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Housing Minister Phil Heatley says social housing providers wanting access to the Government’s $40 million Social Housing Fund can now apply.

The access criteria for four new sub-funds, put in place to support the development of more social and affordable housing, are being released today.

The four funds are:
Growth fund – Pūtea Whakatipu
Māori fund – Pūtea Māori
Niche fund – Pūtea Kaupapa Motuhake
Rural fund – Pūtea Taiwhenua

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley today acknowledged the crew of HMNZS Wellington with a presentation to mark the first ever high seas fisheries compliance operation involving the Navy’s new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).

Mr Heatley says ‘Operation Zodiac’ was a superb example of how collaborative interagency work could protect New Zealand’s wider fisheries interests.

Major aquaculture legislation reform that creates the platform for aquaculture to become a $1 billion industry by 2025 takes effect on 1 October 2011 says Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley.

"Aquaculture requires only a small fraction of our coastal space, but it has the potential to be a huge boost to our economy," says Mr Heatley.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley has today opened four new four-bedroom townhouses built by the Wellington Housing Trust to provide affordable housing in Newtown, Wellington.

The Trust received Housing Innovation Funding (HIF) of $1 million to help with the cost of the build which cost of 1.79 million

"I am always delighted to see Government funding being used to grow social and affordable housing by a provider like the Wellington Housing Trust," says Minister Heatley.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley has today congratulated scientists on their work on International Polar Year (IPY) projects in Antarctica.

At a symposium in Wellington this evening, Mr Heatley said the research undertaken during IPY will inform New Zealand’s approach to a range of Antarctic issues including conservation, sustainable harvesting and climate change.

"Science collaboration is an important part of New Zealand’s continuing engagement in Antarctica, Antarctic science, and on Antarctic issues," says Mr Heatley.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley has welcomed Housing New Zealand’s (HNZ) announcement of a major upgrade and increase of its state housing property in urban Auckland.

Nearly half (14,500) of the 30,600 state homes in the city will receive upgrades and up to 1400 new state homes will also be added to the HNZ Auckland property portfolio over the next five years, bringing the number of state homes there to around 32,000.

“This is a significant portfolio upgrade by HNZ that will see communities across Auckland given a real lift,” says Mr Heatley.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley has today announced changes to fishing catch limits and other management controls in a range of fishstocks managed under the Quota Management System (QMS).

Mr Heatley says he considers the best available scientific and management information as well as submissions from customary, recreational and commercial fishers, environmental groups and the public before making these decisions. 

Housing Minister Phil Heatley has welcomed the appointment of interim Social Housing Unit (SHU) Director, Michael Pead.

"The establishment of the SHU and Michael’s appointment is an important step towards implementing Government’s aim of achieving a significant increase in the volume of social, niche and affordable housing delivered by the third sector," says Mr Heatley.

Earlier this year we announced that $40 million had been set aside to help the third sector grow the volume of social housing.

Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Phil Heatley says a one-off extension to the Bluff oyster season will give Rugby World Cup supporters the chance to savour one of New Zealand’s most treasured delicacies.

"We have a relatively short timeframe to showcase the best of New Zealand produce to the many thousands of visitors who will be visiting our shores during the Rugby World Cup. Issuing a special permit to commercial fishers to run from 5 September to 23 October will give visitors the chance to taste some of the best oysters in the world," says Mr Heatley.

Five new marine reserves, including the two largest in mainland New Zealand, are to be established on the South Island’s West Coast, Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson and Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley announced today.

The new reserves are Kahurangi (8466ha), Punakaiki (3558ha), Okarito (4641ha), Gorge (847ha) and a small educational site at Ship Creek near Haast (16ha), totalling 17,528ha combined.

Kahurangi and Okarito will become the two largest marine reserves on New Zealand’s mainland coast.

Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Phil Heatley and Minister of Labour, Kate Wilkinson have today announced the Ministerial Inquiry panel members and the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the inquiry into the operation of fishing vessels, including foreign charter vessels (FCV), in New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters.

Phil Heatley says this will be a comprehensive inquiry.

"The TOR are deliberately broad in scope as in our view it is desirable to consider and address the breadth of issues that have been raised.

