Two Māori health providers have voted against a proposed primary healthcare funding package, arguing it weakens Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations and fails to adequately address Māori health inequities.
Te Whare o Rehua and Tarawera Medical Centre say they could not support the package because it does not provide sufficient recognition of the Crown’s responsibilities to Māori within the health system.
The organisations have raised concerns that the proposed arrangements risk undermining progress made toward achieving equitable health outcomes for Māori and could weaken the focus on kaupapa Māori approaches to healthcare delivery.
Their opposition comes amid ongoing debate over the future direction of New Zealand’s health system and how best to meet the needs of Māori communities, who continue to experience disproportionately poorer health outcomes across a range of indicators.
The providers argue that healthcare funding decisions must be consistent with Te Tiriti principles of partnership, participation and protection, ensuring Māori are actively involved in designing and delivering services that affect their communities.
They say Māori health providers play a crucial role in delivering culturally grounded care and building trust with whānau who may face barriers accessing mainstream health services.
Concerns have also been expressed that funding models focused primarily on population-wide measures can fail to adequately account for the additional resources required to address longstanding inequities experienced by Māori.
Te Whare o Rehua and Tarawera Medical Centre are calling for future funding arrangements that better recognise the value of Māori-led healthcare and provide stronger support for initiatives aimed at improving outcomes for whānau.
The providers say meaningful progress requires more than financial investment alone and must include a genuine commitment to Māori leadership and decision-making within the health sector.
Their stance highlights wider concerns among Māori health advocates that recent policy changes could weaken the health system’s ability to meet its obligations under Te Tiriti while reducing opportunities to address persistent disparities.
As discussions continue, Māori health leaders are urging decision-makers to place equity and Māori partnership at the centre of future healthcare reforms.
Te Whare o Rehua is the trading name of Te Puna Ora o Rongoā Māori, a subsidiary of Te Puna Ora o Mataatua. It was established by Te Puna Ora o Mataatua, an Eastern Bay of Plenty Māori health provider, to strengthen and streamline healthcare delivery for whānau. Te Whare o Rehua brings together a range of services, including Rehua Medical, Riverslea Medical, Ngā Ringa Kōkōmuka | Rongoā Māori Clinics, the Rehua Nuku Ora Mobile Clinic, and its interests in Tarawera Medical.
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