Families Package and Auckland Regional Fuel tax kick in

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, July 2nd, 2018 - 48 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, benefits, child welfare, class war, Economy, jacinda ardern, labour, making shit up, Media, national, poverty, same old national, Simon Bridges, spin, tax, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, wages, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

Yesterday the Government’s tax changes and the Auckland fuel tax kicked in.

First some comments about the fuel tax.  Anyone who has ventured onto an Auckland road in the past few years knows that Auckland has a congestion problem.  A big one.

Some things have been done to address this.  Completion of the Western Ring Route, a project that was started under the last Labour Government, gave substantial relief at least for a while although the effects are now lessening.

And the rejuvination of the rail system continues to show outstanding results.  Annual trips on the Auckland Rail System now exceed 20 million.  Back in 2002 the figure was one million.

For the past decade the focus moved from public transport to more roads even though the international experience was that roads generate congestion rather than reduce it.  The city rail link has been started.  But National had to be dragged screaming and kicking to acceptance that the proposal was absolutely vital.

The basic problem that Auckland is facing is that under the last Government’s Auckland Transport Alignment Project there was an initially estimated $4 billion shortfall that ballooned by a further $1.9 billion in 2017.  About a fifth of the projects were not funded.  This is as sure fire a way of creating a transport crisis as you can imagine.

So the Government introduced the ability for Auckland Council to raise a fuel tax.  At the level that has been agreed to about $1.5 billion will be raised over ten years.  With the help of NZTA subsidies and other funding mechanisms this will fill in the funding gap.  No worsening congestion.

What other options did the Government have?  It could have used the NLTF or a Crown grant to cover the extra money.  Aucklanders would still have paid a third of this amount and the rest of the country would have complained.  This way is much quicker and less risky.

And congestion costs.  Whether through lost time travelling or increased charges for anything that is transported.

Is the fuel tax regressive?  The views appear to be yes and no.  Simon Wilson, who is one of the most astute reporters writing about Auckland issues initially thought no but then changed his mind.  He said this:

What will wealthier people pay? On average per household, they drive more, and as the pump prices suggest, they probably pay more for their petrol too. The wealthiest third of households will face an average fuel price rise at least double that of the poorest.

That might come as a surprise to anyone used to hearing that “fuel taxes hurt the poorest more”, but it shouldn’t. Wealthy people spend more on almost everything.

Despite that, however, it is true that these fuel taxes will hurt low-income households more. Low-income households spend a bigger proportion of their money on essentials, including transport costs. So every price rise eats into their disposable income, assuming they even have any.

Wealthier people might not notice having to spend $5 or more a week of something. But many others have to count every penny.

Another factor: people in poorer households are more likely to use public transport, thus not paying for petrol at all. Those who do drive may be travelling further than many wealthier people, and in less fuel-efficient cars too.

I wrote earlier this week that the fuel price rises are not regressive. That was wrong. Wealthier people will pay more overall but this will impact them less. The fuel taxes are flat taxes: we all pay the same per litre. And all flat taxes are regressive, for the reasons just outlined.

The effect is unfortunate.  But there was another event that occurred yesterday that provides some balance.  Labour’s family package kicked in.

A summary is in the Herald:

The Families Package, which was funded by cancelling the previous National government’s planned tax cuts, will cost $5.53 billion over five years.

The Government estimates that by 2020/21, when the package is fully rolled out, some 384,000 families with children will be better off by about $75 a week. It is projected to lift the number of children living out of poverty by 64,000, or about 41 per cent, by 2020.

“We know that low and middle income families have been really struggling with things like the cost of housing and the cost of living. For those families, when you are encountering financial difficulties it can really put a lot of stress on the family, particularly when you have children to raise,” [Carmel] Sepuloni told the Herald on Sunday.

“This will really make a difference to their lives.”

The elements of the Families Package are a boost for working families increasing the amounts families currently receive and extending it to 30,000 more families, a best start payment for families with new born children, the winter energy payment, reinstating the independent earners’ tax credit, implementing the accommodation supplement increases previously advised and the introduction of 26 weeks paid parental leave.

Jacinda Ardern announced the introduction of the package with this video.

One other package that has been criticised by the right is Labour’s policy of making the first year’s tertiary education free. The right have criticised the policy as a package of wealth transfer to the wealthy. I have to disagree. There has been a gross transfer of wealth from the young to the poor for decades. This is one attempt to use taxes to reverse this trend.

National’s response to the Regional Fuel Tax is to repeal it.  Bridges complains that it is a lack of fiscal discipline that is the problem.  But clearly the same fiscal indiscipline must have existed in 2016 and 2017 under National because the funding gap was identified then.

