Latest news with #RebeccaGray
Scoop
17-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
South Wairarapa Locks In Key Decisions, 4.7% Rates Rise Likely
South Wairarapa District Council has locked in its Long-Term Plan options after deliberating on submissions, resulting in a preliminary total rates increase of 4.7% for the coming financial year. The council would adopt the final Long-Term Plan and budget on June 25. Deputy mayor Melissa Sadler-Futter said elected members and council staff had worked hard to limit the overall rates increase. She thanked the community for their input into submissions and hearings. During the council's Long-Term Plan consultation between March 7 and April 6, 218 full submissions and 600 signed letters with the same template were received, addressing six questions across three decision areas. At a Strategy Working Committee meeting on Wednesday, councillors agreed to maintain the proportion of uniform charge rates at 21%, instead of increasing to 28% as proposed in the consultation. Because the uniform charge is based on capital value, keeping it at 21% meant rates would be cheaper for a larger number of South Wairarapa properties but would continue to disproportionately affect properties with a higher capital value. The community feedback on this decision was described by council staff as 'even' with 92 'full submissions' in favour of 21% and 92 in favour of 28%, however the 600 signed letters were in favour of 28% and suggested the council should lift it to 30%. Councillors also agreed to maintain the current funding model for services and facilities based in the three main towns instead of introducing a district services rate as proposed in the consultation. A new and improved definition of Separately Used or Inhabitable Parts (SUIP) was agreed upon, which made it clear which dwellings would be excluded from extra charges. The refuse and recycling charge was also changed back to per rating unit instead of per SUIP. The next big decision was locking in the council's water operations budget at $6.05 million for the 2025-26 year. It was the cheapest option on the table and was supported by a majority of councillors. However councillor Rebecca Gray said it was not a responsible position for the council to take and wished the council would set the budget at $6.55m budget. Councillors Alistair Plimmer and Martin Bosley agreed with Gray. Regarding roading investment, the council locked in funding for the full Low Cost Low Risk roading improvements programme with an increased capital budget. Sadler-Futter said councillors had been 'very mindful of the impact of our decisions on ratepayers' pockets'. 'In the current economic climate, a rates increase of any size is something to carefully consider. We are all here for right reasons and our community is at the heart of those decisions we make.' The council decided not to fund a number of Memorandum of Understandings that were requested during the consultation, with many around the table concerned about making longer term commitments ahead of a new triennium. Instead, it was agreed to increase the annual community and youth grant budget from $120,000 to $200,000 for the 2025-26 year. 'We have a small amount of funding available to share across our district and in this environment, everyone should get a chance to apply for a contestable fund instead of committing to MOUs,' Sadler-Futter said. 'We are trying to balance keeping rate increases low and supporting the incredible work that our community delivers.' Requests from each of the community boards were giventhe green light, including the Martinborough Community Board's request to fence the small children's area at the Waihinga playground with funding from the Waihinga Reserve up to the balance of the reserve. This would not have an impact on rates. The council had also agreed to the Featherston Community Board's request to include the Featherston greenspace in the budget, and the Greytown Community Board's request to extend the Arbor Reserve in Greytown and delegate beautification to the Greytown Community Board. Councillor Aidan Ellims said these outcomes were a great example of community boards identifying projects that were meaningful to their communities that also had a low impact on the overall budget. – LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Councillor Calls For Snap Election Over Pay Equity Changes
South Wairarapa councillor Rebecca Gray has challenged the Government to call a snap election due to her concerns over the equal pay law change. Gray issued the challenge during the acknowledgements section of Thursday's Local Water Done Well deliberation meeting, the day after the Government passed the Pay Equity Amendment Bill under urgency. 'I would like to acknowledge the huge amount of work that has gone into the topic that we're about to discuss and I'd like to note that it followed a very rigorous consultation process where we engaged the community and we have followed all the legislation and we followed all the processes. 'I say that the day after central government passed the Pay Equity Amendment Bill not following the same set of processes and not allowing the community to get on board with all of this.' Gray looked directly at the livestream camera and called on the Government to initiate a snap election 'recognising the fact that they're not acting on behalf of the country's best interests'. The legislation raises the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued when making a pay equity claim. