Latest news with #UniversityofWaikato
Scoop
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Under-20 Basketball Nationals Slam Into Tauranga
Press Release – Tauranga City Council Supported by Tauranga City Council through the Tauranga Event Fund, this Basketball New Zealand tournament gives representative-level players a final chance to compete at age-group level on the national stage. Tauranga's newest sports facility is set to host its first national tournament – and it's a slam dunk for local basketball fans. The Foot Locker Under 20 Basketball Nationals will take place over King's Birthday weekend, from 30 May to 2 June 2025, at the new University of Waikato Haumaru Sport and Recreation Centre. The former site of The Warehouse on Cameron Road was purchased by Tauranga City Council in early 2024 and has been converted into a multi-purpose sport and recreation centre featuring indoor sports courts. Supported by Tauranga City Council through the Tauranga Event Fund, this Basketball New Zealand tournament gives representative-level players a final chance to compete at age-group level on the national stage. It brings together young talent from across the country – including Kiwis returning from overseas – and is free for the public to attend. Bethlehem Ward Councillor Kevin Schuler, who helped officially open Haumaru earlier this month, says the tournament is a great opportunity for the city and community. 'We're proud to support the U20 National Basketball event through the Tauranga Event Fund. National sporting events like this strengthen our community by providing opportunities for connection, participation, and inspiration, especially for our younger generations. 'Basketball continues to grow rapidly in Aotearoa, and hosting this national competition shows we're serious about being a city that supports youth development. 'Hosting national sporting events such as this also attracts visitors and wider economic benefits for Tauranga and helps raise our profile as a great host city – so it's a win-win for everyone. 'This new facility right in the heart of Tauranga is already proving its worth by being able to host this event and sets the stage for an exciting long weekend of sport. It really is going to be something special. 'We also encourage visitors who are here for the event to take time to enjoy everything our city has to offer.' Basketball's rise in Tauranga has been remarkable. Since 2009, the number of teams registered with the Tauranga City Basketball Association has nearly quadrupled from 228 to an impressive 812 in 2024. Mark Rogers, General Manager of Tauranga City Basketball, says demand for court space has surged alongside the sport's popularity. 'We've seen huge growth over the past decade. Numbers grew steadily until 2023, when a lack of space began to hold us back. The addition of the Haumaru facility to the Council-owned network will open the door for further growth in the coming years.' The U20 Nationals are a key development event for players, referees and coaches across the country, and are gaining international recognition. The upcoming event will welcome 16 men's teams and 8 women's teams from across New Zealand, all of whom have earned their place through regional qualifiers. Referees are also hand-picked for their performance as part of national development pathways. Many athletes who compete will go on to secure college scholarships in the USA or professional contracts in Australia's National Basketball League and Women's National Basketball League. 'Currently, there are around 150 New Zealanders on college basketball scholarships in the USA, with the vast majority having played in the U20 Nationals in previous years,' says Jay Macdonald, Basketball New Zealand's Tournaments Lead. 'This year, some Tauranga players will be back from their college to represent Tauranga City Basketball Association.' Spectators who attend can expect fast-paced, high-quality basketball with many players coming from Sal's National Basketball League, G.J. Gardner Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa, and US college teams. Stu Stevenson, Head of Sport and Fitness at Bay Venues, says the tournament is a fitting way to mark the opening of the new facility. 'We are excited to be hosting the Foot Locker U20 Nationals basketball tournament at the newly opened centre. This event is particularly special for us as it will be the first tournament held at Haumaru. We look forward to welcoming some of the best young basketball players from across the country and providing them with a new venue to showcase their skills.' With seating for spectators and free public entry, the community is encouraged to come along and experience the energy, talent and passion of New Zealand's future basketball stars – right here in Tauranga.