And National continues its stupidity based attacks on the policies with this effort.

No sign of any acknowledgement what the families package means for people, particularly poorer families.  Maybe in National land these people do not exist.

To all the critics of the regional fuel tax I accept your concerns but the work is absolutely vital for Auckland’s future. And the other announcements will provide significant benefit for poorer families.

48 comments on “Families Package and Auckland Regional Fuel tax kick in ”

  1. indiana 1

    Is the implication that the changes to the Family’s Package and the new Fuel tax is a tax neutral change? Seems odd when the Family’s Package will take until 2020/21 to be fully rolled out, but those families need to take the fuel tax increase hit first up.

    • mickysavage 1.1

      Family package benefits are way higher than the likely cost of the regional fuel tax.

      • indiana 1.1.1

        …only if you meet the criteria of eligibility for the Family’s Package right?

        • AsleepWhileWalking 1.1.1.1

          That’s right.

          Regardless the cost will be passed on through public transport.

        • Gabby 1.1.1.2

          Only if you actually use fuel right?

        • Andrew 1.1.1.3

          The political party who deliberately used Social Engineering and tried to copy singapores bus system and messed it up needs to be sued for lying about not adding any additional taxes! We no longer use the bus system in Auckland and now pay 30c p/litre to local government to go to and from work, are they running a business or what? Lets start a class action law suit against the responsible political parties, let me knows whose in. any lawyers please comment if you want in. Time to take our freedom back by suing the irresponsible political party (we own the government. we now need to force them to work for us and not them just working for each of their minority party members).

          • lprent 1.1.1.3.1

            *sigh* Always interesting seeing someone who hasn’t bothered to actually research anything jerking off in public.

            I have been in Singapore for for about half of 2018 so far. I wound up having a pretty good look at their public and private transport systems.

            1. The majority of Singapore’s public transport traffic is on a largely elevated train system (the MRT and LRT). The bus system is relatively tiny by comparison. Trying to ‘copy’ it for Auckland would be an exercise in futility simply because we don’t have anything like the required train infrastructure. It doesn’t cover very much of the Auckland urban area and won’t for several more decades.

            2. Singapore also has a density that is way higher than Auckland. Having 5.8 million people (ie nearly 4x as much as Auckland’s 1.6 million) in an area about a quarter of that of Auckland tends to do that.

            Basically no-one would or has tried to equate or even to develop the two systems in a similar fashiom. They are completely different geographies. Except apparently you have just invented this as some kind of deluded conspiracy theory.

            Personally I’d be more inclined to start a class action to try to lock up deluded conspiracy theorists together on the Auckland Islands so that they can develop them together (and leave us without their advice).

    • Matthew Whitehead 1.2

      Even the minimum wage rises should cancel out the fuel tax raise for most workers, so really the only people being hit here are those far enough up the salary/income foodchain not to get bouyed by minimum wage rises or WFF. That said, it is a little disappointing given how slow the govt is moving on minimum wage rn that they’re offsetting it with fuel tax increases, but you gotta fund those buses and trams I guess.

  2. Monkeyhill 2

    In general I think we should have had a regional tax years ago, I do think it’s not that fair on shift workers as public transport at night is pretty pathetic. Last train to Swanson or Onehunga or to the south is at about 9.40 pm, it’s not like new lines have to be built to run later trains, this should have been done at the same time the tax went in. Also I think the boundaries are way too far out, transport options in places like Wellsford or Warkworth are pretty much nil. There’s no reason why some of the surplus carriages couldn’t be used to hook the western line up to Hellensville too. The families package doesn’t offset much if you don’t qualify. I use a combination of bike, and train to get around mostly, it’s just pathetic how early the trains finish, there’s normally plenty of people on them.

  3. Matthew Whitehead 3

    A fuel tax is absolutely regressive. It’s also the only option for now because MoT has been skipping out on doing the work on preparing an alternative, which should be the messaging on this- it undercuts National’s attempts to turn poorer people against Labour, and rightly places the blame on them for not future-proofing the funding source for transport. (A fuel tax is unsustainable as in the future the majority of vehicles won’t be using fossil fuels)

    To explain why a fuel tax is regressive, we need to do some background. The reason we have a fuel tax is because of the user-pays principle, the idea of which is that people who use roads more should contribute more to their maintenance, expansion, and efforts to reduce traffic on them, eg. public transport. This is a fine principle.

    However, in practice, many of the options we use to follow this principle that seem neutral are regressive in either one simple way, or in at least two, like the fuel tax. This is fine if the things that funding is spent on disproportionately benefit the poor, (eg. free public transport rides for those on community service cards) but isn’t okay if they go to things that largely benefit the rich. (eg. new highways) Traditionally, road funding has done the latter.

