COVID-19 updates 15 May 2020

For the third consecutive day, we are reporting no new cases of COVID-19.

• New Zealand’s combined total of confirmed and probable cases remains at 1,497, of which 1,147 are confirmed.

• We now have 1,411 people reported as having recovered from COVID-19, an increase of 9 on yesterday. This is 94% of all confirmed and probable cases.

It\’s time to play it safe and lock in all of the work so far.

A budget of recovery, a budget to get New Zealand back into jobs.  We are in a strong position and our economy over the last few years has been robust, so we are being told we can handle this because of the current cost of borrowing money is very low.  We have been told this is the right thing to do, and time can only tell.
(summary from RNZ)
Covid-19 recovery package
Business support

• An eight week extension to the wage subsidy scheme for businesses who have suffered a 50 percent reduction in turnover the 30 days prior to their application compared to last year, costing up to $3.2bn
• $400m Tourism sector relief package
• Targeted sector support totalling $41.4m is being spent across three years in construction, digital and agritech sectors

Trades training support

• $1.6bn Trades and Apprenticeships Training Package
• $400m in Ministry of Social Development Employment Support
• $121m for He Putama Rangatahi
• $19.3m to place 10,000 people in primary sector jobs

$1.1 billion environmental jobs package

• The package is predicted to create almost 11,000 new jobs

$900 million to support Māori

• Funding includes a $200m Māori employment package
• $400m increase to Māori education

Housing

• $56m increase to the government\’s insulation and heating programme
• 8000 new public and transitional homes, to be delivered by Kāinga Ora, community housing providers and transitional housing providers
• Kāinga Ora is anticipated to borrow an additional $5bn to fund its proportion of the houses

Extension of school lunch programme

• $220.6m to be spent on expanding the free school lunch programme.
• An additional 200,000 children will get a free lunch and is estimated to create an extra 2000 jobs

Other measures in this year\’s Budget

• An extra $833m to go towards disability support services
• An extra $3bn has been put aside to fund infrastructure projects, on top of the $12 billion dollars already announced
• $1bn is being invested to improve transport, including $667 million for rail infrastructure including tracks and new wagons and locomotive and $400 million to replace Interislander ferries
• $55.6m of aid spending for Pacific Island nations
• $1.77bn boost for Defence
• $280m for postal services, made up of $130m from the Budget and $150m from the Covid-Response and Recovery fund
• $6.3bn is being invested in health
• Nearly $1bn to support education services.

Read RNZ\’s full wrap on where the money is going here.

The team based in Auckland have been flat out over the last few weeks as they continue to support whanau in Auckland and surrounding areas. 

The team have been able to support whānau from almost all of the Ngātiwai 14 Marae, and many kaumātua who have reached out for support via the 0800 and the teams outbound calling.

During Level 3 and 4 lockdown the team have been dropping pepi products & grocery cards to our whānau all over Tāmaki from Snells Beach to Papakura.  The team say they have felt blessed to be able to provide pepi manaaki packs to Ngātiwai whānau, including a whānau who welcomed a new pepi into the world during lockdown.

The team have identified that our rangatahi needed support through COVID too, so they have been rolling out manaaki packs to our Ngātiwai rangatahi in Tamaki!  These packs included Hygiene items to lift the confidence of our rangatahi, phone top up vouchers or fuel vouchers to help them stay connected or support them in travelling to mahi! 

Ka mau te wehi team!!

The Ngātiwai ki Tāmaki make mention and thank the Ngatiwai Trust Board, Protect Aotea, Great Barrier Island and all the other Auckland based iwi, marae, and agencies for supporting our kaumātua, whānau and their pepi in Tamaki during this time.

Please ring our helpline if you or your Ngātiwai whānau need any assistance due to the impacts of COVID19.

Ngātiwai Ki Tāmaki Awhi (Auckland Helpline) 0800 120 068

Yesterday was a busy day for all our kai mahi getting our kaumatua kai cooked – Spaghetti Bolognese, Macaroni cheese, Rice pudding plus other house hold staples and some big as Easter eggs!!

Donations of 300kgs of Mince from Affco, 500kgs of mixed veg from Talleys and a couple of crates Kiwi Fruit from Ngati Hine Forestry Trust were gratefully received, we mihi to these organisations for their support.

Oakura Trustee and Warehouse/logistics team leader Simon Mitchell goes and sees his new mate and All Black Legend Eric Rush at Regent New World to pick up kai, and Eric just chucks him the keys to his New World van and Simon is off to get it done!
Big Mihi to all those that helped out at the Marae, at the Warehouse and behind the scenes today, you know who you are (these pics will give you away lol)!

Today – Deliveries.
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#NgatiWai #NgatiHine #Ngapuhi #Whanaungatanga