Three Communities Chosen to Shape Local Social Services

Willis said the Government currently spends more than $8 billion each year on social services delivered through community organisations, iwi and non-government providers.

Three New Zealand communities have been selected to lead a new approach to delivering social services, with the Government giving local organisations a greater role in deciding how publicly funded support is designed and delivered.

Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis announced that Toi Rāwhiti in Ōpōtiki, the Porirua Local Group, and the West Coast Partnership have been chosen as the first participants in the Government's Community-led Commissioning programme. The initiative is intended to give trusted local leaders more control over social services while requiring them to demonstrate measurable improvements for the people they support. The three groups were selected from 49 applications submitted by communities across New Zealand earlier this year.

Communities to Shape Services Around Local Needs

Willis said the Government currently spends more than $8 billion each year on social services delivered through community organisations, iwi and non-government providers. She argued that too much of that funding is tied up in overlapping contracts and administrative requirements created through central government systems that do not always reflect local priorities.

Under the new model, communities will have greater freedom to design services that respond to their own circumstances rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach developed in Wellington. The Government says organisations will receive this flexibility alongside clear expectations to deliver better outcomes and remain accountable for public funding.

Local Partnerships Focus on Regional Priorities

Each selected community has identified different priorities based on the needs of its population.

In Ōpōtiki, Toi Rāwhiti is led by the iwi Whakatōhea, Ngāi Tai and Te Whānau ā Apanui, whose work will focus on breaking cycles of disadvantage and helping more young people remain engaged in education, employment and their communities.

The Porirua Local Group, made up of Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Porirua City Council and the Porirua Community Leaders' Forum, plans to concentrate on improving access to secure housing, increasing the availability of healthy food and reducing the impact of drug-related harm on local families.

On the West Coast, the partnership includes Te Tauraki, Pōkeka Poutini Ngāi Tahu, West Coast Community Trust and Homebuilders West Coast, with support from iwi and district councils across the region. Their work will focus on improving access to health, housing and social services for communities spread across the coastline from Karamea to Haast, where long travel distances often make support difficult to access.

Success to Be Measured Through Outcomes

The Government says the programme will place a stronger emphasis on measurable results rather than simply funding services. Performance indicators are expected to include reducing the number of people receiving the Jobseeker benefit, improving educational achievement, achieving better health outcomes and lowering rates of crime and victimisation.

Over the coming months, the three selected groups will work with the Social Investment Agency to develop detailed implementation plans. These plans will outline governance arrangements, accountability measures, funding structures and processes for managing potential conflicts of interest before being presented to ministers for approval.

Pilot Could Shape Future Social Service Delivery

Willis said many other communities submitted strong proposals and could be considered in future rounds as the programme expands. She stressed that local knowledge and trusted relationships are valuable assets, though every community taking part must demonstrate that it can deliver meaningful results and manage public funding responsibly.

The Government intends to use the pilot as a test of a broader model for social service delivery. If the first three communities achieve the expected outcomes, Community-led Commissioning could become a more widely adopted approach across New Zealand.