    The way most simple user-pays measures are regressive is that there is a flat fee for everyone that doesn’t account for difference in disposable income, making the fee “larger” for poorer people when it is properly considered as a percentage of disposable income rather than in absolute dollar amounts.

    A fuel tax is even more regressive than that, because it charges per litre rather than per kilometre, which might seem fine at first blush, but actually introduces another variable into the pricing of using roads: fuel efficiency. Because poorer people generally drive cheaper cars when they drive at all, (and are more likely to live in areas poorly serviced by public transport, or that require a car to commute at all, so they have less options to avoid the fuel tax than wealthier people, even though wealthier people choose to drive more/are less transport-efficient) they are far more likely to have worse fuel efficiency on average, meaning not only is the same dollar amount hitting them harder, they are being hit with a larger dollar amount on average per kilometre. When you add in transport funding previously mostly going to roading expansion, that was a triple-whammy of unfairness. The government’s new transport plans abandon that for a double-whammy by redirecting funding to public transport and road safety, but they still had to use fuel taxes.

    Now, the case for one in Auckland has another factor, too. National-level transport funding isn’t always spent where it’s collected, which is fine if there are emergency works costs in a particular region that need immediate attention, of course, but that’s not the only source of the inequity. A few regions, most significantly Wellington and Auckland, get a much larger share of the funding than they pay in. Wellington has seen continuous investment from its local council and is using rates funds to keep up with its local share of public transport infrastructure for now, but Auckland has been trying to freeze rates and has been under-funded for infrastructure compared to demand for services, so needs a way to get more local funding for projects.

    The regional fuel tax is the fairest currently available way to do this. It’s not perfect, its critics in the National Party are right on that. But it is the best available option. This fuel tax won’t have Auckland paying its fair share for its own infrastructure. It’s not actually catching things up that far. It will just provide the local funding share for the existing planned transport projects. Auckland will still be sucking funds out of most of regional New Zealand’s fuel taxes in order to pay for the central government share of its infrastructure, which for poorer people in the regions, is another unfair element of the transport funding equation: they are net contributors to public transport needs in large cities that they don’t get to use, and they have no option but to pay the fuel tax because they live in areas where they need to drive.

    • Matthew Whitehead 3.1

      As for alternatives, I can think of a couple:

      A simple system would basically be to seperate out RUCs for all drivers and charge a per-km fee. This removes vehicle efficiency from the equation, but would require more administration to effectively police it.

      On multi-lane highways, another option is to have a toll lane, effectively opt-in congestion charging. Richer drivers are more likely to use these, so it actually tends to be progressive, yet the element of partial charging tends to reduce congestion and make people with the money to pay the fee feel better about it because they have a way to a lower-traffic lane.

      A final option is basically a high-tech congestion charging system. There are a number of ways to target this- in San Fransisco, for instance, they have dynamic parking fees based on demand for on-road parking, rather than charging people for driving directly, or you can require drivers to install some sort of GPS tracking unit that deduces charges, but the latter is pretty high-demand on your software and hardware system.

      None of these suffer from additional complications of double-factored regressiveness, and if their funding is spent in a progressive way, they should all come out as net-progressive systems.

      • Brendon Harre 3.1.1

        Mathew I agree with pretty much all of that. Good explanation.

        For me down here in Canterbury. I would like a regional fuel if it meant greater transport choices. In particular rapid transit like Auckland and Wellington have. Lower income people could save $1000’s if the buses were faster and more convenient -this benefit is way more than the cost of a petrol tax. The way to do that is create a rapid transit network -Auckland and Wellington prove that.

        I have made a plan for how and why Greater Christchurch could build a rapid transit network, with some detail on how this fits in with housing supply.
        https://medium.com/land-buildings-identity-and-values/ending-christchurchs-car-dependency-culture-can-help-revive-the-city-332f6786baa

        • I agree with most of your conclusions in your paper, Brendon. The trouble has been a lack of foresight post earthquake – mainly driven by the ex-woodwork teacher who said ‘a business case can’t be made for a commuter line from Rangiora to the ChCh CBD.’

          The bus exchange should never have been constructed where it it, even though it works quite well. The old Moorhouse Ave. railway station should have become a combined bus exchange/commuter rail hub, with frequent trains linking Rangiora to Rolleston to Lyttleton and on to buses.

          I don’t know for sure, but I suspect all the railway land on Moorhouse Ave. has been flogged off to mates of Brownlee – we missed a great opportunity to develop a central hub that could have helped rejuvenate the centre of Christchurch.

