New Zealand Shelves Project Whetu After $2M Spent on Family Violence Platform

New Zealand's government has paused Project Whetū, a proposed case management platform intended to help agencies identify and respond to family violence. An Official Information Act request released by the office of Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour documents the decision. The project had already consumed $2 million over two years.

The Centre for Family Violence and Sexual Violence Prevention proposed Project Whetū to improve how agencies share information. The platform was designed to support coordinated and timely multi-agency responses to family violence. It would also make children more visible so appropriate support could be put in place, strengthen data security, and alert staff to high-risk situations.

The executive board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence decided in December 2025 to pause the project. The board cited no practicable or sustainable way to fund, host, and operate the proposed platform. About $5.2 million was returned to the Crown. Officials said agencies would continue with existing systems in the interim.

Karen Chhour said the technology component remains on pause. She said she had been assured that non-technical elements of the best practice operating model for multi-agency responses continue to progress. Those elements include the high-risk protocol and information sharing guidance. Chhour said the decision to pause Project Whetū has not resulted in any reduction to frontline services.

Officials identified risks with the status quo. Without a fit-for-purpose integrated case management system, agencies lack a shared view of information needed for effective triage and risk assessment. Agencies also continue to rely mainly on manual processes, which officials said constrains efficiencies. Officials also noted vulnerabilities with regard to data security and information sharing. Officials are exploring contingencies, including an Excel-based form, described as the only affordable option at no cost.

Labour's police spokesperson Ginny Andersen called the decision an absolute shocker. Andersen said the government is scrapping a project designed to help agencies identify people at risk of family violence, despite officials warning that vital information cannot easily be shared without it. She said that when agencies cannot join the dots, people at risk can fall through the cracks, and the consequences can be devastating. Andersen said the government should be strengthening the response to family violence and needs to explain why it is walking away.

Chhour said the decision to pause the project will be reviewed in the future. The technology component could be resumed if a practical or sustainable way to host and operate the platform is found, subject to funding prioritisation and any directives from the Government Chief Digital Officer. Officials said agencies would continue with existing systems for now.