A specially appointed committee is preparing a plan for the cash-strapped mental health sector, which includes identifying "lower priority" services which could be cut.
The Southern District Health Board has set up the committee to draft a five-year mental health and addiction plan.
The cash-strapped sector, which has a $3.8 million deficit in 2010-11, does not have a comprehensive strategy.
The health board has posted details of the membership and role of the "core planning group" on its website.
The committee has 18 members, from the DHB and the community sector.
Its targets included identifying possible new services, extending services, and "disinvesting" from services of lower priority.
Funding and finance general manager Robert Mackway-Jones said the group was not cutting services, but pinpointing those of "lower value".
"What we then do about that is part of the implementation planning phase."
The 18-strong committee was not paid meeting fees.
"There is a great deal of enthusiasm ... to contribute to the planning process," Mr Mackway-Jones said.
Mileage claims were expected to be "minimal".
The group had met three times and another nine meetings were scheduled.
The aim is to have the plan approved by Southern District Health Board members, before launching it in October.