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden said the changes would make the process of raising and resolving pay equity claims more 'robust, workable and sustainable'. Opponents said it would make it harder for women in female dominated industries to make a claim. The changes to the legislation included raising the threshold of 'predominantly performed by female employees' from 60 percent to 70 percent and requiring that this has been the case for at least 10 consecutive years. There would also be a requirement for evidence that the work was historically and currently undervalued, and a framework to ensure employers were able to 'meet their pay equity obligations in a way that is sustainable for their business – for example through phasing of settlements'. The legislation would also give further guidance on the use of comparators in pay equity claims, with the Government saying the Act did not sufficiently set out the rules for comparators which had led to comparators being chosen even where the work was very different to the claimant. For example, health administration and clerical staff employed by district health boards used comparators of a fishery officer, customs officer, corrections officer, and mechanical engineer to support their pay equity claim. Midwifery comparators included detective senior sergeants and transport engineers and school administration comparatives included civil engineers, and senior fishery officers. Any comparison would now be between female employees and male employees at the same employer, or if that was not possible, then to other similar employers. Opponents to the amendment bill said because there were few comparable industries that reflected the same skill level, multifaceted work, and qualifications held by those working in predominantly female workforces, it would now be harder to gain pay equity. Under the new legislation, 33 current claims would be stopped and would need to restart under the new threshold. – LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Leader Live
07-05-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Government's NHS aims ‘need investment in mental health services'
The study, from the Centre for Mental Health and the NHS Confederation, argues there are six areas where investment in the upcoming Government spending review represents good value for money. These include supporting the mental health of new mothers and pregnant women, expanding early support hubs for young people, and investing in community mental health services to reduce demand on A&Es and hospitals. Other measures include parenting programmes, such as one called Incredible Years which has been shown to benefit families, expanding NHS talking therapies and offering mental health support for workers. According to the report, demand for mental health services among both adults and children is on the rise. For example, referrals to mental health services in England increased from 4.4 million a year in 2016-17 to 6.4 million in 2021-22, it said. There has also been an 'alarming' increase in the number of children and young people attending at A&E with mental health needs – they spent more than 900,000 hours in A&E in 2022. Analysis by the Centre for Mental Health found that, in 2022, the cost of mental ill health in England was £300 billion – double the NHS's entire budget for England in that same year. This included economic costs of £110 billion, some £130 billion related to reduced quality of life and premature death among people living with mental health problems, and health and care costs of £60 billion. The report argues that investing in community alternatives to hospital care could offer significant savings to the NHS and help the Government achieve its aims. Andy Bell, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, said: 'Mental health is a good investment. 'Targeted investment in proven interventions and priority areas will ensure that money is well spent with positive outcomes for people's mental health and extensive economic benefits. 'From parenting programmes to employment support, and from talking therapies to crisis care, the priorities we have identified will make a long-lasting difference.' Rebecca Gray, mental health director at the NHS Confederation, said: 'The economic, social and health case for investing in mental health services has long been clear, but this report is yet more evidence of the impact it can have. 'We know that as well as costing the country an estimated £300 billion, mental ill health is one of the biggest drivers of economic inactivity. 'This means tackling long waiting lists for mental health treatment is not only good for patients but the economy as well. 'The upcoming spending review and 10-year plan are a fantastic opportunity to invest in shifting resources upstream to improve the nation's mental health. 'The investment areas we have set out with the Centre for Mental Health are areas we know will not only improve care for people with mental ill health but also pay dividends economically and societally as well.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said the Government had inherited a 'broken' mental health system and was determined to fix it. He added: 'To ensure people are getting appropriate care we're investing £26 billion in the NHS, including in mental health services and recruiting 8,500 mental health workers. 'Through our Plan for Change, we are moving care out of hospital and into the community including by investing in talking therapies to support an extra 380,000 patients on top of £26 million for new mental health crisis centres. 'As part of our shift towards prevention, we are providing access to specialist mental health support in every school and creating a network of mental health hubs.'