Scoop
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Under-20 Basketball Nationals Slam Into Tauranga
Tauranga's newest sports facility is set to host its first national tournament - and it's a slam dunk for local basketball fans. The Foot Locker Under 20 Basketball Nationals will take place over King's Birthday weekend, from 30 May to 2 June 2025, at the new University of Waikato Haumaru Sport and Recreation Centre. The former site of The Warehouse on Cameron Road was purchased by Tauranga City Council in early 2024 and has been converted into a multi-purpose sport and recreation centre featuring indoor sports courts. Supported by Tauranga City Council through the Tauranga Event Fund, this Basketball New Zealand tournament gives representative-level players a final chance to compete at age-group level on the national stage. It brings together young talent from across the country – including Kiwis returning from overseas – and is free for the public to attend. Bethlehem Ward Councillor Kevin Schuler, who helped officially open Haumaru earlier this month, says the tournament is a great opportunity for the city and community. 'We're proud to support the U20 National Basketball event through the Tauranga Event Fund. National sporting events like this strengthen our community by providing opportunities for connection, participation, and inspiration, especially for our younger generations. 'Basketball continues to grow rapidly in Aotearoa, and hosting this national competition shows we're serious about being a city that supports youth development. 'Hosting national sporting events such as this also attracts visitors and wider economic benefits for Tauranga and helps raise our profile as a great host city – so it's a win-win for everyone. 'This new facility right in the heart of Tauranga is already proving its worth by being able to host this event and sets the stage for an exciting long weekend of sport. It really is going to be something special. 'We also encourage visitors who are here for the event to take time to enjoy everything our city has to offer.' Basketball's rise in Tauranga has been remarkable. Since 2009, the number of teams registered with the Tauranga City Basketball Association has nearly quadrupled from 228 to an impressive 812 in 2024. Mark Rogers, General Manager of Tauranga City Basketball, says demand for court space has surged alongside the sport's popularity. 'We've seen huge growth over the past decade. Numbers grew steadily until 2023, when a lack of space began to hold us back. The addition of the Haumaru facility to the Council-owned network will open the door for further growth in the coming years.' The U20 Nationals are a key development event for players, referees and coaches across the country, and are gaining international recognition. The upcoming event will welcome 16 men's teams and 8 women's teams from across New Zealand, all of whom have earned their place through regional qualifiers. Referees are also hand-picked for their performance as part of national development pathways. Many athletes who compete will go on to secure college scholarships in the USA or professional contracts in Australia's National Basketball League and Women's National Basketball League. 'Currently, there are around 150 New Zealanders on college basketball scholarships in the USA, with the vast majority having played in the U20 Nationals in previous years,' says Jay Macdonald, Basketball New Zealand's Tournaments Lead. 'This year, some Tauranga players will be back from their college to represent Tauranga City Basketball Association.' Spectators who attend can expect fast-paced, high-quality basketball with many players coming from Sal's National Basketball League, G.J. Gardner Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa, and US college teams. Stu Stevenson, Head of Sport and Fitness at Bay Venues, says the tournament is a fitting way to mark the opening of the new facility. 'We are excited to be hosting the Foot Locker U20 Nationals basketball tournament at the newly opened centre. This event is particularly special for us as it will be the first tournament held at Haumaru. We look forward to welcoming some of the best young basketball players from across the country and providing them with a new venue to showcase their skills.' With seating for spectators and free public entry, the community is encouraged to come along and experience the energy, talent and passion of New Zealand's future basketball stars – right here in Tauranga.
