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Politics

Budget 2022: What has already been announced in health, police, education and climate change

5 minutes to read
Finance Minister Grant Robertson at his photo op for his Wellbeing Budget 2022. Video / Mark Mitchell

Finance Minister Grant Robertson at his photo op for his Wellbeing Budget 2022. Video / Mark Mitchell

Michael Neilson
By
Michael Neilson

Michael Neilson is a senior political reporter for the New Zealand Herald

Finance Minister Grant Robertson has stated the Government has $6 billion to spend on top of normal expenditure this Budget, with the lion's share going to the health sector.

Here is what has already been announced in the preceding weeks:

$88 million package to address school attendance

The first pre-Budget announcement on May 1 allocated $88 million to addressing attendance and truancy issues. Much of it is to cover a four-year period.

It includes a regional response fund of $40m over four years was being established to meet local education needs.

The package also included $11.2m for a positive behaviour and learning programme and $7.75m specifically for Māori and Pasifika communities, where there are large discrepancies.

New debt ceiling announced

On May 3, Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced a new debt ceiling of 30 per cent of GDP. This came with a warning the current Budget would show a worsening fiscal position compared to forecasts put together by Treasury in December last year.

Treasury was also to now measure New Zealand's net debt by taking into account a wider range of Crown assets like the NZ Super Fund, and liabilities like the debt held by Kainga Ora.

Using IMF comparators, New Zealand's net debt as a percentage of GDP of 20 per cent would compare with rates of 37.5 per cent in Australia, and 76.1 per cent in the UK.

Funding for 64,000 more people to get driver licences

The investment of $86.5 million across four years is to help 64,000 New Zealanders benefit from improved access to driver licensing, testing and training.

It was announced on May 4 by Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni and Minister of Transport Michael Wood.

$110.9m into New Zealand's biosecurity work

On May 5, Biosecurity Minister Damien O'Connor announced $42.9m to bolster biosecurity for future incursions and $68m over the coming year to continue the M. bovis livestock disease eradication programme.

Just one property remains with the disease, down from 54 in 2019.

Boost to police to 'target gangs'

Police and Corrections will get $562 million over the next four years, as announced by Police Minister Poto Williams, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis and Justice Minister Kris Faafoi on May 8.

The funding would go towards more frontline police, a new firearms unit and a package to help businesses protect themselves from ram raids.

'Apprenticeship Boost'

A $230 million investment would support another 24,000 apprentices getting Apprenticeship Boost support and 14,000 to keep being supported beyond August this year.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni made the pre-Budget announcement on May 9.

Eliminating violence at home and in communities

Te Aorerekura, a national strategy to eliminate family violence and sexual violence, will receive $114.5m over four years.

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Marama Davidson, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence, announced the funding on May 10, and said the investment would include $38.1 million more for community-led integrated responses.

Support for youth development

Youth Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan announced on May 13 a $15m boost over four years for youth development services.

$20m tech sector investment

Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications David Clark announced on May 15 $20m over four years towards two key initiatives in the Digital Technologies Industry Transformation.

Clark said the Budget funding will support the growth of the Software-as-a-Service Community (SaaS).

He said it will also help to take the marketing initiative, called New Zealand's Tech and Innovation Story, to key markets such as the United States, Australia and Europe.

Climate change

On Monday the Government announced $4.5b would go towards a range of schemes, strategies and plans associated with the Emissions Reduction Plan.

The funding would come from revenue from the Emissions Trading Scheme, which puts a price on greenhouse gas emissions.

The fund will initially have $2.9b over four years.

The transport sector will get a $1.2 billion boost, including $569m for the Clean Car Upgrade, which will help lower and middle-income households scrap high-emitting vehicles in exchange for electric and hybrid alternatives.

Agriculture would get $710m over four years including $339m to accelerate technology, and to establish a Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions.

Just over $650m had been allocated to decarbonising industry over four years until 2026, with another $330m over three years after that.

Mental health services boost

On May 17, Health Minister Andrew Little announced two boosts to mental health funding.

One would expand Mana Ake, with $90m set aside to start services of the school-based programme in Northland, Counties Manukau, Bay of Plenty, Lakes and West Coast regions, as well as continue existing services in Canterbury and Kaikōura.

Little and Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti said it would benefit 195,000 primary and intermediate aged children.

Little also announced a $100m investment over four years for a specialist mental health and addiction package, including about $27m to make more acute services available.