Budget gives GDC access to $20m a year for roading projects

Major dropouts on Tiniroto Road made the critical route impassable after Cyclone Gabrielle. Yesterday’s Budget promises a new $6 billion National Resilience Plan to ensure investment in basic infrastructure. File picture

Cyclone recovery needs and Maori housing and justice needs are the major winners here in the Government’s Budget announcements.

Yesterday’s Budget focuses much on the cost of living and health costs (scrapping the $5 prescription fee) but there are several key items that will be of interest to people here in particular.

The major announcement for this region, on top of last week’s $1 billion Cyclone recovery plan, is a new $6 billion National Resilience Plan.

“It was unacceptable that basic lifeline services like telecommunications, power and transport links were knocked out for so long. It identified a serious basic infrastructure problem that this investment will help to fix,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said.

That is in addition to a $71 bn infrastructure plan over the next five years.

Māori communities were also particularly affected by the recent extreme weather events.

“To support the recovery of these communities, 400 relocatable cabins will be delivered to Te Tairāwhiti, Wairoa, Napier-Hastings and Te Taitokerau to assist those whānau displaced from their homes,” said Maori Development Minister Willie Jackson.

Te Aitanga a Mahaki chief executive Robyn Rauna confirmed 150 house s would be coming to Tairāwhiti.

She was also pleased with the support and acknowledgement of Te Aitanga a Mahaki whare awhina project to help relocate and house those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

However, she had wanted to see some immediate action around the recent recommendations of the ministerial inquiry into land use, which she “fully supported”.

Gisborne District Council will be able to apply for roading recovery funds, through a new Transport Resilience Fund.

The fund will provide $20m in support of local council projects each year.

Funding is also made available for Te Ao Mārama, which was piloted in Gisborne and is now operating in Hamilton as well.

“Te Ao Mārama is an all-of-justice sector approach, working alongside communities, iwi and the legal professionals to ensure the court process is getting the best outcomes for the broader community.

“Based on tikanga Māori, Chief District Court Judge Heemi Taumaunu has been leading a new approach to justice which the Government has continued to support, with $11.7 million provided for the 2023/24 year,” Minister of Justice and East Coast MP Kiri Allan said.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the Budget addressed the immediate cost-of-living challenge households faced without exacerbating inflation pressures.

“It’s a carefully calibrated package that deals with the here-and-now pressures, while also laying the foundation for real long-term benefits.”

National Party East Coast electorate candidate  Dana Kirkpatrick was not impressed.

“The ‘wellbeing budget’ is not delivering anything for middle New Zealand, unless you are a gaming developer of course.”

(The Budget offers a new 20 percent rebate for game development studios, allowing them to claim up to $3m a year in rebates.)

“A $5 saving here and there on prescriptions and free childcare is all we see,” said Ms Kirkpatrick.

“It’s pleasing to see the Government has finally woken up to the fact that roads and infrastructure don’t materialise from thin air, or fix themselves, but once again delivery will always be the question. They can deliver a budget, can they actually get it done?

“I can’t believe they will spend $120m on shoring up the ‘cost pressures’ of their own departments when there is already a massive waste of money in Government spending.

“If there is one thing I am pleased about it is the final realisation that our healthcare workers need to be better paid.

“Overall, we should remember that in totality it represents a lot of money continuing to flow into a high inflation economy with little to no increased productivity.

“This is what causes inflation. So more pain to come I think.”