Scoop
23-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Budget 2025 Fails Rural Health Promises – Hauora Taiwhenua Warns Of Growing Inequities
Press Release – Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network The health budget has increased by 4.8% overall which doesnt cover increases in the cost of health care delivery and population gains. The Budget lacks any specific commitment to address long-standing inequities in rural healthcare. Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network is sounding the alarm following today's Budget announcement, which has failed to acknowledge — let alone invest in — rural health. 'For a National-led Government, we would expect the word rural to appear somewhere in the health budget. Instead, rural New Zealand seems to have been sidelined once again,' says Dr Grant Davidson, Chief Executive of Hauora Taiwhenua. The Government has also failed to act on the flagship rural health policy it entered the last election on and reiterated in its first 100-day plan once elected: the establishment of a third medical school at the University of Waikato focussing on rural general practice. In budget 2025 there is no investment or plan outlined for increasing rural medical placements, either through existing institutions or by establishing a new school. This inaction comes at a time when the rural workforce is in crisis and struggling to meet the needs of growing, ageing, and often underserved populations. We looked forward to congratulating a Government on implementing long-term planning for the rural health workforce but have been sadly let down. The health budget has increased by 4.8% overall which doesn't cover increases in the cost of health care delivery and population gains. The Budget lacks any specific commitment to address long-standing inequities in rural healthcare. We are waiting to see what capitation uplift will be offered, but early signs are that this is likely to be less than the Health New Zealand calculated increase in the cost of health services of 6.4% which will mean any gap will need to be made up by further increases to patient co-payments, which will need to be well above 6.4%. Any increased fees will only decrease access to general practice to those who most need it and then cause a further decline in already poor health outcomes in rural areas where there are higher populations of low-income, older and Māori populations. The funding for Comprehensive Primary and Community Care (CPCT) Teams, which allowed extra funding for general practices to add allied health and healthcare workers to their teams to improve services, has also been discontinued. Hopes that Budget 2025 would deliver pay parity for primary care nurses have also been dashed. Instead, legislative changes mean any progress will now be delayed at best. Primary care nurses, especially those working in rural settings, continue to be paid significantly less than their hospital counterparts, worsening recruitment and retention challenges. Hauora Taiwhenua is also raising concerns about the proposed transfer of mental health crisis response responsibilities from Police to health services. Funding to support the transfer of responsibility of this from Police is included in the budget. This may offer long-term benefits in urban centres, but it raises serious questions for rural areas, where health teams are already stretched and crisis response capacity is limited or non-existent. We are waiting to see if any resourcing or rural contingency planning will be announced to support this shift in the implementation phase. We acknowledge the pre-budget announcements to enact a Primary Care Action Plan, including funding for urgent and unplanned care initiatives. We are excited by the potential to finally deal with the major issue of providing after-hours and urgent care in rural and remote areas, including surges in demand during holiday times. But there is little detail around these and no ring-fenced funding for implementing them in rural areas. The Minister's commitment to what he terms 'enhanced capitation funding' is for the delivery of extra services and targets that have not yet been announced, not for the support of already underfunded rural primary care. We understand that Health New Zealand's own analysis shows that delivery of primary care in rural and remote areas costs more than in urban areas, and yet the project to re-weight capitation formulas to provide increased base payments for those in rural areas where increased costs and high co-morbidity demands lie has been put on hold. There is still some possibility that Health New Zealand may choose to commit some of its increased funding in operational spending to improve the sustainability of under-siege community-owned rural hospitals and interprofessional rural training hubs that are in the Health NZ workforce plan, but we have been holding our breath for over a year already on both of these projects. 'Budget 2025 was an opportunity to demonstrate that rural Aotearoa matters. Instead, it sends a message that the promises made before the election are not being honoured,' says Dr Davidson. 'Without urgent action, we risk further erosion of rural health services and deepening inequities for the communities who already struggle most to access care.' Hauora Taiwhenua Chair, Dr Fiona Bolden summarises, 'This is a budget which will leave rural health providers and rural communities feeling even more despairing than before when it comes to the sustainability/viability of rural health services and the safety of patients.' Hauora Taiwhenua will continue to work with the Government, policymakers, Agency staff, rural providers and the community to ensure that the voices of rural New Zealand are heard — and that future decisions reflect their needs and realities. 'We know that delivering healthcare in rural and remote areas comes with unique challenges and opportunities,' says Dr Davidson. 'Our members are ready to work with Government and Health New Zealand to co-design solutions that ensure rural communities receive equitable, high-quality care.'
