BUDGET SUMMARY – Investing in people
budget 2001
Investing in people
Education
- $30
million over four years for an early childhood education
equity funding initiatives and $18 million to improve adult
literacy.
- $27.4 million over four years to develop school principals' leadership and skills. A variety of other initiatives to improve teacher quality and school administration.
- Increase in school operation funding.
Health
- $330 million increase in Vote: Health.
- $84 million a year built into permanent baselines to maintain gains in reducing waiting times for elective services and an additional $7.4 million above the $50 million increase in last year's budget for mental health.
- $3.9 million to improve the cervical screening programme.
Social Services
- $184.4 million over the
next four years for the Department of Child, Youth and
Family Services to implement Mick Brown's report: Care and
Protection is about Adult Behaviour.
- A $44.7 million package to assist beneficiaries make the transition from welfare to work.
- $31.1 million to support "for community, by community" programmes.
Housing
- Funding
to build 125 new community houses and to extend rent relief
to cash-strapped community housing tenants.
- Commitment to build an additional 300 new state houses this year and to upgrade further 9000.
- More money into the rural home loans scheme.
Maori Affairs
- Overview from Maori
Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia on policies to strengthen
Maori communities and advance Maori economically.
- $10 million a year for Maori television.
- $15 million over three years to directly resource local Maori initiatives.
Pacific Peoples
- $500,000 increase to the
Pacific Business Trust.
- $2.8 million for Pacific health providers [contained in the health statements.]
Sports
and Culture
- $100 million over the next five years to
implement the recommendations of the Sport, Fitness and
Leisure review.
- Funding package to support regional museums and galleries
Immigration
- Near doubling of
the budget for refugee resettlement
services.
Mediation
- Additional money to support the
new Mediation Service.
Electoral Issues
- Improvements
to electoral services, and to speed up vote counting on
election
night.
ENDS