The fate of Roxburgh's health camp remains unknown, despite new health camp developments in the North Island.
Te Puna Whaiora Children's Health Camps, which owns the Roxburgh camp as well as six others throughout New Zealand, yesterday opened a new camp in Gisborne named Te Kainga Whaiora.
The opening follows a funding crisis for the company, which has yet to decide whether Roxburgh's camp can remain open.
In October last year, it was revealed Te Puna Whaiora needed $5 million from the Government to retain its seven camps, which would be threatened with closure if funding was not made available.
Roxburgh's camp was at particular risk after suggestions a Dunedin facility would better suit the wider community.
On October 24, Te Puna Whaiora chief executive officer Dr Fiona Inkpen decided to delay making a decision about closing the Roxburgh camp until the outcome of an independent financial review, which has yet to be completed.
The Price Waterhouse review was commissioned by the Ministry of Social Development and was initially expected to be released last December.
A Te Puna Whaiora spokeswoman yesterday told the Otago Daily Times Dr Inkpen was attending the official opening of Gisborne's new camp, which is situated on the site of an old camp built in 1941.
Dr Inkpen did not return calls yesterday.
Earlier this week, Te Puna Whaiora board chairman Wayne Chapman told the Otago Daily Times a decision about the Roxburgh camp had not been made.
At the time, Mr Chapman said all parties involved were continuing to communicate, with the aim of reaching a conclusion about whether the camp should close.
Mr Chapman, of Whangarei, also did not return calls yesterday.
The children's health camps are among the oldest social services in New Zealand, dating back to 1919.
Since 1929, they have been part-funded by annual NZ Post health stamps.
Last year, the seven camps worked with 2719 children, most from disadvantaged backgrounds and with behavioural problems.
