Budget 2016 provides $882.5 million for school property, comprising $727.3 million of capital funding and $155.2 million of operating funding over the next four years, Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye say.

“The package provides for growth across New Zealand, as well as investment in public private partnerships and significant investment in Canterbury. It will provide nine new schools, 480 new classrooms, two school expansions and the relocation and rebuilding of three schools and a kura.”

Youth Minister Nikki Kaye today announced the recipients of the 2016 Youth Awards.

“The Youth Awards recognise young people who’ve made outstanding contributions to their communities, as well as people who’ve supported or championed young people,” says Ms Kaye.

“Once again we received a large number of nominations, with around 160 people and organisations put forward. Of these, forty-five recipients will receive awards at a ceremony being held at Parliament later today.

ACC Minister Nikki Kaye has welcomed a new, ongoing partnership between ACC and Plunket aimed at helping to reduce the number of injuries to children aged under five years.

“ACC will invest $2.3 million over five years to support Plunket to further develop their injury prevention capabilities, and deliver education and initiatives to support parents to reduce the number and severity of injuries to young children,” says Ms Kaye.

Each year, more than 110,000 children aged under five years are injured at home and in the wider community.

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye visited Warkworth Primary School in Rodney this morning to officially open the school’s new junior campus.

“All buildings in the junior school have been rebuilt, which means years one to three students and teachers now have a fantastic, innovative environment to learn and work in,” says Ms Kaye.

MP for Rodney Mark Mitchell was also at the official opening of the new campus, which comprises a classroom block containing 16 learning spaces, as well as a hall and administration area.

ACC Minister Nikki Kaye today confirmed the new ACC annual licence levies that owners of light vehicles (cars, vans, utes and SUVs) will pay from 1 July 2016, as well as refinements to the vehicle risk rating system used to calculate these levies.

The ACC annual licence levy is part of the vehicle licensing (‘rego’) fee paid when you register or relicense a vehicle.

“From 1 July, the average motor vehicle levy, which includes the annual licence levy and petrol levy, will reduce from around $195 to around $130 per vehicle,” says Ms Kaye.

Funding of $60,000 over three years to support a youth volunteering programme with Fashion Week New Zealand Limited was announced today by Youth Minister Nikki Kaye.

“This funding will help up to 600 young people aged 16 to 24 get hands-on, behind the scenes experience, mentoring and instruction from industry experts and leaders during NZ Fashion Week,” says Ms Kaye.

ACC Minister Nikki Kaye today confirmed the Government’s new funding policy for ACC, and announced that ACC levies will now be set every two years, rather than annually.

The funding policy is the latest in a number of improvements implemented as part of the Accident Compensation (Financial Responsibility and Transparency) Amendment Act, which came into force in September 2015.

ACC Minister Nikki Kaye today announced three reappointments to the Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council (MSAC).

The council represents the motorcycling community and advises ACC on safety initiatives that will make motorcycling safer on New Zealand roads

“The reappointed councillors, Janice Millman, Andrew Darrell and David Golightly, collectively bring strong management and governance expertise, combined with deep personal involvement in motorcycling and the motorcycling community,” says Ms Kaye.

ACC Minister Nikki Kaye has welcomed the results of a Research New Zealand survey which shows that public trust and confidence in ACC has reached a new high.

“The survey shows that 61 per cent of New Zealanders surveyed in the 12 months to March 2016 have full trust and confidence in ACC, up from 56 per cent in the previous 12 months, and the result for the last quarter is 64 per cent, which is the highest result since the survey began in 2004,” says Ms Kaye.

Another 350 schools will be able to access wireless technology, thanks to a funding increase for the Ministry of Education’s Wireless School Network Upgrade Project (WSNUP), Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

“An extra $8.5 million will be spent on WSNUP, which retrofits wireless technology in schools to enable them to access the latest digital resources,” says Ms Kaye. 

Jack Matthews has been reappointed as a director of Network for Learning Ltd (N4L) for a full three-year term, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

Ms Kaye also announced the retirement of Martin Wylie, who has served on the board since 2012.

“Both Mr Matthews and Mr Wylie have provided strong leadership and guidance,” says Ms Kaye.

“Mr Wylie brought to the table considerable expertise in law, IT and telecommunications, and I’d like to acknowledge the contribution he has made over the past four years.”

Riverhead School in North-West Auckland will benefit from a $9.4 million upgrade, which will see the construction of a new two-storey classroom block and a new administration building, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

This follows last week’s announcements of a $4 million upgrade for Bayswater School on Auckland’s North Shore, and a $4.2 million upgrade for Papatoetoe Central School in South Auckland.

