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Many business expenses currently written off as black hole expenditure would become tax deductible under proposals released as part of Budget 2017, Revenue Minister Judith Collins says.

“Some costs of investigating the viability of a new proposal or project – that is, feasibility expenditure – are currently neither immediately tax deductible, nor depreciable. As a result, it falls into what businesses describe as the black hole,” Ms Collins says.

Budget 2017 invests an additional $107.8 million to strengthen conservation programmes and manage tourism growth on public conservation land, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

“This funding continues the Government’s commitment to Predator Free 2050 with a range of specific initiatives to protect and restore threatened species, fight kauri dieback, increase predator, pest and weed control and marine protection as well as respond to tourism growth,” Ms Barry says.

The Government is committing additional funding in Budget 2017 to implement some of its key environmental and infrastructure initiatives, Environment and Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“The new funding in Budget 2017 is focused on putting in place improvements to urban development, implementing the Housing Infrastructure Fund, providing additional funding to improve fresh water quality, and supporting marine-protected-area reform,” Dr Smith says.

School capacity across New Zealand will increase significantly as a result of $392.4 million of capital funding and $64.1 million of operating funding over four years, Education Minister Nikki Kaye and Associate Education Minister Tim Macindoe say.

“This will provide six new schools, two school expansions, the relocation of two special education schools, 11 new special education satellite units and around 305 new classrooms nationwide,” Ms Kaye says.

Budget 2017 provides $63.3 million of operating funding over the next four years to support students with additional learning needs, including more teacher aide hours and a new programme for parents and teachers of young children with autism, Education Minister Nikki Kaye says.

“This Government is committed to ensuring that every child gets the support they need to be successful in life,” Ms Kaye says.

Budget 2017 has delivered the largest injection of new money into education since the Government took office in 2008, with an additional $1.1 billion of new operating funding over the next four years, plus an additional $392.4 million of capital funding, Education Minister Nikki Kaye says.

“This is a significant investment in our children and in New Zealand’s future, designed to keep improving achievement and deliver the best results for our children,” Ms Kaye says.

A boost of $18.4 million of operating funding over four years from Budget 2017 will help further strengthen the biosecurity system and protect our borders, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says.

“Biosecurity has always been my number one priority as Minister because the primary sector is the backbone of our economy. Unwanted pests and diseases have the potential to cause major damage to our producers,” Mr Guy says.

A significant boost of $30.5 million of operating funding over the next four years in Budget 2017 will upgrade and modernise the fisheries management system, including the roll-out of cameras, monitoring, and electronic reporting on all commercial vessels, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says.

“This funding will help introduce the world-leading Integrated Electronic Monitoring and Reporting System (IEMRS), which will give us arguably the most transparent and accountable commercial fishery anywhere in the world,” Mr Guy says.

Budget 2017 invests significantly to support vulnerable children and young people in care through the new Ministry for Vulnerable Children Oranga Tamariki, Minister for Children Anne Tolley says.

Budget 2017 funding is made up of $424.4 million operating over the next four years, $2.3 million in 2016/17, and $7.5 million capital.

$26.4 million will be invested to support around 4,500 caregivers of children in care, as well as help for those caring for higher needs children.

Budget 2017 invests $64.4 million of new operating funding to help people move off benefits and into work, Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says.

“A proactive approach to supporting clients to prepare for employment has seen the number of people receiving a main benefit continue to fall,” Mrs Tolley says.

“The proportion of the population on a main benefit is the lowest it’s been in a March quarter since 1997, at 9.6 per cent.

Budget 2017 provides $8.7 million of operating funding over the next four years for initiatives to support pay equity dispute resolution and Holidays Act compliance, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse says.

“The Government is committed to achieving pay equity in New Zealand and ensuring we have the resources to settle pay equity claims in a timely manner,” Mr Woodhouse says.

The $8.7 million is made up of $6.7 million of new funding and $2 million reprioritised from existing baselines. 

Budget 2017 will invest an extra $205.4 million over four years to maintain and improve disability support services, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Associate Health Minister Nicky Wagner say.

