Community strung along with crumbs

new-zealand-labour-party

Wed Jul 06 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Community strung along with crumbs

Wednesday, 6 July 2011, 3:57 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Nanaia MAHUTA
Voluntary and Community Sector Spokesperson
MP for Hauraki-Waikato
6 July 2011

Community strung along with crumbs

Labour’s Voluntary and Community Sector spokesperson and Hauraki-Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta says the community and voluntary sector is starting to really feel the pressure of a constrained funding environment.

"National has announced another tranche of funding for the Community Response Fund and it is clear that it doesn’t really have a plan to support the sector and is happy to trickle out small amounts of funding each year," Nanaia Mahuta said.

"Cost of living pressures are really starting to impact on families, on services reaching out to rural communities, and on services that have had their funding pulled back.

“The Community Response Fund puts the sector into a short-term funding cycle that only acts as a 'gap-filler'," Nanaia Mahuta said.

"This coalition government has lacked the vision to work constructively with the sector to plan for increased funding pressures and demand for services.

“Instead it has opted for a 'take from Peter to pay Paul’ approach, and whanau ora initiatives clearly fall short of the mark," Nanaia Mahuta said.

"Too many good services in the community are missing out because the Government lacks vision and a plan to work with the sector. Now that it’s election time the coalition is rolling out piecemeal funding, but that’s simply not good enough.

"Those providers who have been able to secure CRF or whanau funding are grateful for what they get, but the sector as a whole is suffering because of Minister Paula Bennett’s short sighted approach,” Nanaia Mahuta said.

‘It's time for Paula Bennett to be accountable to the community and voluntary sector, and to work with the sector to better respond to the community’s real needs.”

ENDS

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