Emergency services, justice get boost

Emergency services and the justice sector were given a Budget boost, with an investment in communications and upgrade of the courts.

Nearly $48 million will be used to replace ageing emergency service communication capabilities with a new digital network – Next Generation Critical Communications – that will be more reliable and secure. The initiative would establish a new critical communications system for police, fire, St John and Wellington Free Ambulance.

Funding of $15.8m was provided for ‘‘volume pressures in emergency ambulance services’’ over four years.

While a number of planned police projects were put on ice for this Covid Budget, its watchdog will get almost $4m to enable it to consider more complaints.

‘‘Cost pressures’’ on prisons such as an increased use of electronic monitoring and rent increases for community sites will see an extra $17m boost.

The Government set a goal of reducing the prison population by 30 percent over 15 years.

About $12.3m will restore prison network safety and effectiveness.

Almost $50m will also go to Ho¯kai Rangi – Pre-Trial Service to reduce the number of people entering (or remaining in) custody.

About $75m will fund infrastructure resilience, utilities and digital infrastructure.

Corrections will get $110.4m to ‘‘to address operational cost and inflationary pressures’’ that includes $79.2m to train staff.

In total, Budget 2020 dished out more than $700m to the Justice Sector for ‘‘community safety’’.

It will go towards maintaining infrastructure for courts, technology, inflationary pressures and investment in change.

The Budget 2020 package also includes $666.3m in operating funds for the Defence portfolio to fund critical pressures facing the sector.