Rural Doesn’t Mean Invisible: The Fight for Fair Mental Health Support

By Lucy Middendorf, Trustee, Community Link

More than 300 locals packed into the Rural Health Roadshow with Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey recently — a clear signal of how deeply the Upper Clutha cares about access to health services.

At the very same time, I was in Auckland with Health Action Wānaka, speaking directly to the Minister of Health about one message: our rural community deserves equitable health care — and especially, fair mental health support.

But here’s the hard truth: we shouldn’t need packed halls or urgent ministerial meetings just to be heard.

The Reality on the Ground

Despite repeated promises, serious gaps in mental health support remain:

Not enough services – demand far outweighs supply. As soon as a new option opens, it’s full.

Families forced to choose – with one in three Upper Clutha households living week to week, many can’t afford ongoing care. For children under 12, local publicly funded options are almost non-existent.

Patchy programmes – WellSouth’s Access & Choice has helped with mild needs, but there’s little for complex, long-term support such as trauma, grief, or specialist child services.

Vanishing support – the Wānaka Mental Health Peer Support Group has closed, and MSD access in person is increasingly difficult.

Professionals working in mental health are doing phenomenal work — but the issue isn’t quality, it’s capacity.

Why Rural Challenges Are Different

The Upper Clutha faces a unique storm of issues:

Geographical isolation.

Low per-capita numbers of mental health professionals.

Rapid population growth stretching limited resources.

Loss of air services making regional access harder.

Mental health is health. It cannot be treated as an afterthought.

A Call for Action

There is hope. Minister Doocey’s visit, the commitment from health leaders to return in August, and the strong advocacy of Health Action Wānaka and Community Link show progress is possible.

But as Health Action Wānaka’s research shows, the reality is stark: unmet need, systemic barriers, and a lack of strategic planning continue to hurt this community.

We don’t need more reviews. We need real, sustained commitment.

At a minimum, three quick wins could make a huge difference:

A publicly funded blood collection service in Wānaka within two years.

Psychiatric consultations via telehealth for young people within one year.

Improved access to publicly funded radiology locally.

The Upper Clutha deserves accessible, timely, and affordable mental health care. Anything less isn’t just disappointing — it’s unjust.

Need Help Now?

If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out:

1737 Need to Talk – Free call or text 1737 anytime.

Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 | Text 4202 | depression.org.nz

Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 | lifeline.org.nz

The Lowdown (youth support) – 0800 111 757 | Text 5626 | thelowdown.co.nz

Youthline – 0800 376 633 | Text 234 | youthline.co.nz

Family Violence Helpline – 0800 456 450 | areyouok.org.nz

Alcohol & Drug Helpline – 0800 787 797 | Text 8681 | alcoholdrughelp.org.nz

Women’s Refuge – 0800 733 843 | womensrefuge.org.nz

Outline (sexuality support) – 0800 688 5463 (6–9pm) | outline.org.nz

Southern DHB Crisis Mental Health Service – 0800 467 846

👉 Lucy Middendorf is a trustee of Community Link and continues to advocate for equitable health access across the Upper Clutha.