MEDIA STATEMENT

Te Ururoa Flavell

MP for Waiariki

Wednesday May 16, 2012

Māori Party proud to celebrate the success of the Warm Up New Zealand Heat Smart Programme

The Māori Party has worked solidly alongside the Government over the last three and a half years, to advocate for warm and healthy homes, and we are delighted to be part of this significant milestone in marking the 150,000th home to be retrofitted”.

“The health benefits of improved insulation and heating have been well established. We know that decent housing is essential to good health and wellbeing, particularly for the very young and the very old,” Said Mr Flavell.

“Last week co-leader Tariana Turia announced that we have been able to increase the investment in rheumatic fever prevention to $24m. We know that health outcomes are heavily reliant on an improved living environment, and so the retrofitting and insulation project is a key part of the strategy to make a real difference to the lives of our whānau,” he adds.

Many studies now also confirm the effects of dampness and mould on pre-existing asthma. Poorly conditioned housing has been associated with poor respiratory health, skin infections and inevitably rising hospitalisation rates and pharmaceutical costs.

“The Māori Party is also mindful of the income effects that relate to inadequate heating and insulation.”

“As a result of our negotiations in 2009, the Warm Up New Zealand programme has been able to give priority to the insulation of homes for New Zealanders in high need groups – the elderly and very young, Māori, those living in remote regions and low income families”.

“We are also proud of the inroads that iwi and rūnanga have been able to make through the Heads of Agreement with EECA. We support these partnerships with iwi as an ideal opportunity for iwi to pursue their rangatiratanga through constructive relationships with government agencies”

“Today marks a significant coming together of key stakeholders –Warm Up New Zealand; EECA, Local Government, whānau, hapū, iwi; the Government, the Māori Party and the Greens. It is a great model for working together on the things that matter to our communities.”

ENDS

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