The Government is spending more than $60 million over four years to allow Surf Life Saving NZ and Coastguard NZ to fund functions.
Surf Life Saving NZ would receive $44.1m over the four-year period while Coastguard NZ would receive the remaining $19.1m.
The $63.6m package comprised of reprioritised transport spending, primarily from underspends in the last financial year, according to a statement from Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Brown and Doocey made the pre-Budget transport announcement this morning in Auckland.
Doocey said the Coastguard would be involved in the Government’s broader work on improving the 111 emergency call system.
Some of the package was new funding as part of Budget 24. It wasn’t clear how much of the $63.6m was reprioritised or new funding.
The previous Government allocated $63 million to a four-year water safety package - including Surf Life Saving NZ and Coastguard NZ - in its Budget 2020.
Surf Life Saving’s funding would address service costs, upgrade clubs and equipment, help develop beach safety initiatives and build a regular donor base.
The Coastguard spending would go towards regular costs, national membership promotion, four new bases and ongoing maintenance of Coastguard vessels and aircraft.
“Costs are rising across the board for these largely volunteer-driven organisations. The funding will cover operational expenses for both organisations as well as rescue equipment, facilities and maintenance,” Doocey said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Brown unveiled a new roading project scheme, Roads of Regional Significance. Similar to the current Roads of National Significance, the programme will focus on important roads in the regions.
“We were elected on a platform of delivering tax relief to those families and I don’t plan on breaking that promise,” Luxon told business leaders in Auckland.
“We will responsibly deliver these lower taxes for low and middle-income families, by fully-funding them with a package of careful savings and targeted revenue measures,” Willis said.