PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERYDunedin health charity Te Kāika, which is under investigation, has repeatedly been allowed to miss deadlines for filing crucial financial reports. Charity law dictates charities must file returns of their financial performance and service provision annually and within six months of the end of their financial year, unless granted an extension. A Dunedin charity sector expert, who did not wish to be named, described the charity’s lack of ability to submit returns within six months as compliance "fragility". They stressed the importance of timely returns and said a charity "absolutely puts its registration at risk" if returns are filed late repeatedly. The ODT asked the DIA for reasons why OHL had been given extensions, and for procedures that apply if a charity submits returns late.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 01, 2026 17:29 UTC