Budget millions already earmarked for projects

By VERNON SMALL

The Government will release new economic forecasts and spending plans tomorrow when Finance Minister Michael Cullen delivers his third Budget, starting just after 2pm.

But many of the new programmes have already been announced. They include:

ARTS AND CULTURE

$5.3 million for each of the next five years towards renovating the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Almost $3 million shared among Creative New Zealand, the Arts Foundation, the Film Commission and the Film Archive to offset cuts in lotteries funding.

Another $1 million a year to assist authors.

BROADCASTING

$12 million a year to Television New Zealand to implement its charter. About $6 million a year extra for New Zealand On Air.

COURTS

$36 million over four years to expand the fines collection call centre aimed at collecting an extra $90 million in overdue fines and reparations to victims.

DEFENCE

$19 million defence pay increase: funded half from new money and half from within existing baselines.

EDUCATION

$1 million in 2002-03 and $2 million a year thereafter for polytechnics providing courses tailored to their local economy. $484,000 to the programme matching skilled tertiary students with skill shortages. About $5.2 million over four years for special needs students. $8 million over four years for the Adult Literacy Strategy, taking total funding to more than $53 million.

About $25 million over five years to lease laptops for secondary teachers. $3 million over four years to fund literacy development programmes. $775,000 for a review of regulatory and funding systems for early childhood education.

ENERGY

$12.6 million over four years for energy efficiency and conservation.

ENVIRONMENT

$26.5 million over the next four years, including $3.2 million a year to clean up contaminated sites, $1.5 million a year towards establishing and operating the Bioethics Council to implement recommendations from the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, $875,000 for national policy statements and environmental standards and $700,000 for implementing the New Zealand Waste Strategy.

FORESTRY

$19.7 million over seven years for buying conservation blocks of South Island Landless Natives Act forest, supporting sustainable forestry, improving Resource Management Act enforcement and extending a voluntary moratorium on logging.

HEALTH

$400 million a year to make primary health care cheaper and to help fund the deficits of health boards. $60,000 over four years to build up a database on complementary and alternative medicines. An undisclosed amount to fund the development of a meningococcal vaccine.

HOUSING

Nearly $187 million extra for housing low-income people and those at risk. $71.99 million for an extra 360 state houses in the next four years. $53.34 million to deal with substandard housing in Northland, East Coast and the Eastern Bay of Plenty. $29.98 million more for the Healthy Housing Programme, to modernise and renovate houses to reduce overcrowding and disease. A further $20.53 million will be spent on housing former residents of Braemar Hospital in Nelson and the Kimberley Centre in Levin and $11 million for community housing to be used by groups such as Women's Refuge and disability service providers.

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT

$44.3 million for programmes to assist Maori development (voted in previous Budgets, released in this Budget). $320,000 to help fund Business in the Community and Company Rebuilders - two voluntary mentoring organisations. $11.6 million over four years to develop better data on what skills are needed in the economy.

PACIFIC EDUCATION

$1.2 million over four years for work by the Qualifications Authority with Pacific peoples. $126,000 over two years for the professional development of Samoan language teachers. $412,000 over four years for Anau Ako Pasifika, a home-based early childhood education programme. $2.1 million over four years for kura kaupapa teachers. $350,000 a year from 2002-03 for the Young New Zealanders Challenge.

PAID PARENTAL LEAVE

12 weeks' leave at a net cost of $40 million.

VOCATIONAL SERVICES

A $27.31 million increase over four years to help people with disabilities to find jobs. $17.28 million over four years for the Job Support programme for people with disabilities and to provide support for around 200 school leavers with very high and complex needs.

YOUTH AFFAIRS

$350,000 for the Young New Zealanders' Challenge (formerly the Duke of Edinburgh Award).

$450,000 over three years to establish a Ministerial Advisory Group on Drug Education.

YOUTH OFFENDING

$12 million over four years to establish day reporting centres for youth offenders. $2.85 million for a trial residential programme for high-risk serious young offenders. $1.25 million for youth crime prevention in high crime areas. $1.1 million to manage and deliver youth justice services.

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