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Two initiatives to help some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable people into emergency housing are available from today.

A special needs grant for emergency housing which does not have to be paid back was announced as part of a $41.1 million boost for emergency accommodation in this year’s Budget.

“This is the first time any government has committed ongoing, dedicated funding for emergency housing, because we recognise that not everyone has access to a safe and stable home,” Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says.

The Otahuhu community has received a much-needed housing boost with the completion of 18 new social housing properties, Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says.

Built on the site where just five 1950s state houses once stood, all of the 18 new Housing New Zealand (HNZ) properties will soon be home to some of Auckland’s most needy families and individuals.

The houses on the 4352 sq m Special Housing Area site include eight two-bedroom homes, two three-bedroom homes, six four-bedroom homes and two five-bedroom homes.

A 17 per cent rise in the number of overseas tourists to New Zealand in May shows a Government and tourism sector push to attract shoulder season visitors is working, Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett says.

Statistics New Zealand figures show the number of people holidaying here from overseas in May this year was 87,552, up 17.3 per cent on May 2015.

“It is no secret that New Zealand’s tourism sector is doing spectacularly well. We want to ensure that this success is spread across the year and across our regions,” Mrs Bennett says.

Grants of up to $5000 to cover costs involved in moving from Auckland will be available from Monday, 20 June, for eligible people who may want to relocate to other areas of the country but find cost a barrier.

Since Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett announced the grant last month, Work and Income has received around 130 inquiries about the grant, which will not have to be paid back.

From Monday, people in social housing, on the social housing register or eligible for social housing can go to Work and Income and make appointments to assess their suitability.

New monthly data which estimates how much tourists are spending by region will help both industry and communities better plan for the future, Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett says.

The first Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates has been released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in response to calls from tourism industry stakeholders who wanted more usable and accurate statistics for regional tourism spending. It replaces the Regional Tourism Indicators.

The Joint Working Group on Pay Equity Principles has reported back to the Government with a number of recommendations, State Services Minister Paula Bennett and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse say.

The Joint Working Group was tasked with recommending principles for dealing with pay equity claims under the Equal Pay Act.

“I would like to thank the Joint Working Group members for their commitment to improving our pay equity laws,” Mrs Bennett says. 

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett has returned from a trip to the Pacific where she saw first-hand how communities are working to mitigate the effects of climate change and adapt to big weather events and King tides.

Mrs Bennett travelled to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Tuvalu last week. While in those countries she met climate change ministers and officials and reinforced New Zealand’s commitment to providing climate-related support to the region.

A new round of research funding and the appointment of a Special Representative are big steps forward for New Zealand’s involvement in the Global Research Alliance, Ministers Paula Bennett and Nathan Guy say.

“New Zealander Hayden Montgomery has been endorsed by GRA member countries as its first Special Representative. The appointment highlights the confidence other countries have in New Zealand and the value they place in the work we do managing the GRA Secretariat,” Climate Change Issues Minister Paula Bennett says.

The Government has a wide range of work underway to progress social housing reforms that will help the community housing sector grow and innovate, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

The Government is committed to transferring between 1000-2000 properties to registered community housing providers this year under its Social Housing Reform Programme.

Budget 2016 invests $258 million to ensure people most in need of social housing have access to this essential service, Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says.

“The additional investment in social housing will provide at least 750 more places for individuals and families on the social housing register with the most pressing housing needs,” Mrs Bennett says.

The Government is phasing out a subsidy in the Emissions Trading Scheme that allows some businesses to pay one emissions unit for every two tonnes of pollution they emit, Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett says.

The one-for-two subsidy was a temporary measure introduced during the global financial crisis to help moderate the initial costs of the ETS while businesses were struggling.

“The subsidy will be phased out over three years to give businesses time to plan and adjust, to support a more stable market,” Mrs Bennett says.

It is estimated a total of 26 additional hotels, above and beyond what is currently planned, will be needed over the next ten years to meet expected tourism demand in our major tourist centres, according to new independent research released today by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

The research is a key part of “Project Palace”, a programme to accelerate new private sector investment in New Zealand’s hotel infrastructure led by NZTE and the Government’s Investment Attraction Taskforce.

Spending by international tourists in New Zealand has topped $10 billion for the first time, further evidence of the sector’s importance to the economy, Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett says.

