As Budget looms, another science fund up in the air
The $55 million Endeavour Fund won't be taking new applications in 2026, with funding to be re-allocated to active projects in line with Government priorities.
According to the announcement from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the fund is 'expected' to return in 2027.
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Otago Daily Times
an hour ago
- Otago Daily Times
'Here's a solution': Support Canterbury's young people before they go on a benefit
Mocketts Motors owner Chris Gudsell (left), automotive engineering apprentice Marco Shepherd, Hurunui Mayor Marie Black, and Hurunui District Council MTFJ programme lead Chris Sutherland and MTFJ youth connector Anna Scott, look under the bonnet of Chris's orange-and-black 1971 Valiant Pacer 3 speed, which can be spotted at the workshop when it is not at a car show. Photo: Supplied by Hurunui District Council Two Canterbury mayors say the Government shouldn't tamper with their youth job programme. The Government is targeting getting young people off a jobseekers' benefit, which has led to the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) changing its funding criteria for the Mayors' Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) programme, a youth employment scheme. But Kaikōura Mayor Craig Mackle said the programme helps support school leavers into employment, so they don't end up on a benefit in the first place. ''Here's a solution, if you're worried about young people going on a benefit, put more resourcing into MTFJ,'' Mr Mackle said. The jobs programme helps young people aged 16-25 into work through driver licensing, career advice and guidance, interview skills, preparing CVs, work experience and transport. The Kaikōura MTFJ programme's funding is set to be slashed from $260,000 to $100,000 for the next 12 months from July 1. Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said the Hurunui MTFJ programme is also facing a funding cut but didn't want to give a figure. Kaikōura Mayor Craig Mackle (left) and the Mayors' Taskforce for Jobs programme supported Courtney Burke to step up to be a diesel mechanic with her employer Sam Lewthwaite last year. Photo: David Hill / North Canterbury News Mrs Black said young people needed fulfilment, so getting them into employment was essential. The mayors were responding to a comment from Social Development Minister Louise Upston in a statement following last month's Budget. ''Recent forecasts show that people under the age of 25 on jobseeker support will spend an average of 18 or more years on a benefit over their lifetimes,'' Ms Upston said. Young people are eligible for a jobseeker benefit from age 18. The Government plans to introduce parental means testing for 18 and 19-year-olds in a bid to push more unemployed young people into work. MSD group general manager insights Fleur McLaren said modelling in 2023 suggested jobseeker clients under age 25 were likely to spend an average 18.2 future years on a benefit, compared to an estimated 12.2 future years in 2017. Kaikōura youth attended a taster mechanic course at Ara in Christchurch earlier this year. Photo: Supplied by Kaikōura Mayors' Taskforce for Jobs She said it was due to several factors, including a challenging economic outlook, complex issues such as mental health, and the difficulty getting off the benefit. MSD is basing its MTFJ funding for the next 12 months, from July 1, on the number of 18 to 24 year olds on a jobseekers' benefit. Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said it will take time for the economy to fully recover. ''With every recession, it takes a while to recover, but there's always a couple green shoots coming through and we can see that in the primary sector.'' Te Hā o Mātauranga (Learning in Kaikōura) holds the MTFJ contract for the Kaikōura District Council. ''One of my concerns is that our Government seems to be leaving it to families to stop their young people entering the benefit system, rather than helping young people to gain employability skills and find work,'' Te Hā operations lead Vicki Gulleford said. She said young people started leaving school from the age of 16 but there are few options. There is no tertiary education in Kaikōura and polytechs do not offer student accommodation to under-18s. Ms Gulleford said there needed to be support from families, employers and the wider community to help Kaikōura youth find a pathway. ''We have heard from different youth over the years that they will go away, that Kaikōura doesn't hold a future employment pathway for them. ''But their hearts will always hold Kaikōura as home, and hopefully we see them find a way back here in the future.'' By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter ■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Techday NZ
2 hours ago
- Techday NZ
New Zealand climbs global digital ranking but equity lags
The New Zealand government has recorded improvements across all measures in Adobe's 2024 Digital Government Index, with particular gains in customer experience and site performance, but digital equity continues to require focused attention. Progress in digital services The Digital Government Index (DGI), conducted annually by Adobe, benchmarks individual government agencies and departments on their delivery of functional and inclusive digital services. The 2024 results show New Zealand's overall score increased to 66.5 out of 100, representing an 11.6 per cent rise from its 2023 ranking and a 14.7 per cent lift from the inaugural 2022 assessment. This improvement moves New Zealand into the Intermediate maturity category, alongside all other countries in the study. The increase is largely attributed to a 14 per cent improvement in Customer Experience, which was the highest-rated globally, and a 13 per cent rise in Site Performance. However, the Digital Equity dimension saw only a 7 per cent increase, suggesting more work is needed to ensure equal access to services for all citizens. The Ministry of Education was the top-performing agency in New Zealand, achieving consistent results across the three DGI dimensions without leading in any single category. Strategic approach New Zealand's current digital strategy is guided by the Service Modernisation Roadmap, which was introduced in late 2024 and takes a unified agency approach to service improvement. It is managed by the Government Chief Digital Officer and relies on individual agencies to implement consistent service experiences across government operations. The modernisation programme is grounded in four key pillars: enhancing customer experience, developing reusable digital components, strengthening foundational systems, and improving digital governance. These focus areas are designed to produce efficient and equitable government services for all New Zealanders. "Scaled up across millions of customer interactions, there are opportunities for significant returns on investment from driving a more efficient, customer-centric approach to digital service delivery," said Paul James, Government Chief Digital Officer and Chair of the