(file image) Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Buller's mayor hopes a new plan to tackle meth use on the West Coast will help address what he says is a long-standing problem.
The Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities (ROCC) programme has expanded to the West Coast, and includes $2.6 million for the region over the next two years.
District Commander Superintendent Tracey Thompson said it aimed to increase community resilience to crime, with a focus on addressing the harm caused by methamphetamine.
"While police provide an enforcement response, through ROCC coming to the West Coast, holistic support and restorative processes will help address the root cause of offending," she said.
Buller Mayor Jamie Cleine said it was timely for the West Coast, and in particular for the town of Westport.
Earlier this year, Westport's methamphetamine use was found to be 32.9 percent above the national average.
Buller Mayor Jamie Cleine says the funding is a decent amount of money to start making a difference. Photo: RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
"It's really fortuitous that this funding has come along how it has, to enable some intervention to start trying to address that issue," Cleine said.
"So obviously its a multi-pronged approach, so there'll be some additional resourcing I would imagine for the police in terms of the enforcement side of things and understanding the flow of methamphetamine in and out of region, but also that real grassroots working with not only people that are addicted but also their families and things that are supporting them to recovery.
"It's definitely a long-standing issue in Westport and great to see some opportunity to address it."
The funding was a decent amount of money to start making a difference, Cleine said.
"There's associated harms if you like to the broader community... from the small crime and theft and property issues and family violence that flows from the impacts of methamphetamine. It bears a huge cost to small communities like this."
Police said an official launch of the ROCC programme in the West Coast was held in Westport on 7 June, with associate minister of police Casey Costello.
The programme was also set to be extended to Northland and Porirua this year.
Police said the programme had already been launched in Hawke's Bay, Wairoa, Tai Rāwhiti, Ōpōtiki, Kawerau, Whakatāne, Invercargill, Gore, Mataura and Counties Manukau.