12. AARON GILMORE (National) Link to this
to the Minister of Internal Affairs
What recent announcements has he made regarding lotteries funding for the community?
Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister of Internal Affairs) Link to this
Last week I was very pleased to announce that the Lottery Grants Board has allocated $154 million to the community, raised from the proceeds of games like Lotto, Instant Kiwi, and Keno. In addition, an allocation of $6 million will go to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal to help Canterbury get back on its feet. An extra $250,000 has also been given to the Lottery Canterbury / Kaikoura Community Committee. This is on top of the $8.2 million that was raised for the appeal by a special Lotto draw held earlier this year.
The $154 million will be divided amongst 11 regional lottery committees, 11 national committees, and four statutory bodies—Creative New Zealand, the New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Film Archive, and Sport and Recreation New Zealand. A huge variety of organisations have benefited from the funding in recent years, including Age Concern, St John Ambulance, Barnardos, etc. This funding helps to build strong and sustainable communities.