Digital Executive Board. Comparisons and rankings New Zealand was ranked third globally in the 2024 DGI, following the United Kingdom and Australia, and placed ahead of the United States, India and Singapore. The study assessed 102 agency websites worldwide, with Australia's myGov achieving the top overall score. French Administration and French Retirement completed the top three international websites. The highest-performing websites generally provided accessible entry points to government services, strong accessibility features, and personalised citizen journeys. In New Zealand, the Ministry of Education scored consistently across all measured areas to lead government agencies. Technology and trust Artificial intelligence continues to influence how public sector agencies deliver personalised digital experiences at scale. AI adoption is seen as important not only for automation, but also for constructing a citizen-centric public sector. When implemented strategically, technology such as AI can deliver secure, trusted, and fair experiences, supporting New Zealand's approach to regulation and governance. "Harnessing AI effectively could significantly improve customer experience and boost efficiency and productivity. The Government is seeking to enable AI innovation in public services to create value for New Zealanders while maintaining trust and confidence in the Public Service," said Paul James. Next steps The 2024 DGI results reflect progress in all three measured categories—customer experience, site performance, and digital equity—although individual agency results varied and no single organisation outperformed in every area. The report emphasises the importance of continued effort across all dimensions to meet the expectations of citizens and keep pace with technology advancements. The study also notes that agencies with more mature technology and personalisation capabilities tend to achieve higher DGI scores. The report concludes that while there has been commendable progress, there remains scope to expand inclusion efforts through technology improvements, in order to foster trust, participation and growth among all citizens.
Newsroom
3 hours ago
- Newsroom
Why our rates are rising as valuations drop – and the wealthy exceptions to the rule
Analysis: Howls of pain are emerging from Auckland as homeowners compare the declines in this week's new rateable valuations with the rises in their rates bills, taking effect from the start of next month. My family lives in Onehunga. This week's new figures show our home's rateable valuation is down 8 percent on 2021, yet our rates will rise about 5.8 percent ($315) from July 1. Add to that a 7.2 percent hike to Watercare charges, and it's costly. (Not everybody's valuation has diminished. For instance – and for the property voyeurs among us – the capital value of the Mowbray mansion in Coatesville has increased 3 percent, from $39.3 million to $40.5m. The CV for the former Hotchin mansion in Ōrākei has jumped from $58m to $72.5m.) On average, Aucklanders' CVs have dropped 9 percent. And while Auckland's cries may echo loudest, because there are more of us, the discrepancies are even more stark elsewhere in the country. Wellington residents, for instance, will pay on average 16.9 percent more in rates, even though their property values have dropped 24.4 percent – a big chunk out of their wealth that will push some into negative equity (on the books, at least). The Mowbray mansion in Coatesville has increased from $39.3 million to $40.5m. Nelson locals face a 6.5 percent rates rise, despite their house values dropping 9.4 percent. Understandably, homeowners' realisations that they are are less wealthy, yet they're being asked to pay more, will harden opposition to rates rises. And that will shape the political debate in October's local elections. Christopher Luxon's Government has told councils to 'get back to the basics' of fixing pipes, filling potholes, and delivering core local services. Challenger local candidates who promise to rein in rates rises will no doubt get a more sympathetic hearing from local electors; those incumbents who are aware just how hard that is will struggle make their arguments heard. But let's set aside some of the spin and look at this more dispassionately. Rates hikes v residential property valuation changes The ways in which central government taxes and local government rates are set are critically different. Central government starts with tax rates (PAYE, company tax, GST, etc) then asks revenue officials to make an informed guess about what that rate will raise. If my gross earnings increase, I pay more tax – but generally I don't complain too much because I can see it's a consistent rate. Every year, as individual and company earnings and expenditure increase, the Government takes a bigger clip from a bigger ticket – and that helps cover its increased costs servicing a growing population. What this means is that the Government increases its tax take every year, without having to make any active decision. The passing of the Budget Appropriation Bill does not require MPs to vote on increasing tax revenue. MPs don't face the wrath of those who elected them, for voting in favour of a tax revenue rise. It just happens. Every year. Local government is required to work the other way round. It predicts how much money it will need to service its own growing population, then works backwards to decide how big an increase in rates revenues is needed to pay for that. What this means is that when your house value rises, increasing your equity and making you more wealthy, that doesn't flow through to paying more rates. All it does is slightly change the share you pay of your city or district's total rates bill, relative to your neighbour whose house value may have declined. The net effect is that over the past century, tax increases have massively outstripped rates rises, leaving local government genuinely struggling to pay the bills. Tax v rates as a percentage of GDP The Government's tax take relative to GDP has soared, while council rates have remained static. Source: Productivity Commission That's why Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, this week, is putting the hard word on the Government to allow the city to charge bed taxes to fund tourism infrastructure. That's why Local Government NZ and its members (61 of the country's 67 city and district councils) have been pushing for new revenue tools, like a share of local GST take, or the ability to charge rates on Crown estate. That's right, even though the Government's books are in a much healthier state than councils', and its debt is lower by global measures, it still exempts itself from paying rates. So, as the local government elections roll around in October, by all means hold your councillors to account on their spending and the rates rises they've imposed – but listen cautiously to MPs who punch down on cash-strapped councils. Be sure you're comparing apples with apples – because the big picture is, successive governments have increased their tax take far faster than councils have hiked their rates.
