25/03/2026
Te Kāika – The Facts
Over the past three years Te Kāika has been subject to a barrage of questions from the ODT. We decided early on that we would not respond to the questioning as many comments came from unsubstantiated sources and appeared to be designed to undermine Te Kāika and our operations. We have now decided to respond to these questions and have grouped them into manageable sections to assist with the provision of factual and accurate answers. We have also had our latest annual accounts audited by BDO and have used their report to assist with answering many of the allegations.
Te Kāika is a community-led, integrated health and social service model focused on improving outcomes for whānau.
In 2025 we had:
• 11701 GP enrolled patients
• 2327 patients vaccinated/immunised
• 15874 clinical consults
• 557 patients supported by a podiatrist
• 160 AOD and mental health patients
• 1141 whānau engaged in outreach services
• 202 whānau in Mauri ora services
We are making a difference in our community.
Governance and Conflicts of Interest
Is it a conflict that the Chair has appointed her son as CEO?
The Chair did not appoint her son to the role of CEO. Matt Matahaere was appointed as 2IC by the former CEO. He has a BA in Anthropology and Political Studies, and a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Otago. Prior to being CE, he worked for 8 years in the Tertiary Sector. When the previous CEO left, he was appointed as CEO given that he had proved himself in the role while he was Acting CEO.
Accusations of nepotism are designed to devalue his qualifications and professional background.
The CEO reports directly to the Co-Chair not to the Chair.
The governing Board of Te Kāika has absolute confidence in our CEO Matt Matahaere. Mr Matahaere was appointed following a thorough appointment process with a KPI to bring a new sense of rigour and accountability to the organisation.
Financial Management:
Have the Chair and CEO taken loans from Te Kāika.
No. The construction of the Te Kāika Wellbeing hub has been funded entirely by a bank loan.
To complete the construction of our College Street premises, Ōtākou Health Limited (OHL) who own and manage Te Kāika operations, required additional lending. BNZ sought extra security due to national cost escalations in the building sector. Hokonui Research and Development Limited assisted by providing $1.72 million in cash as security. BNZ required cash rather than property as security because Ōtākou Health Limited’s assets did not meet lending thresholds.
Hokonui, in turn, secured its position over ŌHL properties not mortgaged to BNZ and over Ms Matahaere-Atariki’s home. ŌHL cleared an existing $92,000 mortgage on her property to enable this. Ms Matahaere-Atariki accepted personal financial risk for two years to ensure the project could proceed. All legal processes were followed, and without this commitment, the College Street development would not have been completed.
Ms Matahaere-Atariki had not wanted to make this information available to the ODT investigation as she considered it private and not necessary in the public domain. Te Kāika Board is disappointed that we have had to reveal personal information about this transaction in order to address the issue.
The alleged $5,000 loan to CEO Matthew Matahaere was incorrectly recorded due to an accounting coding error. The $5,000 payment related to legal fees for a matter entirely unrelated to Mr Matahaere; he received no benefit from this payment.
Each of these issues has been resolved in the 2025 audit of accounts completed by BDO.
What services were delivered in exchange for the $123,000 and $20,000 paid to companies owned by Chair Donna Matahaere Atariki?
Donna Matahaere Atariki is an extremely well qualified researcher and professional in the Health Sector including roles as Gambling Commissioner, University of Otago Council member, Trustee of Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou and Trustee of WellSouth Primary Health Network. She is well qualified to undertake research on behalf of Te Kāika and we have used her expertise to complete a whakapapa contract for our organisation. This is declared in the audited accounts.
What services were provided under the $61,000 payment to James Hennessy?
James Hennessy owns a building that Te Kāika rents for the provision of health services in Queenstown.
Why have annual financial returns been late over a ten-year period?
It is not satisfactory that our account filings have been late. This has solely been an issue of capacity. Work has already commenced on the accounts for the year ended March 2026. We are now working with new auditors BDO.
Service Delivery and Clinical Care:
How many GPs are currently serving enrolled patients at the Caversham hub, and what is the current patient-to-GP ratio?
Te Kāika is not alone in facing recruitment challenges. It is common knowledge that New Zealand’s healthcare sector is facing critical recruitment challenges, with around 8,000 current vacancies across key roles including nurses, doctors, midwives, pharmacists, and allied health professionals. Despite government initiatives such as pay increases, expanded training placements, and international recruitment, demand continues to outpace supply. Projections show thousands more healthcare workers will be needed by 2033, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable, long-term strategies to train, attract, and retain staff to maintain effective healthcare delivery.
While capacity for general practices is a national issue, here in the south where we have a large rural population, shortages and workforce pressures are felt more acutely. It is harder to recruit and retain doctors and nurses as they are often re-locating with family members, and there is less offering than bigger urban centres.
Te Kāika has 2 GPs, with an additional GP commencing work in the next 4 weeks.
We also have a Nurse Practitioner and a Nurse Prescriber.
Why have “clinical consultations,” declined while enrolments have increased?
Te Kāika currently has a wait-list of four weeks which impacts clinical consultation numbers.
In Aotearoa around 60% of people get an appointment within a week, about one in three wait more than two weeks and roughly 15–20% wait three weeks or longer
So, in practical terms, the “average” sits somewhere in the 1–2 week range, but with a noticeable chunk of people waiting longer.
What clinical governance processes are in place to ensure accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment?
Te Kāika has a GP fellow who is always available to our clinical staff.
Workforce and Capacity:
Why has there been such a high turnover of staff in the last three years?
Health sector has a high turn over across the country. This is not unique to Te Kāika. It is a symptom of the sector.
During COVID we had inflated staffing levels as other providers did; we ended up reducing numbers as we transitioned out of a global pandemic.
In addition, we completed a restructure across the organisation, and this resulted in redundancies.
Safeguarding:
What work do you do in the youth remand facility?
We look after children in the care of Oranga Tamariki and operate the Youth Remand Centre here in Dunedin.
What safeguards are in place to prevent abuse or misconduct by staff working with vulnerable clients?
Safety of our young people is paramount and we have rigorous policies and procedures in place to ensure this occurs. We also ensure staff have the appropriate training, and the right values base.
Contract Performance and Reporting:
Te Kāika is audited every 2 years by Te Kāhui Kahu. Te Kāhui Kāhu plays a critical role in strengthening the social services sector in Aotearoa New Zealand through its robust accreditation and approval processes. As a business unit of the Ministry of Social Development, it assesses around 2,000 organisations against the Social Sector Accreditation Standards, ensuring they meet clear, consistent benchmarks for safe and effective service delivery. By upholding these standards and working in partnership with key government agencies, Te Kāhui Kāhu provides assurance that organisations are accountable, and well-positioned to support their communities, reinforcing trust and quality across the sector.
Te Kāika has consistently passed our accreditation process.
We hold Social Service Accreditation Level 1 and Section 396 of the OT Act.
Our governance, policies and procedures are routinely checked.
Regulatory Compliance and Oversight:
Is there a Department of Internal Affairs investigation?
Last year DIA had an issue with the late filing of our annual accounts and they had questions, which we have answered in our audited accounts and supplementary documentation.
Miscellaneous:
Other points raised by the ODT and in dispute include:
At no time has CEO Matt Matahere spoken with the CEO of DOVE
Winnie Matahare is not the GM of Social Services. This role is held by Melissa Sim.
Ōtākou Health Limited/Te Kāika.
