Rural services need planning — report

Press, 13 December 1985, Page 19

Rural services need planning — report

By

OLIVER RIDDELL,

in Wellington

The provision of some social services in rural areas needs to be planned more carefully to meet their changing needs according to a report, “Bridging the Gap,” on rural services.

It is the result of a sixmonth research project by the Town and Country Planning Division of the Ministry of Works. It examines five services in rural areas — libraries, early childhood education, health services, mail delivery, and women’s refuges. In each case organisations were reviewed along with the decisions they took, whether they assessed the needs of their clients, and the extent to which the service was planned. The report shows how rural services have “just grown” without any real planning. Roles of united and re-

gional councils are considered, showing that while few have played any significant role in co-ordinating social services, they all have the potential to do so. Although the report shows some services are run efficiently, it also shows gaps. It notes that many who provide rural services do not usually assess the needs of their customers. Often an overlap exists between voluntary groups and Government departments. The report recommended that the Minister of Works, Mr Colman, instigate and co-ordinate an inter-depart-mental assessment of needs in a rural region, with three aims: to develop a system for assessing needs which can be applied to other regions; to examine methods for meeting needs of local communities more effectively, and to develop the means for co-ordinating services.

The report also made de-

tailed recommendations in each of the five services studied.

For example, on rural mail delivery, it recommended that the Post Office consider other services than just mail delivery provided by its contractors when drawing up new contracts.

A call was made for a more detailed summary of the Southland United Council’s experience in health planning — which it found to be first class — for distribution to other united councils and hospital boards.

Mr Colman said the potential for rural services to be co-ordinated better at local and regional level would need to be explored further.

He promised to seek the comments of a wide range of individuals and groups on that aspect of the report.