$571m boost in defence spend

MORE than half a billion dollars is going to defence in this year’s Budget to improve pay for the frontline and upgrade equipment. Defence Minister Judith Collins made the preBudget announcement at Burnham Military Camp near Christchurch yesterday.

The overall Budget boost is $571 million, to be mostly spent over four years, with the exception of $19m of capital funding, which will be allocated to the 202831 financial cycle.

In total, $163m will be for improved remuneration for uniformed personnel and $408m for projects and infrastructure.

The funding will be broken down into $127m for operations and $281m in capital funding.

A small portion of the new funding has been clawed back from savings within the New Zealand Defence Force.

Ms Collins said $99m of the $107m in savings is from the defence force, which will be reinvested into remuneration and the other $8m was found within the Ministry of Defence.

Those savings have come from projects ending and ‘‘a reduction in international and domestic travel, as well as a decrease in spending on contractors and consultants’’. Any major projects already planned and under way are expected to continue.

‘‘Subject to Cabinet approval, a project will begin to replace the Unimog and Pinzgauer trucks, the NZDF’s workhorses, and most frequently deployed vehicles. ‘‘Replacement vehicles will have integrated communications that will enhance interoperability with regional and global partners, such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States,’’ Ms Collins said.

The other projects for which funding has been allocated through Budget ’24, subject to Cabinet approval, are:

◼ The next phase of an upgrade to the NH90 helicopter navigation systems and radios.

◼ Upgrading the regional supply facility and logistics model at Linton Military Camp.

◼ Modernising devices and productivity tools.

◼ Upgrading some digital services.

◼ Improving national maritime domain awareness.

Ms Collins said retaining personnel and having them equipped to do their jobs was vital to ensure ‘‘New Zealand is ready, willing and — crucially — able to play its part internationally’’.

‘‘NZDF personnel are at the front line of New Zealand’s security, but they cannot do their jobs without the right equipment and conditions.

‘‘The world is increasingly unstable. We have only to look at events in the Ukraine and Middle East to see how quickly people’s lives can change. This Budget announcement is a signal that New Zealand is ready to step up and play its part to protect the freedoms that so many of us take for granted. — RNZ