Budget 2022: Overview from the NZFVC

The Government made a pre-Budget announcement of $114.5 million over 4 years for family violence and sexual violence initiatives. This funding is focused on implementing Te Aorerekura – the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence. Eight initiatives were outlined to either maintain or expand work in primary prevention, community led responses and improved workforce capability. See the summary of initiatives and the summary on a page from the Joint Venture for the breakdown of this funding. Also see the Ministry of Social Development factsheets on Growing family violence prevention – Budget 2022 and Continuing Family Violence Response Coordination services – Budget 2022.

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New 'Justice Cluster' pilot - funding for courts, legal aid and focus on victims

While the Wellbeing Budget 2022 has a focus on reforming the health system and addressing climate change, Budget 2022 is also working towards a new approach to public finance. This new approach includes the Justice Cluster - one of two pilots to bring Ministers and agencies together to pursue shared goals, and to receive multi-year funding to achieve those goals.

The Justice Cluster is made up of 5 agencies: the Ministry of Justice, New Zealand Police, the Department of Corrections, the Serious Fraud Office, and the Crown Law Office. The agencies will receive $2.7 billion total operating and $65 million capital funding across the forecast period. The Justice Cluster funding is in addition to funding for the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA), capital funding for critical court infrastructure, and the family violence and sexual violence budget package.

Ministers and agencies from the Justice Cluster have agreed to 4 priorities:

1. better outcomes for victims
2. improving access to justice
3. addressing issues with remand
4. better enabled organisations and workforce.

Referring to the Justice Cluster, Budget 2022 states:

"In the long-term, this will involve a shift in investment from more traditional justice processes and infrastructure towards earlier community-based prevention, support activity and responses. This approach is expected to be both cost-effective and more effective in preventing harm.

Before we can make progress on reforming the system, we first need to address pressures on the current system."

The initiatives funded in the Justice Cluster address a mix of current areas of need and transforming the justice and court system. Some key Justice Cluster investments include:

• $47.4 million over 4 years for Te Ao Mārama - to engage with communities and partner with iwi to design new solutions for the District Court
• $190 million of total operating funding over 4 years to maintain and strengthen legal aid (approximately $41 million to maintain and $148 million to strengthen)
• $45.7 million over 4 years to develop and deliver a cross-sector strategy and operating model to inform future investment in victims services
• $12.3 million over 3 years to expand the Victim Assistance Scheme.

For more information see the Ministry of Justice overview of the Budget 2022 initiatives for courts and justice. Also see the Budget 2022 Justice Cluster Overview.

Update: The cabinet paper related to the cross-sector strategy and operating model to inform future investment in victims services was proactively released in 2023, Better Outcomes for Victims: Work programme.

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Other Budget 2022 initiatives

There are a number of initiatives funded in Budget 2022 related to family violence and sexual violence. We've highlighted some key initiatives below and reference the page number in the Budget 2022 Detailed breakdown of initiatives by Vote.

Other justice related initiatives (part of the Justice Cluster):

• Increasing the capability of the Ministry of Justice to ensure it can consistently meet commitments and obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (page 104)
• Funding to continue supporting the mana ōrite partnership between Ināia Tonu Nei and the Justice Sector Leadership Board (page 130)
• Funding for the Ministry of Justice Policy Group to improve capacity and capability for relationships and engagement to enable more inclusive, accessible means of policy design (page 130)
• Increasing capacity for Te Pae Oranga Iwi Community Panels to take on additional referrals for work with rangatahi and family violence victims (page 140)

Care and protection related initiatives:

• Funding for VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai, the Independent Advocacy and Connection Services for Tamariki and Rangatahi with Care Experience to meet increased demand for services (page 137)
• Investing in the "...communities and partners Oranga Tamariki works alongside to ensure that holistic community-led responses that are whānau-centred and identified by the communities themselves, can be set up as part of implementing Oranga Tamariki’s Future Direction Plan" (page 137)
• Building Oranga Tamariki social worker capability by funding the Social Workers Registration Board to work with and support Oranga Tamariki to establish micro-credential standards and develop training materials (page 145)

Other initiatives:

• $100 million over 4 years to implement the Enabling Good Lives approach and $107 million over 4 years to support the establishment of the new Ministry for disabled people (page 146-147)
• Funding to sustain Access to Sexual Abuse Assessment and Treatment Services (page 133)
• Whānau Resilience initiative to support the development of whānau leaders to build resilience and strengthen whānau (page 134, funded by reprioritisation of existing funding)
• Funding for Manatū Wāhine Ministry for Women to meet increasing demands for policy, engagement and data capability and for the Ministry to continue the support for the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry (page 156, also see the Ministry for Women media release)
• Funding for Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to design and lay foundations for the transformation of MSD’s operating and service models (page 149)
• Increasing capability of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities (page 128).

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For more information

MSD has provided a brief overview of budget 2022 initiatives related to support for New Zealanders on low incomes, lifting children out of poverty, reforming the welfare system, improving the lives of disabled people and supporting more people into work and training. MSD also have a series of Budget 2022 Factsheets addressing these initiatives.

For more information see the related media below including government media releases.