South Wales Guardian
07-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Government's NHS aims ‘need investment in mental health services'
The study, from the Centre for Mental Health and the NHS Confederation, argues there are six areas where investment in the upcoming Government spending review represents good value for money. These include supporting the mental health of new mothers and pregnant women, expanding early support hubs for young people, and investing in community mental health services to reduce demand on A&Es and hospitals. Other measures include parenting programmes, such as one called Incredible Years which has been shown to benefit families, expanding NHS talking therapies and offering mental health support for workers. According to the report, demand for mental health services among both adults and children is on the rise. For example, referrals to mental health services in England increased from 4.4 million a year in 2016-17 to 6.4 million in 2021-22, it said. There has also been an 'alarming' increase in the number of children and young people attending at A&E with mental health needs – they spent more than 900,000 hours in A&E in 2022. Analysis by the Centre for Mental Health found that, in 2022, the cost of mental ill health in England was £300 billion – double the NHS's entire budget for England in that same year. This included economic costs of £110 billion, some £130 billion related to reduced quality of life and premature death among people living with mental health problems, and health and care costs of £60 billion. The report argues that investing in community alternatives to hospital care could offer significant savings to the NHS and help the Government achieve its aims. Andy Bell, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, said: 'Mental health is a good investment. 'Targeted investment in proven interventions and priority areas will ensure that money is well spent with positive outcomes for people's mental health and extensive economic benefits. 'From parenting programmes to employment support, and from talking therapies to crisis care, the priorities we have identified will make a long-lasting difference.' Rebecca Gray, mental health director at the NHS Confederation, said: 'The economic, social and health case for investing in mental health services has long been clear, but this report is yet more evidence of the impact it can have. 'We know that as well as costing the country an estimated £300 billion, mental ill health is one of the biggest drivers of economic inactivity. 'This means tackling long waiting lists for mental health treatment is not only good for patients but the economy as well. 'The upcoming spending review and 10-year plan are a fantastic opportunity to invest in shifting resources upstream to improve the nation's mental health. 'The investment areas we have set out with the Centre for Mental Health are areas we know will not only improve care for people with mental ill health but also pay dividends economically and societally as well.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said the Government had inherited a 'broken' mental health system and was determined to fix it. He added: 'To ensure people are getting appropriate care we're investing £26 billion in the NHS, including in mental health services and recruiting 8,500 mental health workers. 'Through our Plan for Change, we are moving care out of hospital and into the community including by investing in talking therapies to support an extra 380,000 patients on top of £26 million for new mental health crisis centres. 'As part of our shift towards prevention, we are providing access to specialist mental health support in every school and creating a network of mental health hubs.'
Glasgow Times
07-05-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Government's NHS aims ‘need investment in mental health services'
The study, from the Centre for Mental Health and the NHS Confederation, argues there are six areas where investment in the upcoming Government spending review represents good value for money. These include supporting the mental health of new mothers and pregnant women, expanding early support hubs for young people, and investing in community mental health services to reduce demand on A&Es and hospitals. Other measures include parenting programmes, such as one called Incredible Years which has been shown to benefit families, expanding NHS talking therapies and offering mental health support for workers. According to the report, demand for mental health services among both adults and children is on the rise. For example, referrals to mental health services in England increased from 4.4 million a year in 2016-17 to 6.4 million in 2021-22, it said. There has also been an 'alarming' increase in the number of children and young people attending at A&E with mental health needs – they spent more than 900,000 hours in A&E in 2022. Analysis by the Centre for Mental Health found that, in 2022, the cost of mental ill health in England was £300 billion – double the NHS's entire budget for England in that same year. This included economic costs of £110 billion, some £130 billion related to reduced quality of life and premature death among people living with mental health problems, and health and care costs of £60 billion. The report argues that investing in community alternatives to hospital care could offer significant savings to the NHS and help the Government achieve its aims. Andy Bell, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, said: 'Mental health is a good investment. 'Targeted investment in proven interventions and priority areas will ensure that money is well spent with positive outcomes for people's mental health and extensive economic benefits. 'From parenting programmes to employment support, and from talking therapies to crisis care, the priorities we have identified will make a long-lasting difference.' Rebecca Gray, mental health director at the NHS Confederation, said: 'The economic, social and health case for investing in mental health services has long been clear, but this report is yet more evidence of the impact it can have. 'We know that as well as costing the country an estimated £300 billion, mental ill health is one of the biggest drivers of economic inactivity. 'This means tackling long waiting lists for mental health treatment is not only good for patients but the economy as well. 'The upcoming spending review and 10-year plan are a fantastic opportunity to invest in shifting resources upstream to improve the nation's mental health. 'The investment areas we have set out with the Centre for Mental Health are areas we know will not only improve care for people with mental ill health but also pay dividends economically and societally as well.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said the Government had inherited a 'broken' mental health system and was determined to fix it. He added: 'To ensure people are getting appropriate care we're investing £26 billion in the NHS, including in mental health services and recruiting 8,500 mental health workers. 'Through our Plan for Change, we are moving care out of hospital and into the community including by investing in talking therapies to support an extra 380,000 patients on top of £26 million for new mental health crisis centres. 'As part of our shift towards prevention, we are providing access to specialist mental health support in every school and creating a network of mental health hubs.'
