Articles tagged with Budget
Showing 15 of 124 articles
Government Boosts Crisis Response with $61.6M Investment in Mental Health Services
04 Nov 2025 | 10 months ago | 1005 viewsMinister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has announced a $61.6 million funding boost to improve crisis response services, including adding 40 frontline clinical staff for crisis assessment teams nationwide, establishing two new peer-led acute alternative services, and expanding peer support in emergency departments and Crisis Recovery Cafés. The initiative aims to reduce wait times for crisis assessment and inpatient beds, provide more choice and quicker support for those in mental health distress, and enhance the peer support workforce. This investment complements previous efforts, such as the roll-out of mental health co-response teams and improving crisis helpline capacity, to ensure timely and effective support for individuals reaching out for help.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Crisis Response Peer Support Frontline Workers Crisis Recovery Cafés Budget 2025 Clinical Staff Emergency Departments Crisis Assessment TeamsPharmac's Reset Programme Progress: 90-Day Action Plan Completion and Consumer Engagement
29 Oct 2025 | 10 months ago | 1056 viewsPharmac's Reset Programme, part of a five-year plan, is progressing well with the completion of the first 90-day action plan, focusing on transparency and accountability in funding decisions for pharmaceuticals. Associate Health Minister David Seymour emphasizes the importance of involving patients, families, and clinicians in decision-making processes to improve the patient-Pharmac relationship. The Consumer and Patient Working Group, chaired by Dr. Malcolm Mulholland, plays a key role in providing insight and practical advice to ensure the programme reflects consumer needs, values, and perspectives, with ongoing plans to enhance patient engagement and communication strategies.
Tags: Pharmac’s Reset Programme Associate Health Minister David Seymour New Zealanders pharmaceuticals Consumer Engagement Workshops Dr Malcolm Mulholland Consumer and Patient Working Group Budget bids Consumer Advisory CommitteeGovernment Financial Progress: 2024/25 Statements Reflect Fiscal Discipline and Investment Boost
09 Oct 2025 | 11 months ago | 987 viewsFinance Minister Nicola Willis highlighted the 2024/25 government financial statements, showcasing progress in restoring fiscal discipline. Key points include a decrease in core Crown expenses, steady net core Crown debt, and a better-than-forecast deficit in the operating balance. The Government's focus on savings has allowed for increased investment in key sectors while maintaining tax relief, with future plans to further reduce government spending as part of ongoing fiscal discipline efforts.
Tags: Government Financial Statements Nicola Willis GDP Crown Expenses Debt OBEGALx Fiscal Discipline Budget.Transforming School Attendance Services for Better Student Engagement and Support
06 Oct 2025 | 11 months ago | 1081 viewsAssociate Education Minister David Seymour has revamped the Government's school attendance services contracting system to enhance support for chronically absent students. Budget 2025 allocated $140 million over four years, with $123 million designated for frontline services, leading to the awarding of 83 contracts to Attendance Service Providers (ASPs) nationwide. The new model emphasizes reaching more absent students, understanding their reasons for non-attendance, collaborating with families and schools, addressing students' basic needs, and escalating cases of chronic non-attendance, with a goal to achieve 80% student attendance by 2030.
Tags: David Seymour Ministry ERO Attendance Service Providers Budget 2025 School attendance Education Minister Contracts Students ServicesMinisters Doocey and Patterson engage with Thames community to enhance rural healthcare access
30 Sep 2025 | 11 months ago | 1109 viewsAssociate Health Minister Matt Doocey and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson are visiting Thames to engage with the local community and gather feedback on the implementation of the Rural Health Strategy. The main focus of the roadshows is to address concerns about healthcare access in rural and remote areas, with Budget 2025 allocating $164 million to enhance urgent and after-hours care nationwide, particularly in rural communities. The government is committed to strengthening rural healthcare, expanding the rural health workforce, and improving access to quality care for all New Zealanders, including those in rural communities.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mark Patterson Rural Health Healthcare Rural Communities Budget 2025 New Zealanders Mental Health Roadshows Rural Health StrategyStrengthening Rural Health on the West Coast: Ministers Engage with Greymouth Community
29 Sep 2025 | 11 months ago | 1020 viewsAssociate Health Minister Matt Doocey and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson are visiting Greymouth as part of the Rural Health Roadshow to address healthcare challenges in geographically spread-out communities like the West Coast. Budget 2025 allocated $164 million to enhance urgent and after-hours care, aiming to ensure 98% of New Zealanders can reach urgent care within an hour. The Government is dedicated to removing geographic barriers to healthcare access, focusing on strengthening mental health and rural healthcare outcomes for all New Zealanders, especially those in rural communities like Greymouth.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mark Patterson Associate Health Minister Rural Health Minister for Rural Communities Greymouth Roadshow Budget 2025 New Zealanders Mental HealthNew Zealand Revives Gas Exploration with Open Market Applications
24 Sep 2025 | 11 months ago | 1147 viewsPetroleum operators in New Zealand can now apply for new prospecting and exploration permits beyond Taranaki to boost gas reserves, thanks to a new open market application pathway introduced alongside the Block Offer competitive tender process. The exploration ban in 2018 had a negative impact on the gas sector, hindering investment and exploration efforts, leading to energy security concerns. To revitalize exploration activity, the government is focusing on streamlining permit processes and offering co-investment opportunities in new gas fields, while also introducing a new Tier 3 permit category for hobby miners to encourage small-scale gold mining across the country.
