Photo: 123RF
A mental health support service says it will have to reduce its operations if it cannot plug a $2 million shortfall.
Lifeline Aotearoa says it has had to stop services between midnight and 7am since March, and without sustainable funding it cannot continue a full 24/7 service.
The service, which had operated for 60 years, is provided by Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN), and did not receive government funding.
It wanted the government to step in and fund the shortfall, but the Mental Health Minister told them it was up to Health New Zealand to decide.
PSN chief executive Shaun Greaves told Midday Report Lifeline and the Tautoko suicide crisis helplines responded to 40,000 calls in the year ending June 2025, but the reduction in hours has led to missed calls and texts.
While he was pleased to see government investment in more peer support in emergency departments and crisis cafés, New Zealand's suicide rate was still too high.
"If services like Lifeline cannot be there, we can only see those statistics getting worse. And there are real people behind these calls."
Greaves stressed that midnight to 7am was Lifeline's quietest time, with the service busiest between 5pm and 11pm.
"We want to be there for as many as possible."
He said PSN had done everything it could to try and plug the shortfall, including requesting meetings with the mental health minister and putting in an application through the Mental Health Innovation Fund, which was declined.
"I know that the government has faced some economic challenges, but if you look at the long-term costs of people who are ending their lives, the social and health costs, I think $2m feels like a drop in the bucket really."
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey was not personally aware that PSN had written to him, but said Lifeline had not received government funding for over a decade.
Doocey said funding decisions were for Health New Zealand to make, and expected Health New Zealand to engage with Lifeline about what types of funding may be available.
Doocey said there were government-funded helplines for people to use.
"In Budget 2025 we funded another 20,000 additional contacts on top of the existing funding for tele-healthlines such as 1737 and the earlier mental health response line."
Labour's mental health spokesperson Ingrid Leary said it was "worrying news" and Doocey was missing in action.
"In one breath he says he is investing more in mental health because he wants 24/7 digital crisis response, yet he has had months to step in and prevent the frontline crisis happening in the first place."
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said it was "extremely distressing" and the government needed to do everything it could to fund frontline services.
"We very clearly have a mental health crisis in this country," she said.
"I think not only do we need to ensure that we are funding those frontline services to the need that they are hearing from the community, but more than that we need to be super-conscious of what was found in He Ara Oranga, the mental health and addiction inquiry back in 2018-2019, which is that inequality, precariousness, a lack of housing security, a lack of decent income all contribute towards mental ill health, and unfortunately those are all things this government has made worse."
Where to get help:
- Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
- Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
- Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
- Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202
- Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
- Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 (8am-12am), or email talk@youthline.co.nz|
- What's Up: free counselling for 5 to 19 years old, online chat 11am-10.30pm 7 days/week or free phone 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 11am-11pm
- Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm or text 832 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English.
- Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
- Healthline: 0800 611 116
- Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155\
- OUTLine: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm)
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
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