Scoop
23-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Budget 2025 Fails Rural Health Promises – Hauora Taiwhenua Warns Of Growing Inequities
Press Release – Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network The health budget has increased by 4.8% overall which doesnt cover increases in the cost of health care delivery and population gains. The Budget lacks any specific commitment to address long-standing inequities in rural healthcare. Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network is sounding the alarm following today's Budget announcement, which has failed to acknowledge — let alone invest in — rural health. 'For a National-led Government, we would expect the word rural to appear somewhere in the health budget. Instead, rural New Zealand seems to have been sidelined once again,' says Dr Grant Davidson, Chief Executive of Hauora Taiwhenua. The Government has also failed to act on the flagship rural health policy it entered the last election on and reiterated in its first 100-day plan once elected: the establishment of a third medical school at the University of Waikato focussing on rural general practice. In budget 2025 there is no investment or plan outlined for increasing rural medical placements, either through existing institutions or by establishing a new school. This inaction comes at a time when the rural workforce is in crisis and struggling to meet the needs of growing, ageing, and often underserved populations. We looked forward to congratulating a Government on implementing long-term planning for the rural health workforce but have been sadly let down. The health budget has increased by 4.8% overall which doesn't cover increases in the cost of health care delivery and population gains. The Budget lacks any specific commitment to address long-standing inequities in rural healthcare. We are waiting to see what capitation uplift will be offered, but early signs are that this is likely to be less than the Health New Zealand calculated increase in the cost of health services of 6.4% which will mean any gap will need to be made up by further increases to patient co-payments, which will need to be well above 6.4%. Any increased fees will only decrease access to general practice to those who most need it and then cause a further decline in already poor health outcomes in rural areas where there are higher populations of low-income, older and Māori populations. The funding for Comprehensive Primary and Community Care (CPCT) Teams, which allowed extra funding for general practices to add allied health and healthcare workers to their teams to improve services, has also been discontinued. Hopes that Budget 2025 would deliver pay parity for primary care nurses have also been dashed. Instead, legislative changes mean any progress will now be delayed at best. Primary care nurses, especially those working in rural settings, continue to be paid significantly less than their hospital counterparts, worsening recruitment and retention challenges. Hauora Taiwhenua is also raising concerns about the proposed transfer of mental health crisis response responsibilities from Police to health services. Funding to support the transfer of responsibility of this from Police is included in the budget. This may offer long-term benefits in urban centres, but it raises serious questions for rural areas, where health teams are already stretched and crisis response capacity is limited or non-existent. We are waiting to see if any resourcing or rural contingency planning will be announced to support this shift in the implementation phase. We acknowledge the pre-budget announcements to enact a Primary Care Action Plan, including funding for urgent and unplanned care initiatives. We are excited by the potential to finally deal with the major issue of providing after-hours and urgent care in rural and remote areas, including surges in demand during holiday times. But there is little detail around these and no ring-fenced funding for implementing them in rural areas. The Minister's commitment to what he terms 'enhanced capitation funding' is for the delivery of extra services and targets that have not yet been announced, not for the support of already underfunded rural primary care. We understand that Health New Zealand's own analysis shows that delivery of primary care in rural and remote areas costs more than in urban areas, and yet the project to re-weight capitation formulas to provide increased base payments for those in rural areas where increased costs and high co-morbidity demands lie has been put on hold. There is still some possibility that Health New Zealand may choose to commit some of its increased funding in operational spending to improve the sustainability of under-siege community-owned rural hospitals and interprofessional rural training hubs that are in the Health NZ workforce plan, but we have been holding our breath for over a year already on both of these projects. 'Budget 2025 was an opportunity to demonstrate that rural Aotearoa matters. Instead, it sends a message that the promises made before the election are not being honoured,' says Dr Davidson. 'Without urgent action, we risk further erosion of rural health services and deepening inequities for the communities who already struggle most to access care.' Hauora Taiwhenua Chair, Dr Fiona Bolden summarises, 'This is a budget which will leave rural health providers and rural communities feeling even more despairing than before when it comes to the sustainability/viability of rural health services and the safety of patients.' Hauora Taiwhenua will continue to work with the Government, policymakers, Agency staff, rural providers and the community to ensure that the voices of rural New Zealand are heard — and that future decisions reflect their needs and realities. 'We know that delivering healthcare in rural and remote areas comes with unique challenges and opportunities,' says Dr Davidson. 'Our members are ready to work with Government and Health New Zealand to co-design solutions that ensure rural communities receive equitable, high-quality care.'
