The assessment highlights inequity of access to vital health care, particularly maternity and elderly care for Queenstown residents.
Long-term resident Don Smith told the meeting in the memorial hall elderly people were being "shipped out" of the district for residential care.
"Why are we pushed out of this glorious place?" he asked.
Resident Natasha Murray said mothers were being forced to have their babies outside the district.
She said better maternity services were needed for residents or women would have no option but to go to private maternity hospitals.
Other residents expressed their concerns over the ability of Queenstown's emergency services to cope with increasing visitor numbers, and some said Queenstown should have a base hospital.
Southland District Health Board chairman Paul Menzies said he had "empathy" for the community's efforts and was listening intently.
"Our board is determined to do the right thing for the area," he said. Report author Chris Fraser, of FraserGroup Consulting Ltd, presented his findings to the meeting.
He said the assessment analysed hospital services, emergency care and aged residential care in the Queenstown area to measure equity and accessibility for Queenstown people to 2031.
Wakatipu Health Trust trustee Graeme Todd said it was time the community got off "its backside" and lobbied for the health care funding it was entitled to, and for community governance of Lakes District Hospital.
He said said he was happy with the turnout at the meeting but noted there were very few people under 50.
Trust spokeswoman Maria Cole said the trust had concerns about the future of Lakes District Hospital and the Southland DHB's commitment to it.
She told the meeting more than 800 residents who responded to an online survey overwhelmingly supported the needs assessment.
She said the respondents were concerned about the level of health care in the district, particularly the lack of maternity services.
More than 99% of respondents were concerned the district was not receiving adequate funding from the Southland DHB.
Mrs Cole said Queenstown needed a dedicated strategic plan for how its health care could cope with current and increasing demand.
