Articles tagged with Whanganui

Palmerston North Hospital Emergency Dept Expands with $14.5M Upgrade

1 week ago | 147 views

Construction is underway to expand and upgrade Palmerston North Hospital’s emergency department with a $14.455 million investment aimed at increasing capacity by 40 percent and improving patient flow, safety, and privacy. This project is part of the Government’s $100 million hospital infrastructure programme funded through Budget 2025, which supports 21 local projects nationwide to enhance clinical spaces and infrastructure. The emergency department, a key regional hub, will remain operational during redevelopment, expected to finish by June 2026, ensuring continuous patient care amid growing demand.

Tags: Palmerston North Hospital Simeon Brown emergency department Health Minister hospital redevelopment Budget 2025 MidCentral district Whanganui Hospital Dannevirke Community Hospital Horowhenua Health Centre

New Te Piringa Āhuru Crisis Recovery Café Opens in South Auckland

4 weeks ago | 298 views

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey officially opened Te Piringa Āhuru, a new Crisis Recovery Café in South Auckland, providing a calm, peer-led, non-clinical space for people experiencing mental health or addiction challenges. The café, run by Ember, offers peer support workers who connect individuals to community services and provide empathetic understanding from lived experience, enhancing hope and recovery. This initiative is part of a broader government mental health plan to expand crisis recovery cafés nationwide, increase frontline workers, and improve crisis response services.

Tags: Matt Doocey Te Piringa Āhuru Ember South Auckland New Zealand Whanganui New Plymouth Whakatāne Mental Health Minister Crisis Recovery Café

National Mental Health and Addiction Services Performance in Review: Positive Progress and Targets Exceeded

4 months ago | 439 views

Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey highlights positive trends in mental health and addiction services performance nationwide, with increased access to support and progress in meeting targets observed across various regions. The focus remains on not just meeting national targets but also addressing areas needing additional support, with a 10% growth in the frontline mental health workforce. The government's commitment is to deliver faster support, more frontline workers, and improved crisis response to ensure assistance is readily available for those in need throughout New Zealand.

Tags: Matt Doocey mental health addiction services Kiwis Whanganui district Central region South Island Southern district HNZ regional leaders Health NZ

Record Attendance Trends in Schools Signal Positive Shifts for Education System

6 months ago | 631 views

Since Term 1 of 2024, attendance rates in schools have consistently increased each term compared to the previous year, with Term 2 of this year seeing a notable rise to 58.4% from 53.4% in Term 2 of the previous year. Associate Education Minister David Seymour highlights improvements in attendance across all regions, with a significant decrease in chronic absence rates. Plans are underway to enforce stricter attendance measures, including mandatory school attendance management plans aligned with the STAR program by 2026, with prosecution as a last resort for parents who persistently fail to ensure their children attend school. A $140 million budget allocation in 2025 aims to enhance attendance rates over the next four years to promote positive educational outcomes and long-term benefits for students.

Tags: Term 1 2024 Attendance David Seymour Education Minister Taranaki Whanganui Manawatū STAR Prosecution Budget 2025

Whanganui Airport Invests in Safety and Connectivity Boost

6 months ago | 680 views

The Government will invest $3.35 million in Whanganui Airport to build a new sealed parallel taxiway, enhancing safety and regional connectivity. This investment aims to address safety concerns by reducing the risk of collisions and aircraft congestion, making flying safer for pilots and passengers. The taxpayer-funded project, supported by local MP Carl Bates, will improve resilience, support economic growth, and benefit the region's aviation industry and community.

Tags: Whanganui Airport safety regional connectivity economic growth James Meager investment taxpayer funding Carl Bates aviation New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy