New Pacific Peoples Lottery Grants Committee Established

Pacific Island groups are to receive assistance to access Lottery funding in line with the recommendations of a cultural audit released this evening, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Steve Maharey said today.

Mr Maharey was joined at Parliament this evening by Prime Minister Helen Clark, Ethnic Affairs Minister George Hawkins and Pacific Island Affairs Minister Mark Gosche to launch a Lottery Grants Board Pacific Island cultural audit report. He said the Grants Board has a long-standing commitment to distributing lottery funding equitably across geographic and demographic communities.

“The audit clearly shows Pacific people are currently considerably under-represented among those receiving Lottery grants. They make fewer applications for smaller amounts of money, and receive a much smaller proportion of the funding they apply for.

"The audit report suggests that greater administrative support should be provided to Pacific people's groups to ensure that this is rectified.

"Many Pacific people's groups recognise that they need assistance to build stronger financial and management systems and that this would assist them to gain lottery grants funding.

"I am pleased that the Lottery Grants Board has already decided to act on one of the major recommendations of the audit report - the establishment of a special subcommittee specifically to help develop the financial and management systems of Pacific people's groups.

“The subcommittee has eight members, seven of whom are Pacific people, and has an allocation budget of half-a-million dollars to give out to Pacific people's groups this year.

"Application packs are currently being developed with direct input from the subcommittee membership and once these are finalised the fund will be promoted widely in Pacific communities. Applications will close in December and a distribution meeting is planned for March next year.

"The Grants Board believes that support for Pacific people's groups to improve their administrative systems will enable them to approach Lottery committees and other funding agencies on a level playing field," Mr Maharey said.

The membership of the Lottery General Pacific Island Provider Development Subcommittee is Tui Tararo (Wellington), Loudeen Parsons (Wellington), Filipo Lui (Wellington), Siale Faitotonu (Christchurch), Gardinia Atimalala (Auckland), Lea Cowley (Auckland), Peta Si'ulepa (Auckland) and Anne Burt (Auckland).

Ends

© Scoop Media