Buzz from the Beehive
“Critical” infrastructure projects to kick-start new housing developments and accelerate growth in eight parts of the country are being enabled by a $192 million Government investment.
The words “three waters” are generously sprinkled through the announcement from Housing Minister Megan Woods.
They are mentioned in every allocation recorded in a table in the press statement which shows how much is being dished out for what purpose for favoured projects in Lower Hutt, Nelson, Rangiora, Ngāruawāhia, Hastings, Motueka, Whanganui and Lake Hāwea.
Here’s hoping voters remember at voting time next year, eh?
The investment is expected to enable around 11,500 homes across several housing developments over the next 10 to 15 years, Megan Woods said.
Notes accompanying the press statement tell us the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF) is a contestable fund “of approximately $1 billion”.
Approximately? Don’t they know how much exactly?
The fund is designed to allocate funding for infrastructure to enable housing development – such as transport, three waters or flood management and is part of the Government’s $3.8 billion Housing Acceleration Fund announced in March last year.
Successful applicants (i.e. councils, developers and/or iwi) are responsible for delivering the IAF-funded infrastructure and building the homes it enables.
The good news for communities that will benefit from the latest funding can be found on the Beehive website along with news that our eager-beaver ministers have been …
Defence Minister Peeni Henare has announced the establishment of his Ministerial Advisory Panel to provide independent advice throughout the recently commissioned Defence Policy Review.
The review aims to ensure New Zealand’s Defence policy, strategy and planned capability investments remain fit for purpose given the impacts of climate change, COVID and the intensification of geostrategic competition.
The review will be led by Defence officials, but the panel – chaired by Sir Brian Roche –
“… will provide me invaluable independent advice and critical scrutiny throughout this two year process.”
The Panel will be appointed for the duration of the review, which is expected to be completed by mid-2024.
Small Business Minister Stuart Nash announced the Government is extending its health and wellness support package, implemented in Auckland last year, to small businesses across New Zealand until June 2024.
The First Steps platform has had over 70,000 Auckland-based users reporting positive results, Nash said.
First Steps was funded within the Government’s 2021 $60 million package for Regional Business Partner Programme and mental health support.
It offers preventative support for business owners, managers, and employees to reduce the numbers of people in crisis by providing a variety of tools, resources, and perspectives.
NZ has an estimated 546,000 small businesses and up to 1.2 million individuals who are owners or employees.
The Government has announced further pandemic support for Pacific Island countries with vaccine boosters, COVID-19 anti-viral treatments, and by strengthening the capacity of the health workforce to respond to further pandemics.
The package of support includes:
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- Additional funding of $3.8 million for the Polynesian Health Corridors programme for pandemic preparedness and response over the next year, to continue COVID-19 immunisation support, provide public health advice and help strengthen the health workforce.
- A $1.1 million contribution to the World Health Organisation to increase access to COVID-19 therapeutics in the wider Pacific, with accompanying technical support;
- Access to COVID-19 oral antivirals from Aotearoa New Zealand’s domestic supply for the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. There will be accompanying guidance and support, facilitated by the Polynesian Health Corridors team, through clinical specialists and organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand;
- Provision of second COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine boosters to the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau as requested.
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…and more millions for community organisations to reduce homelessness
Associate Housing Minister Marama Davidson announced he Government “is once again providing millions of dollars of support to community organisations working to address homelessness”.
Davidson will be dipping into the Local Innovation and Partnership Fund (LIPF), which supports local work and projects “that respond to and prevent homelessness”. The third round of funding will open on 1 November, with an additional $6.8 million available.
The Government has already allocated $10 million to community groups through the fund.
Defence Minister has announced steps to formally recognise the service of Pacific Island coastwatchers during the Second World War.
“This is long overdue recognition of the Pacific Island coastwatchers and the important role they played in our early warning system in the Pacific,” Peeni Henare said.
“It is important to acknowledge the service of all our coastwatchers whether on the New Zealand mainland, Chatham Islands, the sub-Antarctic Islands and especially in the Pacific. With Japanese advances into the Pacific in 1942, these stations became very dangerous places. The brutal killing of our coastwatchers on Tarawa and the suffering of those captured showed the real risks of this service.”
This recognition for Pacific Island coastwatchers includes:
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- a certificate of service signed by Her Excellency The Governor-General,
- giving families the opportunity to have Service plaques attached to their headstones like other Service personnel; and
- publishing an online historical record of their service
And then there’s the “massive” government infrastructure spend
Today’s announcement follows earlier IAF funding allocations of $6.1 million in December 2021 for Kenepuru Landing in Porirua, and almost $179 million in July 2022, which was shared among seven regions (Rotorua, Ōmokoroa, Kaikōura, Ōtaki, Napier, Gisborne and New Plymouth).
Around $376 million in IAF funding has been committed to infrastructure projects “throughout the country” on projects which are expected to enable around 20,000 new homes in areas of high housing need.
A further 15 IAF proposals are undergoing due diligence and negotiation, and the government looks forward to announcing more successful proposals in the coming months as agreements are signed.
Has your community had its share of the lolly yet?
And have you wondered about where it sits in the pecking order for allocations?
Latest from the Beehive
14 OCTOBER 2022
Advisory panel appointed for the Defence Policy Review
Minister of Defence Hon Peeni Henare has today announced the establishment of his Ministerial Advisory Panel to provide independent advice throughout the recently commissioned Defence Policy Review.
Govt rolls out mental health and wellbeing tools to small businesses across New Zealand
The Government is extending its health and wellness support package, which was successfully implemented in Auckland last year, to small businesses across New Zealand until June 2024.
Further pandemic support to the Pacific
The Government has announced further pandemic support for Pacific Island countries with vaccine boosters, COVID-19 anti-viral treatments, and by strengthening the capacity of the health workforce to respond to further pandemics.
13 OCTOBER 2022
Extra support for community solutions to homelessness
The Government is once again providing millions of dollars of support to community organisations working to address homelessness, the Associate Housing Minister, Marama Davidson announced today.
Massive government infrastructure spend to unlock thousands more homes, stimulate growth
Critical infrastructure projects to kick-start new housing developments, and accelerate growth in Lower Hutt, Nelson, Rangiora, Ngāruawāhia, Hastings, Motueka, Whanganui and Lake Hāwea are being made possible thanks to a massive $192 million Government investment.
Pacific Islands Coastwatchers recognised
The Minister of Defence, Hon Peeni Henare, has announced a number of steps to formally recognise the valuable service of Pacific Island coastwatchers during the Second World War.
Point of Order 
I have no sense of these people united in any way – a coherent government, having the big picture of this very small country in mind. Some I simply despise for their duplicity, mainly the Prime Minister, some for their cowardice- basically decent people perhaps, swept along in difficult circumstances beyond their capacity to speak the truth. Some are just pretty thick, truly ignorant and embarrassingly unaware of how little they know. One or two seem quite well-informed – thoughtful almost. How I long for their turn to be over.
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It will never happen. Announcements after Announcements, until the last syllable of recorded time, a tale told by a madwoman, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
With apologies to Wm Shakespeare. He doesn’t deserve the company.
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My understanding (as a ratepayer) is that Hastings Water has been brought up to standard and all work is almost completed.
Cost about $200million compared the the 3Waters quote/estimate of $600million.
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These disgusting mongrels should be prosecuted for misappropriation of taxpayers’ money.
Making it worse is the fact NZ has no surplus to toss around . . . it is all borrowed.
Ardern and her scum have made us insolvent.
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