International visitor spending increased 25 per cent to $10 billion in the year to March 2016, according to the International Visitor Survey released today.

“Surpassing $10 billion in visitor spend for the first time confirms that the tourism sector is continuing to grow and is adding significant value to the economy,” Mrs Bennett says. 

Housing New Zealand is already building more homes than the Greens’ rushed policy proposed, and additional social houses are also being sourced from Community Housing Providers, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

“The Government takes seriously its responsibility to provide suitable social housing for our most vulnerable. We have made it a priority to deliver more social houses by speeding up Housing New Zealand’s development programme, and sourcing more homes from Community Housing Providers,” Housing New Zealand Minister Bill English says.

Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett has welcomed new forecasts showing tourism expenditure is expected to grow by 65 per cent to $16 billion in 2022.

The forecasts are contained in the New Zealand Tourism Forecast 2016 - 2022 report released by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) at TRENZ today.

“Tourism makes an important contribution and is critical to New Zealand’s economic success, so it’s great to see such a positive outlook for the growth of the sector,” says Mrs Bennett.

For the first time, the Government will pay for about 3000 emergency housing places across the country per year so people have access to a roof over their head when they need it most.

The Government will provide $41.1 million over the next four years in Budget 2016 for emergency housing and grants.

“Emergency housing provides an essential safety net for people in crisis, and is an opportunity to intervene and support families with complex needs,” Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says.

Associate Minister of Tourism Paula Bennett today welcomed a decision by the Office of the Chief Censor to ban three slogans on Wicked Campers’ vans.

The Censor has ruled that the slogans meet the criteria for objectionable publications.

“This is a real victory for everyone that has seen the vans and been offended by the awful slogans and images on them,” says Mrs Bennett.

“This will send a clear message to Wicked Campers that their offensive slogans are not welcome here and its time they cleaned up their act.

A historic global climate change agreement has been signed today on behalf of New Zealand by Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett.

The Paris Agreement was concluded in December 2015 and is the first truly global deal to address climate change. 188 countries took part in the negotiations, covering more than 90 per cent of the world’s emissions.

The number of people on the Social Housing Register has again declined, the result of a more targeted approach to meeting individual needs, Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says.

Figures for the March 2016 quarter show there were 4585 people on the register, down 223 or 4.6 per cent on the same time last year. Of those on the register in March 2016, 1036 are already housed and are awaiting a transfer to a more suitable property.

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett travels to the United States today to represent New Zealand at several major international events. 

Mrs Bennett will sign the Paris Climate Change Agreement on behalf of New Zealand at the United Nations in New York on Saturday 23 April.

“It’s an incredible privilege to represent our country at this historic event. The Paris deal is the first truly global deal on climate change, and it’s appropriate the event is being held to coincide with Earth Day,” says Mrs Bennett. 

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett announced today that New Zealand’s next Climate Change Ambassador will be Mark Sinclair. 

Currently New Zealand’s Ambassador to Japan, Mr Sinclair is a senior and experienced diplomat with extensive international negotiation experience.

“Mark has a deep understanding of New Zealand’s interests and is an exceptional choice to lead the next steps of our negotiating effort,” Mrs Bennett says.

Social housing in Christchurch has been given a boost with the opening today of 15 new units in Aranui.

The Aldershot St development, one of six major developments under construction in the area, is a great example of Housing New Zealand and the local community working together, Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says.

“Aranui was particularly hard-hit by the Canterbury earthquakes, but this also gave HNZ the opportunity to replace many of its properties with modern, fit-for-purpose homes to help rejuvenate the area,” Mrs Bennett says.

Modern and healthy new Housing New Zealand homes in Tāmaki are a stark contrast to the old and cold state houses of the past, Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett.

Opened by Mrs Bennett today, the 21 new homes at Sunnymead Road in Glen Innes, Auckland have been built on large sections that formerly had only six properties.

“These new homes are a fantastic example of what modern social housing looks like in New Zealand, so I’m thrilled to be here to open them today,” Mrs Bennett says.

Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett has today opened the Centennial Community Centre, which she hopes will become the heart of Berhampore as well as the refurbished Centennial Flats it is located in.

The Housing New Zealand (HNZ) Centennial Flats have undergone a $7 million upgrade to make them safer, warmer and healthier for the people who live in them. The community centre is the final part of the complex to be completed.