Tags: Shane Jones Petroleum operators Exploration permits Gas reserves Block Offer New Zealand Energy security Budget 2025 Hobby miners Regulatory scrutinyRural Health Roadshow: Ministers Visit Te Kūiti to Enhance Healthcare Access and Services
24 Sep 2025 | 11 months ago | 1145 viewsAssociate Health Minister Matt Doocey and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson are conducting the Rural Health Roadshow in Te Kūiti, the tenth stop on the tour. The roadshow aims to gather feedback from rural communities and healthcare providers to assess the Rural Health Strategy's implementation and identify areas for improvement. Te Kūiti hosts one of six rural urgent care prototypes, part of a national initiative to enhance rural healthcare services, supported by a $164 million investment to strengthen urgent and after-hours care across New Zealand.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mark Patterson Rural Health Te Kūiti Roadshow Rural Communities Healthcare Rural Health Strategy Budget 2025 New ZealandersGovernment's $100 Million Investment to Upgrade NZ Hospitals for Better Healthcare
21 Sep 2025 | 11 months ago | 1048 viewsThe Government is investing $100 million to upgrade hospital facilities in New Zealand, focusing on modernizing and expanding clinical spaces to improve healthcare quality and access. The funding, part of Budget 2025, aims to address neglected infrastructure and ensure timely, quality care for all citizens. The program includes local projects nationwide and remediation efforts to strengthen essential hospital infrastructure, creating jobs and supporting frontline staff while enhancing patient care and hospital resilience.
Tags: Government investment hospital facilities Health Minister Simeon Brown Budget 2025 public services healthcare clinical spaces infrastructure New ZealandersGovernment-Funded Social Home Deliveries by Community Housing Providers: Progress Update and Future Plans
11 Sep 2025 | 12 months ago | 1782 viewsCommunity Housing Providers (CHPs) are actively delivering over 2,000 social homes funded by the Coalition Government, with a focus on allocating 1,500 social houses from Budget 2024 and 550 social homes for Auckland from Budget 2025. The government is committed to building the right homes in the right places for those in need, with a new housing investment system centered on strategic partnerships with CHPs and a Flexible Fund established in Budget 2025 to drive further change in social housing. Progress is being made in improving housing for Kiwis, including reducing the social housing register, moving families out of motels into social housing, and partnering with Māori housing providers to deliver affordable rental homes across the country.
Tags: Community Housing Providers CHPs Coalition Government Housing Minister Chris Bishop Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka Kāinga Ora Ministry of Housing and Urban Development HUD Budget 2024 Budget 2025Government Expands Community Magistrates' Role to Streamline District Court Process
21 Aug 2025 | 1 year ago | 1382 viewsThe Government, led by Associate Justice and Courts Minister Nicole McKee, plans to expand the jurisdiction of Community Magistrates in the District Court to enhance efficiency and reduce delays. This expansion will enable Community Magistrates to handle guilty pleas for most offenses, manage a broader range of cases, and issue community-based sentences. The initiative aims to streamline court processes, alleviate pressure on judges, and provide faster justice outcomes for victims, with budget support for additional Community Magistrates and training oversight.
Tags: Government Community Magistrates Justice System District Court Nicole McKee Legislation Judges Court Proceedings Victims Budget 2025Record Attendance Trends in Schools Signal Positive Shifts for Education System
20 Aug 2025 | 1 year ago | 1246 viewsSince Term 1 of 2024, attendance rates in schools have consistently increased each term compared to the previous year, with Term 2 of this year seeing a notable rise to 58.4% from 53.4% in Term 2 of the previous year. Associate Education Minister David Seymour highlights improvements in attendance across all regions, with a significant decrease in chronic absence rates. Plans are underway to enforce stricter attendance measures, including mandatory school attendance management plans aligned with the STAR program by 2026, with prosecution as a last resort for parents who persistently fail to ensure their children attend school. A $140 million budget allocation in 2025 aims to enhance attendance rates over the next four years to promote positive educational outcomes and long-term benefits for students.
Tags: Term 1 2024 Attendance David Seymour Education Minister Taranaki Whanganui Manawatū STAR Prosecution Budget 2025Minister Karen Chhour Urges Caregivers to Provide Safe and Loving Homes: Enhanced Support Available
13 Aug 2025 | 1 year ago | 1513 viewsMinister Karen Chhour urges individuals capable of offering a loving and stable environment to consider becoming caregivers, emphasizing improved support and training. Budget 2025 allocated $16 million to enhance care environments and caregiver training. Initiatives include caregiver feedback incorporation, improved on-boarding processes, and prioritizing safe and loving homes for children.
Tags: Minister for Children Karen Chhour caregiver support training Budget 2025 Caregiver Panel Oranga Tamariki Caring Families Aotearoa approval processImproving Rural Health Access: Ministers Engage with Tūrangi Community
05 Aug 2025 | 1 year ago | 2247 viewsAssociate Health Minister Matt Doocey and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson are engaging with rural communities in Tūrangi to improve access to care nationwide. The Rural Health Roadshow allows for direct feedback on the Rural Health Strategy implementation and testing of rural urgent care prototypes. The Government's Budget 2025 allocates $164 million to enhance urgent and after-hours care, benefiting rural and remote communities across New Zealand.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mark Patterson Rural Health Mental Health Tūrangi Rural Communities Healthcare Rural Health Strategy Budget 2025 New ZealandersAuckland Schools Receive $120M Investment for New Classrooms and Schools
18 Jul 2025 | 1 year ago | 2211 viewsThe Government is investing over $120 million to build 137 new classrooms in Auckland, creating space for 3,014 additional student places in schools facing growing rolls. The investment includes cost-effective repeatable designs and offsite manufactured buildings to maximize funding impact. Additional projects include establishing new schools in Pōkeno and Chapel Downs to accommodate future growth and ensure a safe and conducive learning environment for students in Auckland.
Tags: Erica Stanford Simeon Brown Auckland classrooms students schools education Budget 25 funding infrastructure construction