PĀNUI
NEWS
NEP Partners Unite on National Strategy.
16 / 04 / 2026
The NEP national provider group, Adio, Drug Project and Te Waipounamu Collective, alongside the Drug Foundation, NZPC, consumer reps, alternative providers, Health NZ, and other interested partners, met on Tuesday in Tamaki Makaurau to work together on the national strategy plan for the NEP programme.
He Waka Tapu CEO Toni Tinirau, who attended the meeting, said the day got off to a strong start. "The whanaungatanga was busting with connections and collective lived experiences that cemented how the rest of the day went."
From there the group got to work. "We rolled up our sleeves and worked hard on pulling out the Pou that would provide impact and effect for the consumer group of the NEP," said Tinirau, drawing on earlier mahi completed in workshops with consumers and the peer workforce.
In that short time together, the weight of what they were working on was not lost on those in the room.
When parliament enacted legislation on 17 December 1987, New Zealand became the first country in the world to provide a national state-sponsored needle exchange programme. Today it distributes over 3 million needles and syringes each year, free of charge.
through a network stretching from Kaitaia to Invercargill. "We recognised the importance of holding the baton of NEP," said Tinirau. "It certainly reinforces the mana and the weight of the responsibility of ensuring this service continues to provide free equipment to the consumer group nationally."
The peer-led kaupapa isn't just a feature of the NEP, it's the foundation, built from people with lived experience, helping to build trust, break down stigma, and connect people with what they need without judgement.
"This isn't the finish of the workshops, we have more to go," Tinirau said, "but oh my, we sure made exceptional use of the time!"
