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Budget 2019: What you need to know

May 30, 2019

The government's first Wellbeing Budget has been revealed - here's what you need to know.

Mental Health: $1.9 billion package over five years includes new universal frontline mental health service aimed at helping 325,000 people by 2023/24 Suicide prevention: $40m over four years in suicide prevention services Nurses in schools programme expanded to decile 5 secondary schools to support young people's mental wellbeing Whanau Ora: $80 million boost to expand coverage KiwiRail: $1bn to redevelop the rail system including $375m for new wagons and locomotives and $331 for track and infrastructure Auckand's City Rail Link: $405.5 new capital investment for the Crown's share of cost increases Tackling child poverty: Budget confirms $535m package for lifting incomes including indexing main benefits to wage increases and lifting abatement thresholds. Extra funding for decile 1-7 schools to replace parents' donations Climate change: $95m on science and research including on new energy technologies, and $25m over four years on helping agriculture deal with the effects of climate change Venture Capital: $300m fund for investing in New Zealand venture capital markets Homelessness: Budget confirms $197m over four years to fund 1044 Housing First places

Read more on the Budget:

RNZ's comprehensive budget reporting and analysis The Wellbeing Budget explained Budget breach didn't break the law - Treasury

Watch Grant Robertson's Budget speech and the political reaction in the House here:

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