$100m of new health funding to go towards mental health

The government is putting $100 million of Health NZ's (HNZ) frontline service funding into mental health support workers, training and inpatient beds.

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced the funding in Hastings on Tuesday morning, saying it would deliver faster access to support, more frontline workers and a better crisis response.

"Budget 2026 will deliver faster access to maternal mental health support, more frontline psychology roles, and a better crisis response by opening up more beds," Doocey said.

The investment over four years included:

• $20.18m for maternal mental health support, including peer support workers with lived experience

  $28.45m for 150 new psychology assistant roles over four years (max 50 a year) - the first time psychology assistant roles have been employed in HNZ
  $51.72m for 20 new inpatient beds - with priority given to regions under the most pressure, and with the highest occupancy rates.

The money would come from a provision of $1.37 billion in this year's Budget for one year of HNZ's frontline services.

Doocey said the government was also establishing a $1m/year fund that NGOs could access to help increase support in their communities.

"Government doesn't always know best," Doocey said. "Communities often know what works for them and simply need the opportunity to put those solutions into action."

He said the new psychology assistant roles would double the number of clinical psychologists trained, and create a new registration pathway so these graduates could remain focused on mental health.

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