Beehive Bulletin 2 September 2005
Government loan to help people into first homes
A $6.7 million interest free government loan to the New Zealand Housing Foundation will help get more people into their
first homes in Auckland, Housing Minister Steve Maharey said this week.
The money will allow the Foundation to buy land and build affordable homes for first-time home-buyers. The foundation's
home equity programme sees the charitable organisation holding an equity stake in the properties, to ease the transition
into home ownership for low-income buyers. Once buyers have built up equity, they can buy the foundation out and the
foundation moves onto helping another family.
Steve Maharey said the scheme makes it possible for low and modest income families to finance a loan. The New Zealand
Housing Foundation was formed in 2001 and aims to be a catalyst for growth in the community housing sector. Steve
Maharey said its work sat well with the government's KiwiSaver and Welcome Home Loans programmes which will help 8000
families into their first homes, every year.
PM sends condolences to US & Iraq
Prime Minister Helen Clark sent New Zealand's condolences to the United States in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and to
the Iraqi government following the stampede in Baghdad. Helen Clark sent New Zealand's sympathy to President George Bush
and said New Zealand was ready to offer assistance if needed.
She described the deaths of around 1000 people in Baghdad, many of them Shia pilgrims, enroute to a religious festival,
as tragic. New Zealand commended the courage of Iraqi people and hoped the new nation would continue to make progress in
its path towards establishing a democratic and consititutional government, Helen Clark said.
Small schools to get wired to the world
Around 300 small schools with no computer network infrastructure are set to join the online world thanks to an $11
million initiative to help them build new computer networks, Education Minister Trevor Mallard said this week. Being
connected is fundamental to learning in the 21st century and the government's vision is for schools to benefit from
information and communication technologies wherever they are located, Trevor Mallard said.
A 2004 survey revealed that small schools faced disproportionate costs in building computer networks. The initiative
will help teachers and students in small schools access a wider range of resources, such as digital learning and other
rich multi-media materials that help students learn such as the Ministry of Education's Te Kete Ipurangi website. In
addition to administrative efficiencies, the built up and improved networks will help schools achieve significant
productivity gains. The planned network upgrades complement the recently completed Probe Project, which has brought
Government boosts mobility scheme
A $9.49 million funding increase for the Total Mobility scheme was announced by Transport Minister Pete Hodgson and
Disability Issues Minister Ruth Dyson this week. The scheme, which subsidises taxi transport for people with serious
mobility constraints, is operated by local authorities and funded by central and local government.
The extra funding will allow for improved services and a 60 per cent increase in the number of users from 43,000 to
69,000 over the next three years. The scheme's total budget will rise from $9.8 million to $18.67 million.
Government funding helping rural GPs
Government funding of a rural locum scheme, is successfully drawing GPs to small and remote towns, says Associate Health
and Rural Affairs Minister, Damien O'Connor. NZLocums, the specialist rural recruitment agency funded by government and
managed by the New Zealand Rural General Practice Network, is meeting 85 percent of locum requests according to new
figures. Previously, rural GPs found it difficult to take holidays, or to upskill, Damien O'Connor said. NZLocum has
attracted around three locums a month to work permanently in small or remote New Zealand towns, and has met all
short-term locum requests this year.
New mental health facility for Waitakere
Health Minister Annette King has given the green light to a $15 million purpose-built mental health inpatient unit at
Waitakere Hospital. The new 40-bed facility will open in 2007. The existing Te Atarau facility, built in the 1990s, had
been the subject of complaints by staff, patients, families and caregivers. When she visited last year, Annette King was
impressed by the dedication of staff, but dismayed at the conditions of the facility. She said the project continues the
government's commitment to refurbishing and rebuilding the public hospital infrastructure.
Promoting safety around dogs
Safety around dogs is the focus of a new education kit, launched by Local Government Minister Chris Carter this week.
The kit includes an animated video for children. The video features children in a variety of common situations with
dogs, demonstrating how some understanding of dog behaviour and what to do and what not to do, can help keep them safe.
The education kit is designed to make kids more aware of how to enjoy dogs safely. Although new laws had been passed to
help keep communities safe while respecting the rights of responsible dog owners, teachers had asked for classroom
resources, which the government was happy to fund, he said.
ENDS