Budget 2021 live: All the latest reaction and interviews with the major players
Budget 2021 live: All the latest reaction and interviews with the major players
The government has announced its 2021 Budget. Newstalk ZB and NZ Herald is bringing you full Budget coverage as well as analysis, reaction and a look into what it all means for Kiwis.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson, who today announced his fourth budget, had previously warned that this budget would reflect a balanced approach with an emphasis on careful fiscal management .
In the lead up to the big announcement today, the government did not give many hints on what was to come.
Government to spend $28 million on kauri dieback disease battle
(Photo / NZ Herald) Thu, 20 May 2021, 5:07PM
The Government has injected $28 million into the battle to save New Zealand s iconic kauri from an as yet uncurable tree-killing disease.
Kauri dieback disease has become prominent over the past decade, spreading throughout the Auckland region and the Coromandel, to Waipoua Forest in Northland and most recently Puketi Forest in the Bay of Islands.
Last month, an expert warned other tree species could be lost if the soil-borne disease wasn t stopped.
Today s Budget announcements include $28m, as part of $32m in funding over five years, to roll out a new National Pest Management Plan to protect kauri.
Budget: Health boost for Pharmac, funding for Māori Health Authority, Gold Card GP visits axed
(Photo / Getty)
Here s the breakdown:
• $46.7 million more for primary health care, such as GPs.
• Almost $500 million for the first stage of the Government health reforms.
• $2.7 billion over four years for DHBs, $675m more a year
• $700 million for capital projects, such as hospital buildings.
• More funding for adult cochlear implants
• SCRAPPED: Free annual GP visits and eye checks for SuperGold card holders
Drug-buying agency Pharmac will get an extra $200 million over the next four years, a boost that will see it receive more than $1 billion a year in funding.
Budget 2021: Treasury predicts solid growth on boost in infrastructure spending
(Photo / NZ Herald) Thu, 20 May 2021, 2:33PM
The economy is expected to grow at a healthy clip and unemployment to fall close to 4 per cent in the coming years, with a big increase in infrastructure spending driving rosy forecasts from the Treasury.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson s 2021 Budget includes $57.3 billion in infrastructure spending between 2021 to 2025, increasing what was already a large increase in the 2020 Budget.
As well as further boost in funding for rail, including $85 million for carriage assembly at Hillside in Dunedin, more than $630m for school property, $300m for Scott Base and another $300m for the Green Investment Fund.
Live: Scott Morrison to visit Queenstown before end of the month
Live: Scott Morrison to visit Queenstown before end of the month Mon, 17 May 2021, 4:02PM
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will host Australian counterpart Scott Morrison in Queenstown for their annual meeting at the end of the month.
Ardern made the announcement at her post-Cabinet press conference this afternoon.
The key focus of the meeting will be the Covid-19 recovery, as well as regional and security issues, she said.
The last meeting they had was in February last year, the day of New Zealand s first Covid case.
Strong and successful responses on both sides of the Tasman had enabled the world-leading travel bubble, she said.