without sustained investment, community solutions like ours can’t meet the scale of need. The people most affected by inequities deserve more than words — they deserve action.”
So here’s the call:
To government: resource upstream solutions, not just downstream crises.
To funders and businesses: partner with us to transform lives and futures.
To communities: keep raising your voices — you know what works.
The report sets the blueprint. The time for action is now. Let’s stop patching holes and start fixing foundations.