Ōtaki urges mental health service boost after deaths

A second lower North Island community is grappling with a spate of sudden deaths and wondering when health authorities will do more. Ōtaki, in the Kāpiti region, has had four such deaths since mid September, including a school student, two people in their 20s and a man in his 30s. Porirua East near Wellington has had six sudden deaths since June. Like Porirua, Ōtaki wants more help from mental health services. The principal of Ōtaki College Andy Fraser says MidCentral District Health Board was missing in action a year ago when a college girl died. Mr Farser told Phil Pennington it apologised to the school on Friday about its response this time, but they need more than that.