It\u2019s good to see the budget is investing in early childhood education, free public transport for children, additional classrooms and schools, health workforce, family and sexual violence services, says General Manager SociaLink Liz Davies.
But it does not go anywhere near to ensuring the basics are met for everyone, even just to survive, she says. In Tauranga, SociaLink\u2019s research shows that locals are paying even more for food, electricity and housing than most other parts of Aotearoa New Zealand, so it\u2019s a triple whammy, she says.
SociaLink supports the Western Bay of Plenty social and community sector.
\u201cWe might live in the Bay of Plenty\u2019 but there is not plenty for many people who are struggling with food, rent, power and other costs\u2019 and with little end in sight. The cheaper childcare doesn\u2019t kick in until next year and parents are pretty desperate now.
\u201cWe need more financial support for families to reduce the stress and hardship. Not only will we have healthier, happier children, we might see a reduction in problems like child abuse which are alarmingly high in the Bay of Plenty.
\u201cWe know some people are struggling more than others – people on low incomes, M\u0101ori and Pasifika, people with disabilities – and these groups need to be prioritised,\u201d she said.
She said there is a common perception, particularly in the Beehive, that Tauranga and broader Western Bay of Plenty is prosperous.
\u201cWithout a doubt there is significant wealth in the area, but this often masks the significant deprivation that also co-exists in our communities.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s good to see the budget is investing in early childhood education, free public transport for children, additional classrooms and schools, health workforce, family and sexual violence services, says General Manager SociaLink Liz Davies. But it does not go anywhere near to ensuring the basics are met for everyone, even just to survive, she says. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"resource_type":[],"class_list":["post-58630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-other"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n