Chhour confirms pause on family violence tech platform after $2m spend
Officials paused Project Whetū due to funding gaps, with agencies continuing manual processes that limit data sharing.
By Harper Laurent ·
The Ministry of Social Development has paused Project Whetū, a proposed integrated case management system designed to coordinate responses to family violence. The decision was made in December 2025 after officials determined there was no sustainable way to fund, host, or operate the platform. The project had cost $2 million over two years prior to the pause, and the board approved returning approximately $5.2 million to the Crown.
Minister Karen Chhour stated that while the technology component is on hold, non-technical elements of the operating model continue to progress. She confirmed that the high-risk protocol and information sharing guidance remain active. Chhour said the decision to pause the project has not reduced frontline services. She added that the technology could be resumed if a practical and sustainable method for hosting the platform is found, subject to directives from the Government Chief Digital Officer.
Documents released under the Official Information Act indicate that agencies will continue using existing systems in the interim. Officials noted that this status quo carries risks, including a lack of shared information for effective triage and risk assessment. The current setup also presents vulnerabilities in data security and information sharing. Without the new system, agencies rely on manual processes, which officials say constrains efficiency and reduces the return on investment.
The OIA response revealed that officials are exploring contingencies, including the use of an Excel-based form. The document described this option as the only affordable choice because it carries no cost. The project was originally proposed by the Centre for Family Violence and Sexual Violence Prevention to transform how agencies share information safely. It aimed to make children more visible to support services and alert staff to high-risk situations.
Labour’s police spokesperson Ginny Andersen criticized the decision, calling it an absolute shocker. She argued that the government is scrapping a project designed to help agencies identify people at risk despite warnings that vital information cannot easily be shared without it. Andersen stated that when agencies cannot join the dots, people at risk can fall through the cracks, leading to devastating consequences. She said the government needs to explain why it is walking away from strengthening the response to family violence.
The executive board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence made the final decision to pause the initiative. They concluded that no practicable or sustainable funding model existed for the proposed platform. The board’s action halted the development of the case management system that was intended to support timely multi-agency responses. Agencies will continue their current workflows until a future review determines if the technology can be reinstated.
