Finance Minister Nicola Willis is full of praise for Whanganui’s Sarjeant Gallery and says there are better times ahead for those struggling financially.
Willis was in town to visit the reopened Sarjeant - “a really magical place” - and meet with business owners and farming community members.
What made the gallery special and meant it would endure was its variety of funders, from the Whanganui District Council ($20 million) and central government ($42.4m) to small donations, she said.
“That tells me this is a project that locals want to see succeed.
“I haven’t been to an art gallery that has really affected me as much as being here this morning.”
She said the Government knew it had been a tough few years for many financially.
“I am sensing though, even from my conversations at the local cafe this morning, that people are seeing next year as brighter and better,” she said.
Falling interest rates and inflation were leading to economic “stabilisation”.
Willis said she was proud of the Government’s FamilyBoost policy and encouraged families in Whanganui to use it.
“That time in life when you’ve childcare costs and young children and you‘re trying to work is difficult.
“Being able to refund up to 25% of early childhood [ECE] fees - up to $975 - every three months will make a difference.
“It takes a little bit of admin but it’s worth it.”
To receive a FamilyBoost payment, eligible families and caregivers must provide Inland Revenue with all ECE invoices received in a financial quarter.
In October, Labour’s finance spokeswoman Barbara Edmonds called FamilyBoost “a bureaucratic nightmare”.
“It’s clear National wants to make it difficult for anyone to actually get this money by making it a rebate,” she said.
Willis said she supported Whanganui District Council’s plan to set up a standalone housing entity to build 1000 dwellings over the next decade.
Once registered as a Community Housing Provider, the entity will be eligible for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s Income-Related Rent Subsidy and Operating Supplement.
“While Kāinga Ora - the state house builder - has an important role, we do want to see those community-specific, tailored solutions,” Willis said.
Eleven Kāinga Ora projects in Whanganui - 138 homes - are being reassessed following a Government-ordered review that said the agency was facing a $700m annual deficit.
Willis said the economy was forecast to grow consistently next year and that meant “more opportunity for everyone”.
When asked about social services in Whanganui struggling to stay afloat, she said funding had to be balanced with “more than $100 billion of extra debt” built up by the previous Government.
Last month, Birthright Whanganui was forced to close following the loss of its Government contract.
Balance Whanganui also lost its contract - worth 100 hours a week - and opened Aunty’s cafe to raise funds.
“Social services are so important in our communities and often they have a range of funding sources - Government is one of them,” Willis said.
“The best thing we can do to make sure we have enough funding to invest in these services is to grow the economy so we have more revenue and more choices as a Government.”
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