A new, two-storey classroom block will be built as part of a $4.2 million upgrade for Papatoetoe Central School in South Auckland, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

“The new block will have eight learning spaces and will replace six older classrooms at the school. It will also provide two additional classrooms, to accommodate expected roll growth,” says Ms Kaye.

Papatoetoe Central School is one of 12 schools in New Zealand that are over 150 years old.

Bayswater School on Auckland’s North Shore will get six new learning spaces as part of a $4 million upgrade, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

“This project includes the construction of a new, four-classroom block, as well as a satellite unit of Wilson Special School, comprising two learning spaces,” says Ms Kaye.

The upgrade will allow Bayswater School to cater for growing numbers of students.

The new $16.8 million West Rolleston Primary School is a welcome addition to the thriving greater Christchurch schooling network says Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye, who officially opened the school today.

The region’s newest school opened its doors at the beginning of the school year and is part of a $1.137 billion investment to rebuild and renew 115 schools in greater Christchurch over the next decade.

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye has marked the start of Halswell Residential College’s $9 million redevelopment at a soil-turning ceremony today.

Halswell Residential College provides round-the-clock special education for children and young people with complex needs. Students at the school are supported by specialist resources, individualised programmes and highly-trained staff in a stable and nurturing environment.

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye will unveil a plaque this morning to mark the official start of a major redevelopment at Takapuna Grammar School.

“This $26 million project will see the restoration of the school’s 90-year-old main block, which is regarded as a heritage icon by the school and local community,” says Ms Kaye.

“I’d like to acknowledge local MP Maggie Barry, who has worked with the school on its property issues.

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye today announced funding of $500,000 to enable over 40 more schools nationwide to receive wireless technology, as part of the Ministry of Education’s Wireless School Network Upgrade Project (WSNUP).

“Earlier this year, I announced the completion of the School Network Upgrade Project (SNUP), which has provided state and state-integrated schools with upgraded core on-site infrastructure such as cabling and switching, to enable them to access high-quality internet for learning,” says Ms Kaye.

As broadcast sponsor of TVNZ’s live, free-to-air coverage of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, ACC will help inspire all Kiwis, including those living with a disability and those recovering from a serious accident, says ACC Minister Nikki Kaye.

TVNZ and Attitude Pictures today announced plans for more than 180 hours of dedicated Games coverage, made possible by support from ACC and NZ On Air.

“The achievements of New Zealand’s Paralympians have made a major contribution to changing public perceptions of disability,” says Ms Kaye.

Organisations offering youth development opportunities through Shakespearean drama, a flagship civics education conference and financial literacy courses will benefit from funding of $55,000 announced today by Youth Minister Nikki Kaye.

“This funding will go to three established, reputable organisations who have a good track record working directly with young people to provide mentoring, leadership and development opportunities,” says Ms Kaye.

The three recipients are:

Teaching Kiwi kids how to prevent injuries and ensuring they have the skills and confidence to take action in an emergency are the goals of the St John in Schools programme, officially launched today by ACC Minister Nikki Kaye at Clendon Park School in South Auckland.

“ACC has invested $1.15 million to support this programme and help it reach almost 500,000 children over five years,” says Ms Kaye.

The programme provides learning experiences for pre-school through to intermediate school aged children.

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye says a more comprehensive approach is being put in place to meet the growing demand for land for schools.

“With an additional 107,000 school students expected in Auckland alone by 2040, the Ministry of Education is ensuring it has greater flexibility to obtain land for schools,” says Ms Kaye.

“The Ministry looks to expand an existing school or establish a new one when there’s a growing school age population, but in a lot of urban areas there are real pressures on land availability.

ACC Minister Nikki Kaye will travel to Canada this evening for two days’ of portfolio-related meetings and discussions in Toronto and Vancouver.

“A key aim of this trip is to identify learnings that could be applied to ACC as it enters a significant chapter in its 42-year history. I will also have meetings related to my other portfolios of Civil Defence and Youth, and in my capacity as Associate Minister of Education,” says Ms Kaye.

Nominations are now open for the 2016 Youth Awards, which celebrate young people who’ve achieved outstanding results, and those who’ve made a significant contribution to supporting young people, says Youth Minister Nikki Kaye.

“The awards, now in their third year, will recognise up to 45 people and organisations across seven different award categories,” says Ms Kaye.