How the Hipkins Govt is buttering up farmers and growers – but they haven’t forgotten funding to empower women and girls
More announcements have gushed from the busy bees in the Beehive in the past 24 hours or so, this time enhancing the information they are sharing with a good dollop of dollar signs to show how our taxes are being spent.
Farmers – who are being wooed by the Nats with attractive agricultural climate-change policies – are among the beneficiaries of the Labour Government’s latest initiatives.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins joined Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor at Mystery Creek for the National Fieldays yesterday to announce:
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins joined Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor at Mystery Creek for the National Fieldays yesterday to announce:
- $17.7 million for a new greenhouse gas testing and research facility;
- $4.3 million invested in soil and grass research, including a faster hybrid breeding system for ryegrass to increase pasture resilience;
- Boosting on-the-ground help and advice for farmers and growers through Career Pathways Scheme.
“Farmers can’t do it all on their own and agriculture is too important for the Government not to be investing in better environmental outcomes. We want the best price for the best products, produced by the best farmers in the word – and our plan is working.”
Several other announcements helped answer questions such as:
- How are they spending (or mis-spending) our taxes?
Health Minister Ayesha Verrall enthused about the official opening of the new endoscopy unit at Timaru Hospital Health Minister, which has two procedure rooms, a fully equipped sterile room, a dedicated recovery area and three consultation rooms.
The unit will have the capacity to treat up to 24 patients a day, more than doubling the current number of 10 daily procedures.
Verrall toured the recently opened 17-bed Assessment, Treatment and Rehabilitation unit, which has three clinical rooms, a physiotherapy gym, a four-bed bariatric unit, a selection of double and single rooms, and a self-contained flat to assess patients’ readiness to go home.
The combined cost for the new units is $11 million.
On medical school enrolments –
Health Minister Ayesha Verrall announced funding for medical school enrolments will be increased by 50 places beginning in 2024,
The additional funding will enable the cap on funding for first-year medical school enrolments to be increased to 589 places annually, from the current 539. The additional places will be allocated across the University of Auckland and University of Otago.
The cost of this initiative is not stated, but the Government has allocated more than $1 billion to increase health workers’ pay rates and boost staff numbers. This includes funding more targeted workforce initiatives, including nursing and midwifery training.
On bike trails –
Tourism Minister Peeni Henare announced the Hauraki Rail Trail will receive $2 million from the Ngā Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails Fund to get it back up and operational following a battering from Cyclone Gabrielle.
Another $426,000 is going to repair five other Great Rides: Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail, the Hawke’s Bay Trails, the Great Lake Trail, the Waikato River Trail and the West Coast Wilderness Trail which were also impacted by extreme weather events.
On empowering girls and women –
Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds said the Government is “supporting” regionally led programmes to celebrate and empower women and girls during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. This means giving them money.
The Hine te Hiringa – Empower Women Utilising FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Fund (or trough) was established to help celebrate women’s achievement.
Over $5.3 million has been allocated through Lottery Grants funding to communities across the country.
Funding has been allocated to Sport New Zealand, alongside Host and Team Base Camp Cities. These include Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Palmerston North and Tauranga.
- What accomplishments are they chuffed about?
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Trade and Agriculture Minister Damien released the new Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) in Hamilton at the Mystery Creek Fieldays.
The ministers highlighted data which show:
- Primary industry exports to reach new record high of over $56 billion, exceeding estimates
- Result $1.2 billion higher than December 2022 forecast of $55 billion
- Growth was led by dairy, seafood, and processed food exports
- Forecasts predict growth to $62 billion by 2027
“The focus on trade and export growth remains a major cornerstone in our economic recovery plan, with the securing of new FTAs like the UK & EU, as well as an upgrade to the China FTA. These are resulting in more exports and more value being derived.”
And:
“Our job now is to continue supporting our producers by opening doors for exporters wherever we can and build on the seven new or upgraded free trade agreements secured since we’ve been in office.”
The June 2023 Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries can be read here: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/resources-and-forms/economic-intelligence/situation-and-outlook-for-primary-industries/
The reopening of state highways –
Associate Transport Minister Kiri Allan said all state highways in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti were now open following completion of the Hikuwai Bailey bridge.
At 85 metres, the Hikuwai Bailey bridge is the longest Bailey bridge in the post cyclone recovery and replaces the Hikuwai no.1 bridge north of Gisborne that collapsed during Cyclone Gabrielle.
The government has topped up the National Land Transport Fund by $250 million to cover the cost of emergency repairs and have earmarked a further $275 million for this work in Budget 2023.”
In Budget 2023, the Government committed $140 million over the next seven years to fund a pipeline of low cost low risk resilience works on local roads. A further $279 million has been set aside for resilience works on state highways over the same time period.
Latest from the Beehive
The Government is getting the Hauraki Rail Trail back up and operational following a battering from Cyclone Gabrielle, Tourism Minister Peeni Henare announced during a visit to the trailhead in Matamata today.
New Zealand’s food and fibre sector is on track to set a new record high, with export earnings to hit $56.2 billion by 30 June 2023.
Funding for medical school enrolments will be increased by 50 places beginning in 2024, Minister of Health, Dr Hon Ayesha Verrall announced today.
The Government has announced a suite of measures to support farmers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions while also maintaining their global competitive edge.
The Government is supporting regionally-led programmes to celebrate and empower women and girls during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
A key milestone in the recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle has been achieved with all state highways in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti now open following completion of the Hikuwai Bailey bridge, Associate Transport Minister Kiri Allan said today.
People in South Canterbury will have access to more procedures with the official opening of the new endoscopy unit at Timaru Hospital Health Minister Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall said today.
In the statement on climate change initiatives for the food and fibre sector, Damien O’Connor noted that primary producers had generated over $53 billion in export earnings last year and are set to reach new heights again this year.
Lifting their sustainability credentials and lowering their emissions profile would be key to “future-proofing” the industry and cementing a path towards continued export growth, O’Connor said.
The funding he had announced, alongside industry, would result in $17.7 million going towards the construction of a new greenhouse gas testing facility that will provide the permanent measuring equipment and facilities needed to support the Government’s emissions reduction plan without burdening farmers, he said.
The facility is funded by the Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions, its primary sector joint venture partners, and AgResearch.
Massey University in Palmerston North will supply land for the facility and cattle for testing. The new-build will include 12 respiration chambers which allow researchers to measure and monitor changes to methane emissions in individual cows.
This project follows recent joint venture investments of $2.5 million to further work on a livestock methane vaccine, and a $1.8 million boost to develop a slow-released methane-inhibiting capsule.
The Government is also backing two new pasture projects with $4.3 million co-invested with industry through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund looking at soil and grass to help farmers reduce costs, maintain good pastures, and remain a world-leading sustainable producer of high value food.
In the statement announcing the latest food and fibre export figures, O’Connor said:
“This Government has always backed our farmers, growers, fishers, and foresters to achieve success – investing significantly to support the sector lift its sustainability credentials to maintain our competitive edge,” Damien O’Connor said.
Major growth is projected in several parts of the sector in the year to 30 June 2023, including dairy export revenue to reach $25.1 billion, a 14 percent increase on the previous year. Horticulture export revenue is expected to rise 2 percent to $6.9 billion.
Exports of processed foods and other products is expected to jump to more than $3.4 billion in the year to 30 June 2023, up 6 per cent on the previous year.
This is being driven by demand for food ingredients and products like chocolate.
And on the home front, the politicians are investing plenty in buttering up farmers and growers.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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