• Heartland initiative to help rural communities
• Increase in funding for Women's Refuge
• New poverty research welcome
• Appointments to Tertiary Commission
• Education Amendment Bill
• Building a strong tertiary education system

Heartland initiative to help rural communities

Rural people will get improved access to government services through the Heartland Services Initiative announced by Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey and Rural Affairs Minister Jim Sutton last week.

Heartland Services aims to improve face to face' contact with government agencies for people in rural areas. Studies have shown that the past 15 years of restructuring of services has meant many rural people now just have remote access to government services. Even the commercial centres of rural districts now have few government agencies other than schools, the Police and the Department of Work and Income.

The initiative will improve government service delivery through government staff synchronising their visits to remote towns once or twice a month as part of an "outreach" service, and through the establishment of or participation in service centres in some smaller provincial towns. It will be progressively rolled-out as collaborative arrangements between agencies are made.

Social services most sought by rural communities include benefits and pensions, employment, childcare and protection, rental housing, tax and family assistance, Maori land issues and accident compensation. Government agencies such as ACC, the Maori Land Court, Housing NZ, IRD, the Department of Work and Income and others are to work together so they time their business in a small rural town on the same day of the month. Currently, direct contact with the deliverers of these services is often only available in larger centres. The purpose of the initiative is to bring the services directly to the more remote rural towns.

Remote towns being considered for an "outreach" service to improve direct access to government service include Maungaturoto, Ohakune, Katikati, Tokomaru Bay, Cromwell, Ranfurly, Hokitika and Winton.

Service centres will provide a central place for the delivery of a range of related Government and community services.

Before a service centre is developed or an outreach service established a number of factors will be considered including local government and community interest to provide local leadership and support; the availability of suitable, existing premises (which, in relation particularly to the outreach service, offer a safe and secure environment for staff); the capacity of the government departments to participate; and, availability of finance (for service centres).

Women's Refuge is to get a 25% increase in funding this financial year. Child, Youth and Family have been working closely with Women's Refuge to increase the amount of funding it receives from Government and will provide an additional $492,000 for the financial year ending on 30 June 2001. Other funders have also increased their support to Women's Refuge. Community Housing has recently agreed to provide rent relief for the 51 refuges throughout New Zealand worth $360,000 annually and ACC has announced a funding package of $1 million over three years for the service.

Taken together, the additional funding amounts to a 25% increase in the funding Women's Refuge received last year.

Women's Refuge and other organisations working with family violence are also expected to benefit from a further funding announcement this week.

New poverty research carried out by the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services is being welcomed by Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey.

The Council's Poverty Indicator Pilot Project was launched in Wellington last week. The Project is compiled from data collected about the personal circumstances of foodbank clients in eight cities nationwide and will be updated on a quarterly basis.

Mr Maharey said the Project will mesh very well with work the initiated at the Ministry of Social Policy to gain a more accurate picture of New Zealander's living standards.

New appointments to the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission were announced last week by Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey.

Victoria University of Wellington Chancellor and Education New Zealand Chair Russell Marshall will Chair the Commission and businessman Hugh Fletcher has been appointed as an additional member. Established in April, the Commission is charged with advising the Government on how to refocus New Zealand's tertiary education system to meet the challenges of a globalised economy and a knowledge-based society.

Russell Marshall, a former Minister of Education, brings an extensive international perspective to the Commission through his work as the former chair of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO. Hugh Fletcher has considerable business and industry experience and has taken an active interest in tertiary education as a member of the University of Auckland Council.

Mr Maharey said both Commissioners join the TEAC at an opportune time. Starting next year plans for significant change to the tertiary education system will be discussed and it is essential that the Commission has the right mix of skills on board for the job ahead.

Parliament gave the Education Amendment Bill (No. 2) its first reading last week. The Bill clarifies the responsibilities of tertiary education councils and provides for Government assistance when institutions are in financial difficulties.

The bill has been referred to the Education and Science Select Committee for their consideration. The Committee has yet to call for public submissions.

Information charting the decline of New Zealand's tertiary education system released last week by the New Zealand Vice-Chancellor's Committee is further proof of the need to move the sector on to a more sustainable footing.

Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey recently met with university vice-chancellors to discuss the position of New Zealand's eight universities.

In its first year in office the Government has focused on lowering the cost of tertiary education to students (at a cost of an additional $664 million over four years). It now believes it is time to move on to strengthening the system itself.

The second report of the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission dealing with how our tertiary education system should be structured is due with the Minister this week. It is clear that significant change will be needed to reconnect the tertiary system and to build greater levels of teaching and research excellence.

It is expected that the report will be publicly released early in 2001.

This is the final issue of Maharey Notes for 2000.

We return in February 2001.

Have a safe and happy Christmas and an enjoyable start to the New Year.