Paula Bennett
Release

Police Minister Paula Bennett has announced that $1.8 million will be made available for robbery prevention at dairies, superettes and small local businesses.

“We’ve listened to the concerns of shop keepers, that’s why we’ve put aside this money to be used for co-funding for a range of security and prevention measures,” Mrs Bennett says.

Paula Bennett Police
Release

The latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory shows gross emissions have remained stable since 2003 and declined in 2015 as New Zealand is becoming more carbon efficient, says Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett.

“Domestic greenhouse gas emissions have stabilised while our economy and population continue to grow. Between 1990 and 2015 the emissions intensity of the economy decreased by 35.9%, indicating the economy is becoming more carbon efficient,” says Mrs Bennett.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
Release

Budget 2017 invests $1.24 billion of new operating funding over four years and $785.6 million of capital funding in law and order initiatives to help make our communities safer, Police Minister Paula Bennett, Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams, and Corrections Minister Louise Upston say.

“The extra investment in Budget 2017 includes the $503.8 million Safer Communities Package which was announced earlier this year and will deliver an additional 1,125 police staff,” Mrs Bennett says.

Louise Upston Amy Adams Paula Bennett Police Justice Courts Corrections Budget 2017
Release

Budget 2017 invests $4 million of new operating funding over four years to progress New Zealand’s climate change work programme, Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett says.

“The Government is moving to the next stage of its work programme to meet our ambitious Paris Agreement 2030 emissions targets,” Mrs Bennett says.

“This funding will mandate work across government to provide costed, tested and modelled policy options to meet our international emissions reductions targets under the Paris Agreement.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues Budget 2017
Release

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett and Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee have today announced that New Zealand will provide $1.3 million to support Fiji’s presidency of the United Nations Climate Change Conference later this year.

“At last year’s conference in Marrakech, Fiji was selected to take up the role of president of this significant event,” Mrs Bennett says.

“This is a major undertaking for any country and these important talks will bring together climate experts officials and leaders from around the world.

Gerry Brownlee Paula Bennett Foreign Affairs Climate Change Issues
Release

New Zealand’s tourism sector is forecast to grow significantly over the next seven years, with international visitors projected to spend $15.3 billion a year by 2023, Tourism Minister Paula Bennett says.

Figures from the New Zealand Tourism Forecasts 2017-2023 released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), show the real value that tourism will continue to have to New Zealand’s economy.

Paula Bennett Tourism
Release

Tourism Minister Paula Bennett has today announced a new $102 million Tourism Infrastructure Fund which has been launched alongside $76 million in new funding for our most important tourism asset, the DOC Estate.

“Tourism is hugely important to New Zealand. It creates jobs and brings in billions of dollars to the economy. That’s why it’s important that we keep investing so we continue to attract high-value tourists and give them an amazing visitor experience,” Mrs Bennett says.

Paula Bennett Tourism Budget 2017
Release

Police Minister Paula Bennett, Communications Minister Simon Bridges and Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne, today announced a new caller location system for 111 mobile phone calls that will improve public safety and help save lives.

“The new system will automatically provide emergency services with a probable location of a caller when they dial 111,” Mrs Bennett says.

Paula Bennett Simon Bridges Peter Dunne Communications Police Internal Affairs
Release

Women’s Minister Paula Bennett has today announced that the Government has reached its target of appointing 45 per cent of women to state sector boards and committees, the highest percentage ever.

“The government set this target in 2011 and now we’ve reached 45.3 per cent of women on state sector boards. This has been a priority for us and I’m now determined to not only maintain this level but increase it even further,” Mrs Bennett says.

Paula Bennett Women
Release

A refresh of the Better Public Services targets will further improve the lives of New Zealanders, State Services Minister Paula Bennett says.

Prime Minister Bill English today outlined a new set of 10 targets which set the Government’s expectations for the public service, building on the success of the initial targets set in 2012.

“These targets are challenging. They won’t all be easily achieved but we’re not here to shy away from these challenges, we’re here to change lives,” Mrs Bennett says.

The new targets include:

Paula Bennett State Services Deputy Prime Minister
Release

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett and Finance Minister Steven Joyce have asked the Productivity Commission to review how New Zealand can maximise the opportunities and minimise the costs and risks of transitioning to a lower carbon economy.

“This next step in our climate change work programme will enable us to properly assess the economic trade-offs that we’ll need to make to meet our ambitious 2030 Paris Agreement target,” says Mrs Bennett.

