Springhill Addiction Centre

Rau rangatira mā, e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou. Kia ora tātou katoa. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, warm greetings to you all.

I specifically acknowledge: His Worship Bill Dalton, Mayor of Napier; Phil Ryan and Peter Grant, Chairman and Patron respectively of the Hawkes Bay Addiction Centre Trust; Dr Kevin Snee, CEO of the Hawkes Bay District Health Board and James and Sally Williams representing the Williams Family Trust - tēnā koutou katoa.

Thank you for inviting me and Janine here to open this new residential facility. It’s a great step forward for the Springhill Residential Addiction Centre and another milestone in the history of the Hawkes Bay Addiction Centre Trust.

That Springhill continues to flourish is testament to the many partnerships that the Trust has formed since it moved its drug and alcohol treatment facility to this site in 1980.

One of these is the partnership with the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board.  Their commitment to retaining a residential drug and alcohol programme in the district has been of great benefit.  It has also been a vote of confidence in Springhill’s methods and approach in helping people deal with their addictions.

Another important relationship has been with the Williams Family.  Their generous financial support was instrumental in the purchase of the first Springhill building.  It’s heartening to see that support has continued to today.

The theme of partnership continues in the special relationships with neighbours.  Anna Marsh, Colleen van der Meer and the “Friends of Springhill” have raised awareness of Springhill in the local community, and helped break down the barriers by informing people about what this facility is about.

I also want to acknowledge some other major contributors to the Springhill community - the various Trust members.  Their drive, determination and vision have made the opening of this new residential facility possible. 

The benefits of working in partnership to achieve something good, is also echoed in the experiences of the residents of Springhill.  Each resident has taken a different path to get here.  Ultimately each person is after the same thing - a chance to deal with their addiction and the underlying issues that drive it.  Springhill provides space for people where they can team up with others who will help them work their way out of addiction and into a better life.

Helping people meet their potential, is something that all New Zealanders value.  They also value the courage it takes to raise your hand and say you have a problem, and by making an 8-week commitment for treatment at Springhill.  I congratulate you residents for making a commitment to yourself, your families and friends and the wider community.  I wish you well in unlocking your potential for a new life.  I’m sure I’m not the first person to note how apt it is that you’re living on this site of a former maternity home – a starting point of new lives.

Residential care is a valuable piece of the toolkit to treat addiction.  With residential care facilities becoming increasingly rare makes the existence of Springhill special. 

So I congratulate everybody who has helped in the process of making this new residential facility a reality.  With Stage one of the 21st century Springhill done, and you can feel proud of what you’ve achieved. 

I wish you all the best as you get set to move on to the next stage of improvements to Springhill and look forward to hearing about your future successes.

Kia ora huihui tātou katoa