A $4.5 million mental wellbeing support fund is now available to people in five of the South Island communities most affected by Covid-19.
Tourism Minister Stuart Nash yesterday said tourism operators and the Queenstown Lakes, Fiordland, Westland, Kaikoura, and Mackenzie District communities, deemed to be most affected by the absence of international tourists, could now access the help after agreements were put in place with health providers.
The investment is a part of the Government’s $200million Tourism Communities: Support, Recovery and Re-set Plan, which was announced in May.
Mr Nash said agreements were in place with the district health board to deliver the support to the regional communities.
The DHBs would provide a range of mental wellbeing services and initiatives at a local level, working with communities to decide what was needed and how it was delivered.
“Businesses, workers and their families in our tourism destinations are facing challenges from border closures designed to keep New Zealand safe," he said.
"The support in the tourism communities plan allows decisions about wellbeing resources and services to be made by those at the heart of the communities themselves.”
The news was welcomed by the Southern DHB and Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing, which was formed following the Covid-19 lockdown.
Southern DHB chief executive Chris Fleming said the fund was an acknowledgement that the impact of Covid-19 went "far beyond" a physical illness.
“It’s tremendous to have this opportunity to direct dedicated resources to areas where they are needed," he said.
Southern DHB’s Allied Health mental health director and Te Hau Toka chairwoman Adell Cox said the fund meant initiatives such as the Mental Health 101 programme could be given priority.
“It has been a very tough 12 months for industries and communities that depend on travellers, and for our international residents who are far from their families and friends and may be witnessing very tragic effects of the pandemic from afar."
In the past year, Te Hau Toka had worked closely with agencies and affected communities and had a "good sense" of what help was needed, she said.
"In particular, we see opportunities to support our business communities, new parents, migrant communities, young people and some of our older population."
The ministry’s tourism plan also includes a $10million fund for business advisory support, $10million in grants for business to implement that business advice, and a $49million tourism kick-start fund.
Mr Nash said those funds were expected to be available from late next month.
