Roy on TrustPower National Community Awards
act-new-zealand
Mon Mar 15 2010 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Roy on TrustPower National Community Awards
Monday, 15 March 2010, 10:32 am
Speech: ACT New Zealand
2009 TrustPower National Community Awards
**
Hon Heather Roy, Minister of Consumer Affairs
Monday, March 15 2010**
**
Hon Heather Roy speech to the TrustPower National Community Awards; World of Wearable Arts & Classic Cars Museum, Quarantine Road, Nelson; Saturday, March 13 2010.**
I am delighted to be here on behalf of the Government this evening to assist in presenting the 2009 TrustPower National Community Awards.
I would like to begin by passing on apologies from Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector Hon Tariana Turia. Minister Turia unfortunately could not be here this weekend to take part in the judging and presentation of the awards. I was very pleased to be able to volunteer take her place, so thank you for your very warm welcome.
There are many people her tonight that I'd like to acknowledge:
Most importantly the 25 regional finalists at this National final – the volunteers, the community representatives and their mayors, deputy mayors and council officials. Thank you for your support.
TrustPower representatives including Board Chair Bruce Harker, board members Sam Knowles and Michael Cooney and CEO of TrustPower Chris O'Hara. Your recognition of the Voluntary Sector is now well established and I congratulate you on your continued support.
Members of the independent judging panel – I don't envy your job today – including:
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* Heather Clark, board member of Volunteering New Zealand
* Community Trust of Wellington Chair, Dick Fernyhough
* Mike Lander from the Wairoa Community Development Trust (Supreme Winners at the 2008 National Awards)
* Alasdair Finnie, Director of the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector
* Kerre Woodham and Jim Mora, media presenters.
These are among the most prestigious awards in the community and voluntary sector. I am looking forward to meeting the 25 participating regional finalists and hearing about your work achievements.
It is no easy feat to make the finals of this event. I understand that this year in particular the entries were of a very high calibre. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution of all contestants in the regions for their positive contributions to their communities.
For over 15 years TrustPower has been running the TrustPower Community Awards to grow them into one of the country's largest community-based awards programmes.
Thanks to TrustPower Community Awards thousands of volunteers have had their work recognised and more than a quarter of a million dollars has been injected into community groups up and down the country.
The non-profit sector contributes over $6.95 billion – that's almost five percent of GDP to the New Zealand economy. To put this in perspective this is equivalent to the contribution made by entire construction industry.
There are over 97,000 non-profit organisations in New Zealand and more than 1.2 million New Zealanders volunteer annually.
Volunteering is hugely important to New Zealand and New Zealanders. Donating time and skills to help community groups and volunteer organisations is not only rewarding to the group receiving help, but also to the individual volunteer.
I know from my own volunteering efforts – although not a patch on those we see tonight – with kindergarten and schools, community organisations and the army, the value and satisfaction gained from donating time and money cannot be easily measured. For many, their voluntary work is much more rewarding than their paid work.
Despite what we sometimes hear through the media New Zealanders give generously of their time and money.
Volunteers and donors spread their support wider in 2008 than 2007 according to 'How New Zealanders Give?' research done for the Generosity Hub. Although the numbers of volunteers remains stable, it appears that people who volunteer are volunteering for a wider number of projects.
Not only do people give of their time, but they also make direct monetary contributions or purchase goods. Nearly half of all New Zealanders aged over 10 years made an ad hoc donation to support a non-profit group in 2008.
Approximately 794,000 New Zealanders in employment are committed givers of time or money. That means they have made planned, regular giving, to a specific organisation or cause. Overall, 75.8 percent of people aged 10 years and over supported the non-profit sector.
So what has the Government done to make it easier to volunteer and give? It is important that we lead by example. In recent years, the threshold for donation tax credits increased. Individuals can now claim a tax credit of 33 percent of cash donations they make to a non-profit organisation up to the level of their taxable income.
Companies and Maori authorities can now claim a deduction for donations they make to non-profits up to the level of their net income before taking into account the deduction.
This donation deduction has also been extended to companies with five or fewer shareholders whereas previously these companies couldn't claim at all.
In 2009, the Government also clarified the rules for taxing payments to volunteers. A reimbursement payment for expenses incurred during volunteering is now tax exempt. It is only an honorarium which is taxed.
The Government has also made it easier for people to give as they earn through Payroll Giving, a new scheme that went live in January this year. With Payroll giving, an employee can donate directly to a charity with donee status from their pay and receive a tax credit back in the same pay period.
This option makes it easy for an employee to donate to a charity of their choice and it offers non-profit organisations a steady stream of income.
Just like Payroll giving, the TrustPower National Community Awards showcase the best that can happen when business, local government and community organisations work together.
The judging is based upon volunteer input, utilisation of resources, creativity and initiative, effectiveness of activities and the impact on its district. The 25 projects that have reached the National Awards cover all sub-sectors of volunteering:
* the beginnings of a tourist and heritage project
* protecting the environment
* developing the arts in a district
* teaching new arrivals English or
* keeping people safe on our beaches in their homes and in their communities.
These are all truly impressive finalists.
Congratulations again to you all. The time you give and the contribution you make to your communities is an example to all New Zealanders. It is your work that keeps our country going and for that I thank you sincerely.
ENDS
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