Secondary and early childhood education gets big lift
Education spending has enjoyed a major boost this week. Education Minister Trevor Mallard announced $111.3m would be spent nationally over four years to fund 460 extra full-time secondary teacher equivalents - above those required for roll growth. As a result, most secondary schools will next year have extra four teachers or more. To meet shortages of secondary teachers in maths, Māori, technology, physics and chemistry, thousands of bonded scholarships were announced. These can be worth $20,000 and more in support to student teachers. Similar new scholarships are also being offered to attract more, qualified early childhood teachers. Trevor Mallard says these initiatives represent a huge investment in the government's commitment to ensuring better teaching and improved education standards for all our students.

More border control staff at Auckland and Christchurch
The government will spend $5.75 million this financial year on extra border control staff and equipment to facilitate arrivals at Auckland and Christchurch international airports. Prime Minister Helen Clark says tourists, business visitors and travelling New Zealanders are experiencing unacceptable delays because of congestion at our main airports. The funding will provide 96 more customs officers at Auckland International Airport, two new MAF x-ray machines and 17 new staff. Nine extra Customs officers will be based at Christchurch, as well as five new MAF Quarantine officers and a new MAF x-ray machine. Helen Clark says New Zealand continues to experience extraordinary growth in visitor arrivals. There was a need to process passengers in a more timely fashion, while still undertaking the checks and clearances which are essential to protecting New Zealand.

Flood-hit farmers given more assistance
Assistance to flood-affected farmers will be extended. Rural Affairs Minister Jim Sutton says Cabinet has approved the extension of the agricultural recovery programme to assist farmers in the lower North Island who were badly affected by widespread flooding in February, and suffered further damage in storms in August. The Wairarapa was particularly hard-hit in August and Jim Sutton will visit farmers there next week to see the situation for himself. The criteria for the extension of the agricultural recovery programme means farmers in the lower North Island earning more than 51 per cent of their income from farming, forestry, and crop growing are eligible for assistance. Repair work for the February storm damage that was damaged again in the August storms is eligible, without incurring an additional threshold. Enhanced Taskforce Green assistance was extended to the end of December, and the maximum hourly rate increased up to $12, where necessary, to engage skilled experienced workers.

Further strengthening in government's fiscal position
The final outturn for the 2003-2004 financial year shows a continued strengthening of the government's fiscal position, with an operating balance of $7.4 billion. Finance Minister Michael Cullen says this is an excellent result reflecting the strong economic performance over the past year, with higher than forecast tax revenue and surpluses from Crown entities. However Michael Cullen says this does not mean it is all cash sitting in a bank account. Most of the surplus was accounted for by revaluations, capital purchases such as new machines for hospitals, building new roads and prisons; on loans, such as those made to students and District Health Boards, funding for future New Zealand Superannuation costs and in surpluses retained by SOEs and Crown entities for future investment. Once these are accounted for the Crown's cash surplus for the year was $520 million. Michael Cullen says this will lower debt and therefore future interest costs ensuring a sound fiscal position in the future.

Family Court proceedings opened up
Family Court proceedings are to be opened up to the public and media under the close control of judges, to ensure confidence in the court is maintained. Cabinet this week approved suggestions by the Law Commission to provide for accredited news media to attend family court proceedings. Courts Minister Rick Barker says the wide-ranging changes are designed to improve transparency in the court without compromising family proceedings. Judges will retain the discretion to exclude people from hearings and may also direct draft news reports be submitted to the court to check journalists have complied with directions given by the court. Breaches of reporting restrictions could leave individuals liable to up to three months imprisonment or $2000 fines and organisations up to $10,000 in fines. New legislation in the Family Court Matters Bill will implement these changes.

Tertiary institutes urged to keep fees at minimum
Governing councils of tertiary education institutions need to think carefully about how much they really need to increase student fees says Associate Education Minister Steve Maharey. Under the fee maxima scheme, which came into effect this year, tertiary institutions are able to raise fees no more than five percent per year, except in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the Tertiary Education Commission. Councils are starting to set fees for next year and Steve Maharey is being asked by students around the country to attend fee setting meetings. He says that would not be appropriate but he is urging councils to carefully assess the options for fee increases before they make final decisions. While councils are able to increase fees up to five percent, Steve Maharey expects most fee increases don't need to be any higher than cost of living increases.