Budget 2016: The best of the rest

Budget 2016: The best of the rest

Aside from today's big Budget announcements, the Government made many smaller ones -- including services for Māori, the arts and tree control.

Here's where some of the other Budget spending went:

Bovine TB:

The Government is spending $69.8 million on new operating funding over four years to get rid of bovine tuberculosis.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says the money will go some way to eradicating bovine TB from cattle and deer by 2026 and from TB-infected wildlife by 2055.

Since 2002, the number of infected cattle herds has reduced by 90 percent, while infected deer herds are down 95 percent. It has also been cleared from wild animals in more than 1.2 million hectares of forest since 2011.

Wilding conifers:

The fight against wilding conifers has stepped up, with $16 million of new operating funding put toward fighting the invasive tree species over four years.

Mr Guy says the trees are a threat to New Zealand ecosystems, land and farms -- and compete with native flora and fauna for sunlight and water.

They cover more than 1.8 million hectares of land and are estimated to be spreading at 5 percent a year.

The arts:

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Royal New Zealand Ballet and Te Matatini Kapa Haka Aotearoa will share $11.6 million of new operating funding over four years -- a $2.9 million a year permanent increase.

All three are Crown-funded organisations.

Emissions Trading Scheme:

The ETS one-for-two subsidy will be phased out to help New Zealand meet its target of reducing emissions to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.

The subsidy was a temporary measure during the Global Financial Crisis which allowed some businesses to pay one emissions unit for every two tonnes of pollution emitted.

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett says it'll be phased out over three years to give businesses time to adjust.

Finance for low-income earners:

More money will be made available to help low income families access low and no interest loans to help them avoid debt brought on by loan sharks.

The Community Finance partnership will benefit from $4.2 million in operating funding over four years.

It will expand a pilot programme in Waitakere and Manukau with the help of BNZ, Good Shepherd and the Salvation Army.

Civil Defence:

Civil Defence will get an injection to keep running with an extra $6.1 million over four years, and $63,000 of new capital funding for the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management.

Minister Nikki Kaye says it's a significant investment considering the small agency has 42 staff and an overall baseline of funding of around $11 million.

The money will go towards hiring 10 more staff members.

Legal aid:

Low-income New Zealanders will get more help accessing advice from legal aid lawyers and community law centres with $96 million over four years.

Eligibility for civil and family legal aid will be changed, meaning an estimated 2700 extra Kiwis will be able to get help each year by 2018/19.

Water quality:

The country's rivers, lakes and aquifers will get a bit more love with $100 million over 10 years to help clean them up.

Environment Minister Nick Smith says there are large costs for councils and landowners to meet the Government's new national standards for freshwater.

The contestable fund of $100 million will help communities improve water quality standards.

Border processing:

The Government is working on streamlining border processing for people and goods it deems "low risk" in a two year trial.

In all, $4.4 million will be spent on the trial, while another $1 million for a border research, technology and innovation cell to develop solutions to help the streamlined process.

Certain regular trans-Tasman visitors will need to give detailed information before reaching the border so an advanced risk assessment can be done.

The Government says it'll save time and also maintain strict border security standards.

Corrections funding:

Corrections will get $355.6 million over four years so it can "cope" with a rising prison population, maintain public safety and reduce reoffending.

The prison population grew to more than 9400 in April and is forecasted to reach 9800 by December.

Helping Kiwis into work:

Money will be made available to help people, including young Kiwis, to get off benefits and into work.

The $111.5 million is part of a wider Better Public Services programme to reduce long-term benefit dependency by 25 percent and reduce long-term cost of benefit dependence by $13 billion by 2018.

Māori services:

Budget funding of $34.6 million over four years will go to keeping te reo Māori alive through language initiatives.

Of that, Māori Television will get $10.6 million to help it reach a wider audience via high-definition broadcasting on a number of platforms.

Whanau Ora will get an extra $40 million over four years to increase the number of families it can help. Another $9 million will also go toward microfinance for Māori and increasing Māori electoral participation.

The Māori Land Service will be set up using $17.8 million which will provide administrative help to Māori landowners and contribute to a reduction in the Māori Land Court's workload.

Newshub.