Budget 2023 highlights: What's in it for YOU?
The key highlights:
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Extension of 20 hours Early Childhood Education to include 2-year-olds - $1.2b
Abolition of $5 prescription co-payment - $619m
Cheaper public transport for children - $327m
$71b in infrastructure spending
Inflation forecast to stay higher, for longer
Net core Crown debt hits $181b
The cost of living package targets families with young children.
For parents
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Two-year-olds included in 20 hours of free early childhood education from March 2024, at a cost of $1.2 billion over four years. This saves eligible parents about $133 a week. Subsidies for childcare centres rise by 5.3 per cent, costing $260 million over four years.
Public transport
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$327 million for free public transport for primary school-aged children, half price public transport for under 25′s from 1 July - benefiting about 774,000 people. Pay rises for bus drivers.
Health
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Removing $5 co-payment for prescriptions, cost: $618 million over four years.
More money to help reduce waiting lists ($118 million) and $100 million to boost primary care. $63 million for 500 extra nurses. $75 million more for Pharmac.
The tax change
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Tax rate for trustees to increase to 39 per cent from April 2024 - the same as the top income tax rate. Aimed at stopping people using trusts for their income to avoid the higher tax rate. Expected to raise $350 million a year.
Post-cyclone infrastructure
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National Resilience Plan set up with initial funding of $6 billion - first priority is repair and rebuild of telecommunications, energy and roading after Auckland flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle.
Housing
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$403 million to expand scheme for heating and insulation installations to 100,000 more homes. 3000 new public housing places.
The economy
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Inflation is forecast to drop to 3 per cent by next September.
Treasury no longer forecasting a recession, due to cyclone recovery. Unemployment is forecast to peak at 5.3 per cent in late 2024.
GDP is forecast at 3.2 per cent this year, dropping to 1 per cent next year.
The books
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Return to surplus forecast in 2025/26. Net debt is forecast to peak at 22 per cent in 2024.
The surprises
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$34 million increase in funding for Te Matatini (over two years) - up from $3 million a year now. The festival will get more funding than the NZ Symphony Orchestra for the first time.
New 20 per cent rebate for game development studios - allowing them to claim up to $3 million a year in rebates.
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Three lovely black miniature poodle puppies available now
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The breeder is registered with Dogs NZ and we can provide papers for the pups.
The puppies have been vaccinated and wormed.
The puppies are available for sale now.
There are two girls and one boy. We've called them Honey, Heather and Horatio, but of course you can choose your own name.
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Q&A: Ask a question about...Online Safety
Continuing with Neighbourly's online Q&A with experts in their field, this week we are tackling online safety with Jandy Fiske from Netsafe.
Jandy Fiske has been with Netsafe for nearly 8 years. Starting on their helpline, she's now Netsafe's Community Engagement Advisor. Jandy says: 'I'm passionate about online safety because I strongly oppose bullying and want to support those affected by it.'
Jandy is passionate about protecting vulnerable communities and is promoting online safety to ensure no one falls prey to online scams. She can answer your questions about any type of online scams, and also about online harm such as online bullying.
↓ Ask your question below now and she'll be online on Wednesday, 11th September to reply to you ↓
Police are investigating after a bus driver was allegedly punched in the face and "had some teeth knocked" out in Avondale.
Police said it was alerted to the incident at about 10.17am yesterday.
"The driver received facial injuries and was transported to hospital," a spokesperson said.
"Police are making inquiries into the assault to identify those involved."
Tramways Union president Gary Froggatt said the driver was allegedly punched in the face by a passenger.
Froggatt wanted more to be done about "issues like this".
"I realise you can't have a policeman on every bus, but the drivers and the unions seem to be left out of the conversation.
"He's in hospital getting stitches put in his knee. He had his teeth knocked out," he said.
Froggatt said he got "about three or four calls like this" from drivers a month.
"I feel for the family, the drivers should be able to go to work and go home safe."
Auckland Transport said it was aware of the incident and assisting police with their investigation.
Group manager of public transport operations Rachel Cara said the bus operator was ensuring the driver has the support they need.
"We operate over 13,000 bus services every weekday and fortunately the majority of our passengers are amazing, but these isolated incidents are concerning.
"Our bus drivers work tirelessly to keep Aucklanders moving and deserve to feel safe in their place of work.
"We continue to work closely with police, other agencies and communities to improve safety on public transport."
Police urged witnesses to call 105.
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www.1news.co.nz...
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