A government fund that supports community-led growth and innovation in the rural sector has been widened to include aquaculture.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) will now consider applications for projects that support economic and environmental performance in the marine and land-based aquaculture sector.

Legislation passed today sets the legal framework needed to support growth in the aquaculture sector, says Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley.

Supplementary Orders proposed for inclusion in the Aquaculture Legislation Amendment Bill (No 3) will strengthen the legislation says Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley.

"We need to ensure that the legislative changes we put in place work to create the framework needed to help the aquaculture industry reach its goal of $1 billion in annual sales by 2025," says Mr Heatley.

This target is a three-fold increase on the current sales level.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley says 397 state houses were freed up for those in genuine need in the last three years after investigations found the former tenants had obtained a state house or taxpayer subsidised rent by lying about their circumstances.

Of that number, 241 tenancies were ended in the last 12 months.

Housing New Zealand (HNZ) has also established $6.6 million in Crown debts for overpaid rent subsidies over the last 12 months – bringing the total over the last three years to nearly $13.7 million.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley has announced the latest round of Housing Innovation Fund (HIF) application successes.

"Funding for the four projects based in Christchurch and Auckland will result in 20 new houses for New Zealanders on low to moderate incomes, or with special housing needs," says Mr Heatley.

"The three projects will combine Government funding of $2.6 million with private funding of $5.5 million to provide at least an additional 20 houses for the social housing sector.

A Ministerial Inquiry will consider the operation of Foreign Charter Vessels (FCVs) in New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters.

Initiated by Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister, Phil Heatley and Labour Minister, Kate Wilkinson, the inquiry will consider all key issues relevant to the use of FCVs.

Mr Heatley says while full terms of reference for the inquiry have yet to be established, it is important for both the Government and our fishing sector to affirm New Zealand’s international reputation as a world-leading fisheries manager.

Whaimutu Dewes has been appointed to the Housing New Zealand (HNZ) Board for a period of three years, says Housing Minister Phil Heatley.

"I am delighted that Whai Dewes has accepted a position on the Board," says Mr Heatley.

"HNZ is currently going through a period of significant change as it works to implement its Social Housing Reform Programme, which will see it refocus its efforts on its core business of providing social housing to those most in need, for the duration of that need.

Changes to the way Housing New Zealand delivers state housing will make the system fairer for everyone, says Housing Minister Phil Heatley.

From 1 July, Housing New Zealand will start using an improved system to decide who gets a state house. The new system will mean that only those in the greatest need (A and B priority applicants) will be eligible for state housing, and will be placed on Housing New Zealand’s waiting list.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley is praising the strong fisheries management practises and decisive joint Ministry and industry action that has resulted in recovery of the western hoki stock.

"The Ministry of Fisheries latest fisheries assessment plenary report; ‘A stock take of the state of our fisheries management,’ indicates fish stock has rebuilt and that is great news for the fishery and industry," says Mr Heatley.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley describes the updated Unit Titles Act that comes into force today, as a ‘game changer’.

"When the Act was originally drafted in 1972 the market was nowhere near as complex as it is now," says Mr Heatley.

"The updated Unit Titles Act, modernises legislation that is over 30 years old. The former Act was considered to be outdated and no longer fit for purpose. The new Act will bring unit title developments into line with today’s property market," he said.

Funding for projects in Wellington, Queenstown, Christchurch and Auckland will deliver 34 much-needed homes for people on low incomes, says Housing Minister Phil Heatley.

The five successful applicants for Housing Innovation Funding (HIF) include Christchurch-based Habitat for Humanity, which will build three four-bedroom properties in Kaiapoi for affordable home ownership for low income families through its rent to buy scheme.

The project which will cost $735,000 will receive $354,000 in HIF funding.

An appropriation of $40 million dollars for 2011/12 will be used to grow the volume of social, affordable and niche housing provided by the third sector, says Housing Minister Phil Heatley.

New Zealand today ratified a new Convention to manage fisheries in the South Pacific, says Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley.

Under the Convention, a new South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) will administer an area of ocean from Western Australia to the waters off South America, covering the entire Tasman Sea and South Pacific Ocean.