The New Zealand Government has today announced a $108 million Pacific package to support Pacific communities’ wellbeing through the rebuild and recovery from COVID-19.
The $108 million Pacific package is made up of $99.6 million new operating funding and $660,000 new capital funding from the Budget 2021 allowances and the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF). $7.8 million in operating funding is repurposed from existing funding in Vote Education.
The package includes:
- a $30.3 million boost to assist the Tupu Aotearoa programme to support approximately 7,500 Pacific peoples into employment, training, and education across Aotearoa New Zealand, funded from the CRRF
- investing $6.6 million to support establishing the Pacific Wellbeing Strategy – a cross-government initiative that will develop ways to measure Pacific wellbeing across government work programmes and initiatives
- supporting Pacific businesses through the impacts of COVID-19 with $16.2 million for business support services, funded from the CRRF
- $20.8 million supporting Pacific bilingual and immersion education in the schooling system, made up of $12.4 million of new operating funding and $644,000 of new capital funding from Budget 2021 allowances, with $7.8 million of repurposed funding from Vote Education
- $5 million operating funding and $16,000 capital funding to deliver sustained professional learning and development to embed Tapasā as a tool to address social inclusion in the education sector
- $5.1 million for the development of two new Pacific language subjects, gagana Tokelau and vagahau Niue as NCEA Achievement Standards subjects
- $16 million to support the implementation of Ola Manuia: Pacific Health and Well‑being Action Plan 2020-2025 funded from the CRRF.
“With the Pacific Aotearoa Lalanga Fou Goals as a guide, the Pacific package puts a strong focus on Pacific wellbeing and continues the Government’s commitment to ensuring that Pacific peoples are leading this work to achieve confident, thriving, prosperous and resilient communities,” Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio said.
The $30.3 million boost to assist the Tupu Aotearoa programme builds on the rapid expansion of the programme in recent years, which covers Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
The Pacific Wellbeing Strategy, says Minister Sio, will create a framework to measure Pacific wellbeing “so that the impact of government projects for Pacific people is clear and transparent”.
Funding towards education initiatives includes Pacific bilingual and immersion provision in approximately 23 schools and is expected to support approximately 1500 learners. “This initiative and the support for professional learning and development, based on Tapasā, a cultural competency framework for teachers of Pacific learners, will support the further implementation of the Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020-2030,” Sio said.
Funding for Ola Manuia: Pacific Health and Wellbeing Action Plan will include support to Pacific health providers to implement the Plan and provide investment into Pacific models of care and the development of Pacific community hubs.
Read full Budget 2021 details here.
