About us

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Canterbury Waitaha district covers an area of the East Coast of the South Island from Kaikōura in the north, to Ashburton in the south, as well as the Rēkohu/Chatham Islands. It is responsible for the health of an estimated *594,320 people.

Roughly 80 percent of this population lives in the Greater Ōtautahi Christchurch area, with the rest dispersed over a large geographical area. Waitaha Canterbury is the second largest district in terms of population and area. It has the fastest-growing Māori population, and the sixth largest total Māori population. Around 10 percent of the district’s population is Asian, and this is its fastest-growing ethnic group. The district has the largest population aged over 75.

Health NZ owns and operates five major hospital facilities in Ōtautahi Christchurch and Ashburton, and almost 30 smaller rural hospitals and community bases around the district.

On top of providing health services to its own population, Health NZ – Waitaha Canterbury provides many specialised services to people referred from other Health NZ districts where these services are not available.

* Funded Waitaha Canterbury population at September 2022.

Te Tai o Poutini/West Coast “transalpine” relationship

Health NZ Waitaha Canterbury also provides many services for the population of the Te Tai o Poutini West Coast. The two districts have several formal partnership agreements.

The District Director of Health NZ Waitaha Canterbury is also District Director of Te Tai o Poutini West Coast. Several managers and members of the Leadership Team hold positions in both districts.