Steven Joyce Paula Bennett Finance Climate Change Issues
Release

Two members of New Zealand’s firearms community will provide independent advice on the recent Select Committee report into illegal firearms use, says Police Minister Paula Bennett.

Outdoors professional Geoff Thomas and firearms safety specialist Nicole McKee will provide advice on the twenty recommendations proposed by Parliament’s Law and Order Select Committee.

Paula Bennett Police
Release

Plans for a new multi-million dollar cruise ship berth released today by the Lyttelton Port Company will open up new tourism opportunities for Christchurch, says Tourism Minister Paula Bennett.

The $56 million dollar berth funded by the Christchurch City Council through its port company will enable large cruise liners to return to Lyttelton for the first time since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Paula Bennett Tourism
Release

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett says New Zealand and Korea have begun joint discussions on developing carbon markets in the region.

Yesterday’s inaugural meeting of the Environmental Committee, established under the New Zealand – Korea Free Trade Agreement, comes shortly after New Zealand and China signed a Climate Change Action Plan as part of the NZ China FTA.

“New Zealand wants to discuss carbon markets with a range of potential partners,” Mrs Bennett says.

Paula Bennett Police Climate Change Issues
Release

Minister for Women Paula Bennett and Minister for Social Development Anne Tolley have announced the Government is providing $50,000 over the next year to assist KidsCan supply schools with sanitary products.

“This funding will provide sanitary products to the schools KidsCan supports. It’s expected that over 16,500 packs will be supplied to around 2,000 girls,” says Mrs Bennett.

Anne Tolley Paula Bennett Women Social Development
Release

Today’s announcement by Police about where the additional 880 sworn officers will be stationed means over 200,000 more New Zealanders will be covered by a 24/7 Police presence.

“All New Zealanders deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities. That’s why we’ve committed to having 95 per cent of New Zealanders covered by a 24/7 Police presence,” Mrs Bennett says.

Paula Bennett Police
Release

Police Minister Paula Bennett has today welcomed an announcement about where frontline officers will be based under the Government’s Safer Communities package.

“In February this year we announced a $503 million dollar package for 1125 more police staff, including 880 more frontline officers over the next four years. All 12 Police Districts will receive more Police,” Mrs Bennett says.

Paula Bennett Police
Release

Police Minister Paula Bennett and Justice Minister Amy Adams have today announced $10 million for initiatives to improve Māori justice outcomes.

“It is well known that Māori are overrepresented at every stage in the criminal justice system. We’re not prepared to accept that continuing,” says Mrs Bennett.

“Tackling this issue is a priority for the justice sector which is why we have set aside $10 million of the Justice Sector Fund for initiatives that will improve outcomes for Māori in the justice system,” says Ms Adams.

Amy Adams Paula Bennett Police Justice
Release

A potentially life-saving scheme that allows Police to disclose a person’s violent past to a partner or friend has been used 158 times since it was launched, say Police Minister Paula Bennett and Justice Minister Amy Adams.

“Since the scheme’s launch in December 2015, Police have approved 74 per cent of disclosure requests. Preventing family violence is a priority for Police and this scheme gives them another way to help reduce harm.”

Amy Adams Paula Bennett Police Justice
Release

Minister for Climate Change Issues Paula Bennett has announced details of a climate change action plan to be put in place with China.

The action plan is included in a package of bilateral initiatives announced today by the Prime Minister and visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. It gives practical effect to the broad approach set out in the New Zealand-China Climate Change Cooperation Arrangement signed by the two countries’ leaders in 2014.

Paula Bennett Climate Change Issues
Release

A new international agreement will focus on attracting high-value Chinese visitors who stay longer, spend more and travel independently says Tourism Minister Paula Bennett.

The 2019 China-New Zealand Year of Tourism initiative was announced today by Prime Minister Bill English as part of an official visit from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

Paula Bennett Tourism
Release

Tourism Minister Paula Bennett has thanked Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) for its tourism wish list worth $1.4 billion but rejects that most of these should be funded by Government.

LGNZ yesterday revealed details of a survey commissioned by Tourism Industry Aotearoa, which identified $1.4 billion of local infrastructure projects that might potentially be useful in responding to ongoing tourism growth.

Paula Bennett Tourism
Release

The number of people applying to join Police has hit a new high in 2017 following a successful summer recruitment campaign.

In January and February 1351 people applied to join Police, twice the number of applications at the same time in 2016. Police Minister Paula Bennett says the record numbers are a promising start following the Government’s announcement of 1125 new Police staff over the next four years.

Paula Bennett Police