          And, dare I say it, John Minto was right with his mayoral slogan for public transport – ‘free and frequent.’ We need to think outside the square if we are to make this city work.

          • Brendon Harre 3.1.1.1.1

            It is easy to get irate when thinking about the missed opportunities in Christchurch after the earthquakes. But we need to focus on the future now. Auckland shows that what is possible to from a low auto-centric base. Christchurch should try to copy that.

            Re: the land in Moorhouse Ave that could be used for a combined train and bus rapid transit hub -it is always possible to use the Public Works Act…..

          • the other pat 3.1.1.1.2

            not to mention a passenger rail service fromt Rolleston.

      • ropata 3.1.2

        The problem with proper RUCs applied to truckers is that they have a tendency to hold the country to ransom, I suspect Labour is wary of this as it was a PR disaster for Clark’s government in 2008.

        Troglodyte Truckers Threaten Nation with Gridlock

        The only way out of our national truck dependency is to work on improving the rail network.

        I would also like to see heavy trucks banned from urban/suburban streets completely, and light delivery trucks banned from operating in rush hour, per New York and Paris

        • Draco T Bastard 3.1.2.1

          The problem with proper RUCs applied to truckers is that they have a tendency to hold the country to ransom.

          Yes. They’ve done that before.

          The government should grow a spine and if they try it again have their trucks taken from them.

        • Gabby 3.1.2.2

          It wouldn’t have crossed Shagger Banxie’s ‘mind’ to clamp the trucks I guess, and charge the drivers.

    • dukeofurl 3.2

      “A few regions, most significantly Wellington and Auckland, get a much larger share of the funding than they pay in .”

      Thats not true.

      See the details here
      https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2016/11/30/transport-spending-in-nz-in-2016/

      Auckland region spend was a bit over $1400 mill , but that included councils share which was say $350 mill.

      They reckon the regions share 35%, is roughly the same as population 34%, just under the region share of GDP 37%

      Some time back before changes in the early 2000s Auckland share was closer to 20%

      • Gabby 3.2.1

        Why reckon it by population duky? Why not by total road length and value of goods transported?

        • dukeofurl 3.2.1.1

          Auckland has about 80% of the countrys population growth
          Its increased by the size of Wellington in last 20 years, that makes a big difference.

          generally the more cars and trucks the more fuel tax/ diesel mileage paid

          Greater Auckland did some numbers on km travelled , its on the link.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.3

      National-level transport funding isn’t always spent where it’s collected, which is fine if there are emergency works costs in a particular region that need immediate attention, of course, but that’s not the only source of the inequity. A few regions, most significantly Wellington and Auckland, get a much larger share of the funding than they pay in.

      Actually, Auckland gets less. I shouldn’t have to be telling you this.

      Auckland will still be sucking funds out of most of regional New Zealand’s fuel taxes in order to pay for the central government share of its infrastructure,

      Auckland has never sucked funds from other regions – they’ve always subsidised them.

  4. Draco T Bastard 4

    What other options did the Government have?

    The big one and one that would have worked much better would be to have businesses paying their employees to and from work travel costs.

    Do that and watch as the businesses demand better public transport. The cost benefits of public transport would become obvious very, very quickly.

    This is another cost that should have always been with the business but the business people managed to get shifted onto the employees and in doing so has helped push uneconomic solutions in the form of cars and more roads.

    • ropata 4.1

      Great point, there should also be penalties for parents dropping off their kids by car and causing daily chaos around schools. Or better incentives for walking.

    • mikes 4.2

      Totally agree. Or at least let wage earners claim back fuel expenses in their tax return. It sux how contractors and the self employed can claim 100% of their petrol costs back as a cost of doing business whilst wage / salary earners can’t. It’s a cost of doing business (working and paying taxes) for a wage earner too.

  5. Gosman 5

    Are you seriously expecting an Opposition to focus on positives in a Government policy?

    • Stuart Munro 5.1

      It’s pretty basic not to lie about them.

      National’s attack ad goes like this:

      Fuel tax $15
      Rent increase $20
      Food cost rise $20
      Lost tax cut $40
      Lower wages $10

      Fuel tax is probably on the high side. Rent increase is nothing whatsoever to do with this government, nor is the rising food cost – good nudge for regulation though.
      Tax cut is exaggerated. Lower wages is a blatant lie.

      • Gosman 5.1.1

        The rental increase has everything to do with the Government if it makes it more costly for landlords to rent their places out. The argument made by the right is that it has. You may disagree with this but it isn’t a lie.

        Also why is it a good nudge for regulation? Do you think you can regulate the price of food do you?

        • Stuart Munro 5.1.1.1

          It’s a lie. Rents go up as far as the market will bear, unless they are regulated.

