Mike Hosking talks to Finance Minister Grant Robertson about 'shovel-ready' projects and economic recovery after COVID-19 - 31st March.
Tauranga charities are thinking outside the bubble.
They're not immune to the Covid-19 alert level four restrictions - fundraising and person-to-person support have been cut back heavily - but technology and back-up resources are helping.
Waipuna Hospice was still caring for 250 patients with life-limiting illnesses.
Staff have "done aboutsix months worth of change in about a week" chief executive Dr Richard Thurlow told the Bay of Plenty Times.
Waipuna Hospice chief executive Dr Richard Thurlow. Photo / File
Staff were at the top of the priority list for flu vaccines, extra personal protective gear was being brought in and equipment was being carefully cleaned and sanitised as always.
"They have a few frayed edges - understandably so - they have a real dedication to the care they want to provide. It is just amazing."
Dr Thurlow was also the chairman of Hospice New Zealand and said patients needed to be kept safe by all Kiwis under the isolation rules.
"Please stay in your bubbles ...The last thing we want to do is to end up getting Covid-19 and potentially transmitting it unknowingly to our most vulnerable."
Waipuna Hospice had 800 volunteers but volunteer-run patient services have all had to stop.
Onsite grief and bereavement groups have been cancelled but services one-to-one are continuing over the phone and with video conferencing.
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In a normal financial year, the hospice relied on $4.75 million from fundraising.
The Waipuna Hospice's six charities stores have all closed, as has the sorting and storage depot, so they could not take donation items or do deliveries.
All upcoming fundraising events had also been cancelled or postponed, leaving hospice more in need of financial donations than ever.
For now, Waipuna had reserves it could use but Thurlow said the charity was "going to have significant shortfalls in funding" on a day-to-day basis.
"If this carries on, May is going to be hard."
He said the Government's wage subsidy scheme was "a huge relief" but hospices nationally were pushing for more financial help.
Waipuna Hospice. Photo / File
Meanwhile, Neighbourhood Support was more in demand than ever, but logistically, it had become harder than usual for Western Bay of Plenty and Pāpāmoa manager Bruce Banks.
"It is very challenging."
He said there had been an influx of people who were wanting to join groups and normally he would meet with them in person and introduce them to coordinators "but now we've got to find another way, and find it fairly quickly".
National Neighbourhood Support chief executive, Tess Casey put out a media statement last week encouraging members "to think about how they link in those who do not have access to the internet, who don't have English as a first language or are not confident with social media".
"An old-fashioned phone tree might be a good option and we are sure people will come up with other creative ways to support one another."
Financially, Banks believed "all not-for-profits are going to struggle financially" going forward because many "traditional funding sources" were enduring difficult economic times.
Neighbourhood Support Western Bay of Plenty and Pāpāmoa manager Bruce Banks. Photo / File
The downturn has meant the Tauranga Energy Consumers' Trust's share portfolio has dropped in value, but TECT chairman Bill Holland said he was "really not the least bit worried because it will come back up".
He said, three months ago the trust's assets were worth just under $1billion - 60 per cent of which was shares in Trustpower and the rest being a diversified investment portfolio - but the value has since dropped.
"We're not selling any shares - you don't lose any money until you actually sell them. The income won't be as high ... But this is cyclical. It's well down, but in time it will come back up again."
The trust was meeting through online video conferencing twice a month, instead of normally meeting in-person once a month.
Tauranga Energy Consumers' Trust chairman Bill Holland. Photo / File
It was also putting money aside for community groups who will need more funding to offer more community support than they normally would.
"We realise that this is a special time".
Holland also said the applications that have already been made will be dealt with in the "business as usual" way.
The distribution plan for 2020/21 will go ahead as planned, made up of $31m through energy rebates and $9m through the grants programme.
