Calls for Budget to focus on child poverty

The Salvation Army said it fed 9.5 per cent more people last year in its Midland region than it did in the year before. Photo / NZME.

Govt called on to target poorest families in Budget as figures show rise in food parcels.

Child advocacy groups have started an online petition calling for action on child poverty in this month's Budget, as latest figures show food parcel numbers rising again in provincial New Zealand.

The petition by Unicef, the Child Poverty Action Group and Tick4Kids, an umbrella group of 39 organisations, asks the Government to "treat all children fairly in this Budget and boost the incomes of the poorest families in New Zealand".

It comes as the Salvation Army said it fed 9.5 per cent more people last year in its Midland region, which stretches from Hamilton to Hawkes Bay, than it did in the year before.

The increase was in stark contrast to declining food needs since a peak in 2011 in its other three regions, which are centred on the three big cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch - a trend it put down to provincial decline, perhaps partly due to falling dairy prices.

"We can see a kick-back effect: less employment, people are struggling, employment opportunities are very limited, businesses are closing, and that's affecting other businesses," said the army's community ministries head, Major Pam Waugh.

The army gave food parcels to 5221 clients in the Midland region last year, up from 4770 the year before. But numbers were down 2.1 per cent to 11,828 in its northern region, comprising Auckland and Northland, down 0.4 per cent to 3570 in its central region around Wellington, and down 10 per cent to 7104 in the South Island.

Overall, the total number getting food parcels almost doubled from 21,500 in 2008 to 37,500 in 2011, but fell back to 27,800 last year.

The pattern is consistent with other data suggesting a "two-speed recovery".

Welfare rolls fell by 6.2 per cent in Auckland and by 6.9 per cent in Canterbury in the year to March, but by less than 3 per cent in all other regions except the Bay of Plenty.

Official unemployment rates for March are due out tomorrow, but December numbers adjusted by the latest estimates of the working-age population showed Northland still had the country's highest unemployment rate (8.4 per cent), followed by Manawatu-Wanganui (7.8 per cent) and Gisborne-Hawkes Bay (7.6 per cent). Auckland was at 6.4 per cent and Canterbury 3.2 per cent.

Prime Minister John Key has said the Budget will include measures to help "families and children in material hardship". But Unicef domestic advocacy manager Deborah Morris-Travers was concerned at the narrow focus of that promise, and called for a Budget that increased the incomes of the poorest families.

Hungry in provinces
•Salvation Army food parcel clients
•Auckland/Northland -2.1%
•Wellington province-0.4%
•South Island-10%
•Midland +9.5% (Hamilton to Hawkes Bay

For more information visit
www.actionstation.org.nz