The National Science Challenge – New Zealand’s Biological Heritage Ngā Koiora Tuku Iho – is to receive funding of $25.8 million over five years for research to protect and manage the country’s biodiversity, improve our biosecurity, and enhance our resilience to harmful organisms.
Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says the Challenge spans a wide range [...]

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today announced that New Zealand will provide $500,000 to support humanitarian efforts by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Iraq.
“The situation in Iraq has worsened dramatically since the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) began their offensive,” Mr McCully says.
“ISIL’s actions deserve the strongest condemnation. We have been [...]

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced Wildbase Recovery Community Trust is to receive a $90,000 grant from the Department of Conservation to put towards a new state-of-the-art rehabilitation facility for birds and wildlife.
“New Zealand’s most challenging conservation issue is the decline in our native bird populations. We need to raise public awareness of the [...]

The Government will invest $10 million over five years to increase the provision of Asian languages in schools, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.
The money will be used to create a contestable fund where schools can apply for funding to establish new Mandarin, Japanese or Korean language programmes, or expand or enhance existing Asian language [...]

The Government is to provide a $208,000 Community Conservation Partnership Fund grant over three years to Project Tongariro to advance the restoration and preservation of the largest wetland in the Taupō basin, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today at a community event in Turangi.
“New Zealand has lost over 90 per cent of its wetlands [...]

The Government is investing $11 million over 4 years to help support deaf children, their families and their schools, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.
There are currently around 400 deaf children in New Zealand aged between 0 up to 5 years-old, and another 1400 aged between 5 and 18 years old.
The funding will primarily go [...]

The Waimahia Inlet housing development at Weymouth consisting of 282 homes at the Government’s first Special Housing Area is a flagship of the Government’s new housing policies, Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith said today.
“This project is a flagship of the Government’s housing policies because it moves away from state housing to community-owned social housing, because [...]

The National-led Government is increasing the rest home bed subsidy by $10 million a year – a 5 per cent increase – as part of the government’s ongoing plan to meet the changing needs of our population.
Health Minister Tony Ryall today announced a $40 million funding boost over the next four years for aged residential [...]

Associate Minister of Tourism Todd McClay today announced the opening of an $8 million, four year funding round to enhance and maintain the Great Rides of Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail.
“This Government is investing in improving our tourism infrastructure to make sure high-value visitors have a great experience and New Zealand remains a [...]

Education Minister Hekia Parata has today welcomed an agreement with the union representing around 18,000 secondary school teachers to support the $359 million initiative to lift student achievement.
The Post Primary Teachers’ Association has today reached an interim agreement with the Ministry of Education and the NZ School Trustees Association on how the teaching roles will [...]