1News
18-05-2025
- Business
- 1News
Global shockwaves put Nicola Willis' Budget 2025 in a vice
Instability around the world is making decision-making even harder for our politicians, University of Waikato researchers say. This year's budget will be one of the tightest in a decade, with the New Zealand government halving its operating allowance – the new money it has available to spend – from NZ$2.4 billion to $1.3 billion. The cut reflects weaker than expected growth owing to global economic turmoil. It also highlights just how difficult it is to predict what is going to happen when it comes to the economy. Economies are dynamic systems where relationships between variables shift. Even the current state of the economy is uncertain due to data revisions and lags in reporting. Despite this uncertainty, governments have to assume paths for revenue and expenditure to make meaningful plans. Full coverage of the Budget on and on TVNZ1's Q+A Special from 2pm on Thursday. Based on the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023), the National Party announced plans to achieve an operating surplus in the year ending June 2027 during the 2023 election campaign. As forecasts changed, so did those plans. By the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU 2024), released in December 2024, the goal of an operating surplus had been pushed back to 2029. Nominal gross domestic product (GDP) measures the value of goods and services produced within a country during a specific period. It is a key determinant of tax revenue. Real GDP measures the volume of output of the New Zealand economy. Ultimately, the 2027 nominal GDP forecast at the half-year update was weaker than expected. This weakness was driven by lower than expected output, not by changes in prices. The 2027 forecast tax revenue fell even more sharply than the nominal GDP forecast. This was in part due to the government's personal income tax cuts which have been costed at $3.7 billion a year. We're likely to see further downward revisions in economic growth. The Treasury has already lowered its economic growth forecasts for 2025 and 2026, in part due to the expected impact of global tariffs. While the direct effects of the tariffs on New Zealand may be limited, the indirect effects – particularly through increased global economic uncertainty – are likely to be substantial. Swarbrick pressed on Greens' alternative budget by Jack Tame - watch on TVNZ+ Research has shown that United States-based uncertainty spills over into the New Zealand economy by making firms more pessimistic about the future. This pessimism leads to firms delaying investment, ultimately reducing potential output in the future. Potential output is important as it represents the economy's capacity to grow without generating inflation. Potential GDP is affected by productivity, which has also been weaker than expected and one of the reasons Treasury lowered its forecasts after the pre-election fiscal update. New Zealand is running a structural budget deficit. That means the government is spending more than it earns, even accounting for the fact that governments automatically spend more and tax less in economic downturns. These deficits add to government debt, which can limit future spending and taxation choices. High debt can also hamper the government's ability to assist in counteracting the next downturn if the Reserve Bank's official cash rate is already near zero. It can also limit the ability of the government to respond to external shocks such as disasters or extreme weather events. These concerns are possibly behind the government's goal of returning to surplus by 2029. But there are counter-arguments. With pressing needs in many areas, some argue the government should be spending more now to boost productivity and growth. These contrasting views reflect a legitimate debate about values and priorities. Still, one point is clear: weaker than expected economic growth since the pre-election update has made the trade-offs between present and future fiscal choices more acute. The takeaway is that economic growth is essential for expanding the resources available to both households and governments. This is so they can spend money on things they deem important both now and in the future. A growing economy is not just about producing more for prestige – it's about creating the economic and fiscal resources to improve lives both now and in the future. University of Waikato authors: Michael Ryan, Lecturer in Economics, and Michael P. Cameron, Professor of Economics. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence.
