Collins’ Comments – Budget special

This week the Government announced our Budget looking forward from July 2015. Budget 2014 is squarely focused on helping families get ahead. Kiwis will benefit from increased spending on essential services such as disability support, elective surgeries, breast cancer treatment, Auckland transport initiatives, preventing child abuse, sexual abuse support, Parental Leave, schools, early childhood education, tertiary education, helping beneficiaries into work and encouraging economic growth.

Papakura Electorate wins with $210 million motorway improvement
Residents and businesses in the Papakura Electorate can celebrate Budget 2014’s $210 million planto improve travel around the Takanini and Papakura area.

Construction work between 2014 and 2017 will expand State Highway 1 to three lanes from Hill Road to Takanini, expanded to six lanes from Takanini to Papakura and four lanes southbound from State Highway 20 to Hill Road. There will also be improvements to the northbound Takanini onramp and the Takanini interchange.

I thank local Councillors Calum Penrose, Sir John Walker and Bill Cashmore along with Local Board Chairs Angela Dalton and Bill McEntee, who have advocated with me for this fantastic development. As a result, commuters can look forward to vast improvements to travel time and ease of travel and this will improve daily life for local families and businesses.
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Free GP visits and prescriptions for under 13 year olds
Another significant announcement in this year’s Budget is that doctors’ visits and prescriptions will be made free of charge for all children under 13 years of age.

Over three years from 1 July 2015, $90 million dollars will not only go toward making sure these children are able to see the doctor free of charge at any time of the day, it also means parents will not have to pay for their prescriptions. I’ve no doubt this news will be very welcome by parents in our communities.

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All the wonderful news from Budget 2014 will no doubt be very welcome by parents, children, businesses and organisations in the Papakura Electorate. It’s a great example of how a sensible Government can produce real and much needed results for everyday Kiwis.

For more information and to see the rest of the fantastic Budget 2014 initiatives, you can visithttps://www.national.org.nz/news/news.

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