Budget 2000: Celebrating our identity, defending freedom and fairness

Trevor Mallard Sport Fitness and Leisure

Budget 2000: Celebrating our identity, defending freedom and fairness

15 June 2000

This Government intends to celebrate our identity in the world as people who support and defend freedom and fairness, who enjoy arts, music, movement and sport, and who value our cultural heritage.

  • $146 million arts, culture and heritage package. [Announced 18 May]
  • $16 million for high performance sports. [Announced 17 May]
  • $5 million for the 2003 America's Cup defence. [Announced 10 May]
  • New funding for Sport Education Scholarships.
  • National Archives removed from Internal Affairs and made a self-standing department. [Announced 19 May]
  • New funding signalled for Defence Force capital equipment upgrade
  • $3 million for National Library for new purchases and improving electronic access

Government announces major investment in arts, culture and heritage

Pre-Budget announcement on 18 May 2000
Rt Hon Helen Clark
Prime Minister
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage

Prime Minister Helen Clark today announced a significant injection of funding into the arts, culture and
heritage sector which, she said, will allow New Zealand's arts and culture to
flourish and create jobs and growth in the industry.

Today's announcement sees an initial injection of over $80 million into the
sector and then ongoing funding increases of over $20 million a year in each of
the next three years. The announcement also includes a series of one-off
payments to organisations such as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the
Historic Places Trust.

A major new initiative sees the establishment of a Film Production Fund.
There will also be a Music Industry Commission established to support the growth
of popular music.

Helen Clark said that the government was honouring an election commitment to
increase public investment in the sector. She said the new funding would
contribute towards enriching New Zealand's cultural framework while also
creating employment and economic opportunities.

"A nation can be rich in every material sense, but, if it fails to provide
for and nurture creative expression, it is impoverished in immeasurable ways.
Our arts, our culture and our heritage define and strengthen us as a country, as
communities and as individuals. This sector expresses our unique national
identity.

"Our government has a vision of a vibrant arts, cultural and creative sector
which all New Zealanders can enjoy. This sector can also provide sustainable and
rewarding employment, and contribute a great deal to economic growth and
prosperity.

"There will be considerable economic spin-offs from the significant
investment we are making in the film and music industries. In addition, regional
projects, such as the new Christchurch Art Gallery and the Edwin Fox restoration
project in Picton, will provide an economic benefit to those regions. Heritage
tourism is a major foreign exchange earner world wide.

"Today's announcement addresses not only the severe under-funding of the
arts, culture and heritage sector in recent years. It also acknowledges the
positive economic impact of investment in our creative industries," Helen Clark
said.

The package includes:

  • $20 million injection of funding into Creative New Zealand (the Arts Council
    of New Zealand).
  • $22 million establishment grant to a new Film Production Fund.
  • $2 million to establish a Music Industry Commission.
  • An extra $7 million annual funding to NZ On Air, including $2 million for
    its music-related work, and $5 million for New Zealand TV programmes, especially
    children's TV. A cash injection of up to $27.909 million will be available to
    cover NZ On Air's shortfall this year after the last government's abrupt
    abolition of the Broadcasting Fee.
  • A $3 million capital injection into the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra this
    year and an extra $1.4 million annually.
  • An extra $2 million per annum operating funding for Te Papa and an extra $9
    million per annum capital funding.
  • A payment of $943,000 this year for the New Zealand Film Archive to extend
    its services.
  • A cash injection of $760,000 this year into the Royal New Zealand Ballet to
    stabilise its finances.
  • A $3 million cash injection this year for the New Zealand Historic Places
    Trust's new Preservation Fund, a Maori eritage Development Fund, and enhancement
    of the Trust's national register. There is also a $170,000 budget increase this
    year, and an annual budget increase of $500,000 in following years.
  • $6.474 million towards the development of the new Christchurch Art Gallery.
  • $300,000 towards the restoration of the Picton-based historic ship, the
    Edwin Fox.
  • The Ministry for Culture and Heritage receives extra funding to enhance its
    ability to advise on cultural policy and to cover a range of transferred
    responsibilities.

Sports education
scholarships

15 June
2000
Hon Trevor
Mallard
Minister for Sport

Aspiring sports stars will
be assisted with education scholarships under a new $9 million initiative
announced in this year's Budget.

Sport, Fitness and Leisure Minister Trevor Mallard said the purpose of the
Sport Education Scholarship fund is to enable emerging and talented young New
Zealand athletes to pursue tertiary study and elite level sport development
concurrently.

"It's offering support to our future sporting stars so they can reach their
potential in sport while still gaining a solid education to fall back on,"
Trevor Mallard said.

"The scholarships will be available from next year to talented athletes who
have the potential to represent New Zealand internationally.

"It is estimated that about 100 scholarships will be available from the start
of next year and they will average about $10, 000 each and include tertiary fees
and a living allowance. Final details and conditions will be developed over the
next few months.

"The scholarships tie in with the Government's funding of $16 million for
high performance sport for the next four year Olympic cycle announced last
month. It will be largely targeted towards three high performance sport centres.

" New Zealand's success in international sporting events contributes strongly
to New Zealand's national identity, our sense of pride and achievement, social
and economic wellbeing. The Government has a role in supporting both our current
high achievers and our future stars," Trevor Mallard said.

Commitment to a
Defence Force upgrade

15 June
2000
Hon Mark
Burton
Minister of Defence

The capital equipment
programme for the New Zealand Defence Force will be boosted by capital
injections over the next five years, Defence Minister Mark Burton announced
today.

Capital injections for Vote:Defence Force were not required in Budget 2000
but it is anticipated that Defence will require capital injections in future
years in order to meet the Government's defence policy objectives. This money
comes on top of funding NZDF already has available for capital spending from
depreciation.

"A significant boost in the spending on capital projects will begin appearing
in the 2001-2002 budget," Mark Burton said.

"The Government's Defence Policy Framework will be announced this month.

"This framework will outline the key elements of the Government's approach to
defence, its defence objectives, the roles and tasks of the New Zealand Defence
Force and in general terms how the Government intends to shape and rebuild the
NZDF.

"When the Government makes its statement on the Defence Policy Framework it
will also set out the process by which priorities in defence spending will be
set.

"The Ministry of Defence is currently assessing a number of capital
acquisition projects. Some of those projects may be ready to come forward to the
Government for final approval within the coming financial year. If that occurs,
individual financial decisions will be taken at the time.

"However, it is envisaged that most of the extra spending required on capital
acquisitions, by the very nature of purchasing arrangements in the Defence area,
will fall in future years," Mark Burton said.

"The capital investment programme will concentrate on defence resources in a
range of affordable and sustainable military capabilities that contribute to
meeting the Government's objectives.

Peacekeeping operations

"The Government has also reinforced its commitment to defending freedom and
fairness by continuing to support New Zealand's contribution to international
peacekeeping operations," Mark Burton said.

"An additional $7 million funding will support New Zealand's peacekeeping
operation in East Timor in 2000/01 (on top of the $33 million set aside in the
Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update).

"Further funding of around $2 million has been allocated to maintaining our
commitment to the Bougainville peace process," Mark Burton said.