Budget 2014: Key figures

The Government revealed its 2014 Budget today with much of the focus going on families, health and a larger-than-expected surplus.

Here are the key announcements.

Extending paid parental leave from 14 to 16 weeks in 2015, then to 18 weeks in 2016;
Widening eligibility for paid parental leave to include guardians and people in casual and seasonal work;
Increasing the parental tax credit for people who don't take paid parental leave from a maximum $150 a week to $220, and extending it from eight to 10 weeks.

Total new spending of $1.8 billion over four years;
$90m for free doctors' visits and prescriptions for under-13s;
$112m extra for disability and support services;
$110m over four years for elective surgery such as hip and knee replacements;
$10m over four years for surgery to combat severe obesity;
$5.4m for breast and cervical screening programmes;
$40m to promote healthy eating and exercise;
$10.4m for sexual violence support services;
$20m to fight rheumatic fever;
$6.3m for cochlear implants;
Predictions ACC costs could be cut by $480m over the next two years, following public consultation.

Keeping the student loan debt repayment threshold static to bring in more money as incomes rise;
$199m additional investment in tertiary education, including boosts to science, agriculture, ICT and physiotherapy studies;
$284m for building five new schools and 148 classrooms, and upgrading existing rooms;
$2.5m for the Computers in Homes scheme;
$156m of extra funding for early childhood centres
$155.7m extra for early childhood education.

Social Welfare

$33.2m to help protect vulnerable children;
$13.7m boost to Child, Youth and Family;
$15m extra for Whanau Ora;
$100m of new funding to help people get off welfare and into work;
$30m to the Social Housing Fund, plus $8 million to help people find and move into more appropriate housing.

Transport

$375m interest-free loan to the New Zealand Transport Agency for Auckland transport projects;
$198m for KiwiRail, including $25m for the Interislander ferry Aratere.

Environment

$26.5 million to fight kauri dieback disease;
$3m towards simplifying the Resource Management Act;
$5m in a joint effort with the Maori Party to clean up local streams and freshwater supplies;
$40m for irrigation projects.

Law and Order

Housing

Reduction in tariffs and duties on building materials;
$80m boost to the Ministry of Social Development to help assess and review social housing needs.

3 News

source: newshub archive