A fund to support psychosocial wellbeing in Southern communities worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions has been welcomed by the Southern District Health Board (SDHB) and Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing. 

The fund focuses on the tourism-dependent Queenstown Lakes and Fiordland communities that have been severely hit by the lockdown and travel restrictions. 

Tourism minister Stuart Nash is in Queenstown tomorrow (Friday July 16) to announce details of how communities can access the support, which will also be accessible for communities in Kaikoura, Mackenzie District and Westland.

SDHB allied health mental health director and Te Hau Toka chair Adell Cox said the fund means key opportunities the group has identified for supporting the community – such as extending the rollout of the Mental Health 101 programme – can now be fast tracked.

“In the past year, we’ve worked closely with agencies and affected communities, and have a good sense of what’s needed to help,” she said. 

“In particular, we see opportunities to support our business communities, new parents, migrant communities, young people and some of our older population."

Te Hau Toka will also co-design work with affected communities to find the best ways of meeting their needs, and establish a process to evaluate and support further initiatives that may be proposed by the community, Adell said.

“It’s tremendous to have this opportunity to direct dedicated resources to areas where they are needed,” SDHB chief executive Chris Fleming said.

Stuart said the support in the fund decisions “allows decisions about wellbeing resources and services to be made by those at the heart of the communities themselves”.

He also said work on further business support initiatives in the five communities is progressing, and more information about eligibility criteria is available.

"Each community now has a lead entity to manage the business support services, and recruitment is underway locally to support them. The initiatives include business advisory support, a grant to implement the advice, and a kick-start fund. They are on track to be available from later next month.”

More information about the business support services is available on the tourism recovery section of the MBIE website.

PHOTO: Queenstown App