“The Government is committed to providing disabled people with more support so they can have greater independence and live better lives in their communities,” Dr Coleman says.

“The sector will receive an extra $52.3 million in 2017/18, taking its total funding to $1.2 billion for the year.

Budget 2017 will invest $38.5 million of new operating funding over four years to further support the staged implementation of the national bowel screening programme, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

“Around 3,000 New Zealanders are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year. The Government is committed to better access to early detection and treatment,” Dr Coleman says.

Budget 2017 will invest an extra $3.9 billion over four years into Vote Health taking the total health investment to a record $16.77 billion in 2017/18, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

“Delivering better health services for a growing country remains this Government’s number one funding priority,” Dr Coleman says.

“The additional funding will deliver a range of new initiatives to meet cost pressures as well as population growth.

Budget 2017 will provide an extra $46.9 million of operating funding over the next four years for new services to reduce burglary and youth offending, Justice Minister Amy Adams and Associate Justice Minister Mark Mitchell say.

The funding is part of the Government’s Social Investment Package of $321 million over four years in Budget 2017.

“A new initiative to boost our Government’s efforts to prevent and reduce the number of burglaries will receive $32.9 million,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017 invests $37.2 million of operating funding to reduce the harm caused by family violence, Justice Minister Amy Adams and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley say.

$22.4 million will extend the Integrated Safety Response (ISR) pilots for another two years.

Budget 2017 will invest an extra $224 million over four years in mental health services including $124 million in new innovative approaches, Social Investment Minister Amy Adams and Health Minister Jonathan Coleman say.

“Mental health is a social investment priority for this Government. It’s one of our most complex social issues, and it is having big impacts across the employment, housing, health and justice sectors,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017 will include $100 million in new capital funding to allow vacant or under-utilised Crown land to be freed up for additional housing developments, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

“The Government has committed to building 34,000 new houses in Auckland over the next 10 years and the Crown Land Development Programme is contributing land for 2700 of those houses,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017 will provide $185 million of new operating over the next four years and $20 million of capital for housing support for New Zealanders in need, in addition to the Accommodation Supplement changes contained within the Family Incomes Package, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

“The National-led Government is providing extensive housing support to less well-off households every day. This year, we will spend $2.3 billion supporting 310,000 households with accommodation in one way or another,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017’s $321 million Social Investment Package will be targeted at improving the lives of some of our most vulnerable people, Social Investment Minister Amy Adams says.

“From reducing youth offending to contraceptive access for low income women, these are 14 high-quality social investment initiatives that evidence shows will help make a difference in the lives of their target group,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017 will invest $372.8 million of new operating funding in the second round of the Government’s Innovative New Zealand programme, Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges and Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith say.

“Every initiative in the Budget flows from having a strong economic plan that delivers sustainable growth and jobs,” Mr Bridges says. “The Government’s Innovative New Zealand programme invests in the skills and innovation that will keep our economy growing in the years ahead.”

The funding includes:

The Government will invest $9.17 billion in capital into New Zealand’s state highway network over the next four years through the New Zealand Transport Agency, Transport Minister Simon Bridges says.

“This will be the Government’s biggest ever investment in our state highway network and it is a key pillar of the Government’s commitment to building the infrastructure for a growing country,” Mr Bridges says.

The $9.17 billion is made up of:

Budget 2017 provides $436 million of new capital for Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL), as the first tranche of the Government’s investment in this critical transport project for Auckland, Transport Minister Simon Bridges says.

“The Government announced in 2016 that it would support accelerating the delivery of the CRL to help address Auckland’s transport needs by committing to fund half of the expected $2.8 billion to $3.4 billion cost,” Mr Bridges says.

Budget 2017 will invest $548 million of new capital funding to maintain and upgrade New Zealand’s rail network, supporting freight movement, exporters, tourism and public transport, Transport Minister Simon Bridges says.

$450 million of that funding will be invested in KiwiRail over the next two financial years.

“KiwiRail has achieved significant productivity and efficiency improvements over the past two years, despite the challenges of the November 2016 earthquake and the Midland Line fire,” Mr Bridges says.