          There are two drivers for the high price of food in NZ – one is the substantive monopoly of the large supermarket chains, the other is road transport operators.

          The supermarket chains should face punitive taxes for price gouging – ie any time their prices exceed Australian prices by more than 25%. Current Oz prices for kumara are less than a quarter of NZ supermarket prices for example.

          • Gosman 5.1.1.1.1

            If you increase costs on Landlords they usually pass much of the costs on to their tenants. Alternatively you reduce the number of rentals in the market which again drives up rental costs.

            There is a Commerce commission that is meant to ensure we have competition in the Supermarket industry. You are claiming that it is not doing it’s job. If it is failing to do it’s job now why do you think it would be any better with more powers?

            • Stuart Munro 5.1.1.1.1.1

              Landlords pass on costs both real and imagined.

              The commerce commission just needs a little encouragement – such as a revenue grab every time the supermarket cartels rort their customers.

              • Gosman

                What you are essentially stating is Kris Faifoi is not doing his job given he has not directed the Commerce Commission to investigate what you regard as an obvious non competitive market.

                • Stuart Munro

                  Meh – it’s been going on for at least the last 18 months. Sure the minister should bring the hammer down – but the Gnats never would. Paid not to.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.2

      I expect an Opposition to listen to reality.

      Of course, National and other RWNJs are never going to do that because reality never supports their ideology.

  6. DH 6

    I’m uncomfortable with this type of support. People want to be able to stand on their own two feet and packages like these are making many working people near-permanent beneficiaries. That’s not right IMO. None of us should have any need to put our hand out when we’re working full time.

    I’d much rather see a support package targeted directly at the reason why so many are in the financial crapper. Housing. People can talk about wages and cost of living but it’s housing that keeps bleeding lower-income people dry and neither increased wages nor WFF will fix that IMO.

    I know it would be a logistical nightmare to manage a housing benefit but that at least would enable the Govt to remove/reduce the tax rebates when (if) housing is finally sorted through Kiwibuild. WFF is nigh impossible to retract, people come to rely on it and the cost of housing just continues rising to soak up any extra cash people get from WFF.

    Here’s an idea. Why not bring in a capital gains tax on investment properties and send all the revenue from it to low income people as housing support.

    Having said that at least this Govt has the heart in the right place…. it may not be ideal but it still helps.

    • dukeofurl 6.1

      We never heard any bleats along the lines of ‘think of the poor’ during nationals 22c rise in petrol taxes over the last 9 years.
      You would think the way some economists have gone into it that they were in the running for a Nobel !

      I reckon its the invisible hand of the Business Roaund table, like they did in the 1980s. pay commentators money to write favourable articles and even those who were paid got a top up of the newspapers money

      All the details were revealed from a leak of emails from the BRT some time back

    • Gabby 6.2

      Here’s an idea. Why not build a bunch of rentals that compete directly with unsubsidised rentiers.

      • DH 6.2.1

        That too Gabby. It would be poetic justice if they used a CGT to fund more state houses.

      • CHCOff 6.2.2

        I like the idea that housing is ownership for the people living in the property.

        Also that strick criteria of citizenship is followed, for people living in NZ.

        I also like the idea that instead of New Zealanders sitting their assets into housing & property speculation, they sit it into public utilities. I also like the idea that the more New Zealanders do this, the more foreign investment that takes profits off shore is taxed. I also like the idea that govt. surpluses go to dividends for the NZ citizenship that funds public utilities.

        NZ1st!

  7. Bill 7

    The effect [of the fuel tax] is unfortunate. But there was another event that occurred yesterday that provides some balance. Labour’s family package kicked in.

    Or, by the same measure, any lessening of hardship in Auckland that was intended to result from the “Family Package”, has been eroded somewhat by the flat fuel tax.

    • mikes 7.1

      And as usual, the single people of the working class who are on low incomes are forgotten about again as they always are.

      • Gabby 7.1.1

        Unless they have kids of course.

      • ropata 7.1.2

        And the housing crisis makes it impossible for the median waged worker to ever get ahead. The system is rigged. It’s a gross injustice against a whole generation of Kiwis. The banks and property flippers are laughing though

  8. cleangreen 8

    Auckland needs more freight moved by rail as over 90% is moved by road, and studies have shown we subsidise road freight but not rail freight.

    This new development in HB can be used by government to shift more road freight back to rail to save Auckland road congestion and deaths.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=12079763

    HAWKE’S BAY TODAY

    KiwiRail: Rail Network a ‘win’ for everybody
    30 Jun, 2018 9:00am

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-29T10:43:12+00:00