133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
22 May 2025
H Carter
By email: [FYI request #30615 email]
Ref:
H2025066270
Tēnā koe H Carter
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), which was partially
transferred to the Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) from the Office of the
Minister of Health, Hon Simeon Brown, on 2 May 2025. Each part of your request has been
responded to in turn:
2. Information on existing or proposed multi-agency policies, strategies, or initiatives
aimed at addressing declining fertility rates, promoting sustainable population growth,
and supporting young families holistically across sectors. Additionally, please include
any policy evaluations, reports, or reviews conducted on their effectiveness. (Relevant
agencies: Health, Social Development, Education, Immigration, Housing, Economic
Development.)
The Ministry is not aware of, nor undertaking any work directed at addressing declining fertility
rates or promoting population growth. Information regarding support for young families can be
found in the Child and Youth Strategy 2024-27 (the Strategy), which can be found here:
www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/child-wellbeing-and-poverty-reduction/child-youth-
strategy/index.html
The Strategy responds to the requirements in the Children’s Act 2014 to improve outcomes for
children. It provides a snapshot of actions the Government is taking, areas in which further work
wil be undertaken, and the measures that wil used to demonstrate progress. This Strategy
refreshes the previous Strategy (published in 2019) and wil be reviewed in 2027. It identifies
three priorities to drive cross-government work, inform investment decisions, and ensure
progress is measured. These priorities include supporting children and their families in the first
2,000 days, reducing child material hardship and preventing harm against children. The Ministry
focuses on supporting children and their families in the first 2,000 days.
Further information can be found on the Ministry of Social Development’s website, including
previous annual reports at:
www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/child-wellbeing-and-
poverty-reduction/index.html. For further information you may wish to contact the Ministry of
Social Development at:
[email address]
3. Details on current inter-agency efforts and initiatives targeted at improving women’s
health, reproductive education, maternity care, and family planning. Please include
ongoing or planned initiatives, pilots, or proposals related to these areas. (Primarily
addressed by Health, with contributions from Education and Social Development.)
The Ministry has supported the Government to develop the Women’s Health Strategy to set the
direction for improving the health and wellbeing of women between 2023 to 2033. The strategy
is available online at
: www.health.govt.nz/strategies-initiatives/health-strategies/womens-health-
strategy.
The Ministry provided Hon Casey Costello, Associate Minister of Health with responsibility for
women’s health, a briefing on current work undertaken by the Ministry to support women's
health. This has been proactively released and is publicly available at:
www.health.govt.nz/system/files/2024-10/H2024039390%20AM%20-
%20Womens%20health%20-
%20key%20initiatives%20that%20support%20womens%20health.pdf
A further document, titled “
Aide-Memoire H2025059314 - Meeting with the Minister for Women
to discuss women’s health,” reference number H2025059314,
was provided to the Minister to
give an update on these work programmes. This wil soon be proactively released to the
Ministry’s website here:
www.health.govt.nz/publications.
For further information, you may wish to contact Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora at:
[email address]
4. Comprehensive details of programs and policies across Health, Education,
Corrections, Social Development, Transport, Housing, and Digital Infrastructure
providing support to parents, including mental health services, parental leave policies,
childcare, education resources, corrections rehabilitation programs, transport
accessibility, social assistance, and the use of technology to improve service delivery.
(Relevant agencies: Health, Education, Corrections, Social Development, Transport,
Housing, Economic Development.)
The Ministry is unable to advise of a single agency to transfer your request, as the question is
not specific enough to consider an appropriate agency. The parts of the question that would be
relevant to health are the parenting programmes and mental health services, which are services
provided by Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora.
The Ministry queried a transfer of this part of your request to Health New Zealand; however,
they advised they have nothing in scope of your request as it is currently framed. Health New
Zealand would be open to working with a more specific request. You may wish to contact Health
New Zealand at:
[email address]
The Ministry notes that children under 14 receive free GP visits, after hours care and
prescriptions
: www.govt.nz/browse/health/free-health-services-for-children/free-health-checks-
for-children-under-14/
6. Information on policies addressing the economic and workforce implications of
declining population, including workforce shortages, immigration strategies, economic
development plans, housing availability, and related digital infrastructure improvements.
Page 2 of 3
(Relevant agencies: Immigration, Social Development, Housing, Economic
Development, Digital Infrastructure.)
This part of your request has been transferred to the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and
Employment (MBIE) in accordance with section 14(b)(i ) of the Act. You wil receive a response
from MBIE in due course:
[email address]
7. A detailed summary of your responsibilities, priorities, and initiatives as Minister of
Health in collaborating with other ministers and departments (Education, Corrections,
Social Development, Transport, Housing, Immigration, Economic Development, Digital
Infrastructure, etc.) to respond effectively to population decline. Please include formal or
informal coordination mechanisms between agencies such as working groups,
interdepartmental meetings, or policy forums.
From 2014 to 2024, the population living in New Zealand grew by 18%, or around 817,000
people. In Budget 2024, the Vote Health package provided $16.68 bil ion in new funding over
three Budgets to address cost pressures faced by Health New Zealand, including from
demographic changes. This allows health services to keep pace with population growth,
demographic aging and increasing costs pressures to deliver services.
One of the key demographic changes within the health portfolio is population ageing. The
Healthy Ageing Strategy, led by the Minister for Seniors, involves a range of ministerial and
cross agency engagement to support healthy ageing. This was first published in 2016, with an
update provided by Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora. These are available online at:
www.health.govt.nz/publications/healthy-ageing-strategy and
www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-
health-professionals/clinical-guidance/specific-life-stage-health-information/health-of-older-
people/healthy-ageing-strategy-update
Please also refer to the Child and Youth Strategy 2024–27, as set out in response to question 2
of your request.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel
free to contact the OIA Services Team on
: [email address].
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-official-
information-act-requests.
Nāku noa, nā
Caleb Johnstone
Group Manager, Strategy
Strategy, Policy and Legislation | Te Pou Rautaki
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