Scoring the coalition government's progress against its own targets
RNZ is tracking progress towards each of the government's nine targets, based on official data provided by the agencies being measured.
The graphics are updated each quarter, with the most recent progress report covering up to March 2025.
Employment and reading, writing and mathematics targets are classified as 'at risk' of not being met, and two health targets are considered 'feasible' - meaning they are still possible but are behind schedule and face "major risks and/or issues".
Targets considered 'on track' include reducing the number of victims of crime, the number of households in emergency housing and meeting near-term greenhouse gas emission targets.
The nine targets were selected to focus the public sector on priorities.
Progress is reported quarterly, and each responsible agency assigns a status, ranging from on track to unachievable. Progress toward reaching a target can still be classed as feasible, even if there are major risks or issues in meeting it, as long as the agency in charge believes these can be resolved.
The nine targets are set to be delivered by 2030, beyond the current political term.
The number of serious and persistent youth offenders has decreased by 32 since last quarter, and is 42 away from reaching the target of 900 or fewer.
For a youth offender to be classed as a serious or persistent offender they must have committed three or more offences in the past 12 months, with at least one of them having a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment or more.
Hitting the targeted 15 percent reduction by 2030 is considered probable, meaning it needs "constant attention" to ensure any risks to the target do not develop into major issues.
Bootcamps, improving response teams and locally-led initiatives and increased school attendance are listed as areas the government is focused on to reach the target.
The only goal to shift from "feasible" to "on track" this quarter is reducing the number of victims of assault, robbery or sexual assault. It has dropped by 33,662 since the last quarterly update.
This target was kept as one of the nine government targets, despite officials suggesting it would be difficult to achieve and should be replaced with something easier to reach.
The goal to reduce the number of victims of assault, robbery, and sexual assault by 20,000 by 2030 is based on data from the New Zealand Crime and Victims' Survey. Officials warned the survey data had a high margin of error and was more suitable for showing long-term trends.
The survey includes crimes that victims might have experienced up to two years prior.
Details about the reduction were
announced in April
, with Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith saying it considered the numbers to be robust, however, he expected the data to remain volatile.
The Ministry of Justice warned the numbers from quarterly releases are also more volatile and should be considered indicative only.
Initiatives to reach the target include limiting sentencing discounts, improving security at targeted locations and breaking the cycle of violence with expanded drug and alcohol interventions for in remand custody.
Driving down the number of households in emergency housing is one target where progress has streaked ahead of estimates.
Starting from a baseline of 3141 households, the goal was to reduce the number by 75 percent, to 800 or fewer.
The current number is 528, well below the 800 which was the 2030 goal.
Part of the plan to reach the target includes improving access to other forms of housing for emergency housing residents. Since a fast-track category for waitlists was created in April, 972 households have shifted from emergency housing, such as motels, to social housing.
Criteria to be placed in emergency housing have also tightened
despite warnings
from officials that this could lead to an increase in rough sleepers. This has led to almost a
third of applications for emergency housing
to be declined.
In Auckland, the number of people living in cars, parks or on the streets has
increased from 426 people in September to 653 people
in December.
There are two targets New Zealand has committed to meeting as part of its net zero climate change goal.
The first target is for total greenhouse gas emissions between 2022 and 2025 to be below 290 megatonnes. This target is on track to being achieved.
Reaching the second target - for total emissions between 2026 and 2030 to be less than 309 mt - appears to be
more of a challenge
due to a project to store carbon facing uncertainty, as it doesn't stack up commercially. This project represented a third of proposed carbon savings expected to be made from 2025 to 2030.
There was no quarterly update to the numbers on this target, but the government still considers it to be on track.
At 58.1 percent, Term 4's attendance rate is well below the target of 80 percent of students present for more than 90 percent of the term. This means students should take no more than five days off a term.
Absence is classed as either "justified" or "unjustified". Justified absences include illnesses, and other reasons which fall under school policy, such as suspensions. Unjustified absences include truancy, or taking holidays in term time. The government target of 80 percent makes no distinction between the two.
Notes provided to Cabinet when the targets were being set said it would be difficult to meet the 80 percent target while Covid-19 is still circulating.
The Ministry of Education said its estimated attendance levels until 2029 is not a "technical forecast" but is based on historical patterns of greater attendance drops during winter months due to illness.
Since 2011, the highest percentage of students attending 90 percent of a school term was 72.8 percent, in Term 1 of 2019. The average over that time was 59.4 percent.
Reaching this target is deemed "probable".
In healthcare, the goal for 95 percent of patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred from an emergency department within six hours is still some way off.
The latest period of reporting shows only 72.1 percent of patients were seen within that timeframe. This is a increase from the last quarter when 67.5 percent of patients were seen within six hours.
When setting this target, officials warned there was a risk it would not be achievable in the short term.
"Most ED [emergency departments] nationwide are over capacity most of the time," a briefing to ministers read.
It said wait times were affected by resourcing, community services, bed availability and seasonal changes, such as increased demand during flu season.
Attempting to reduce wait times would require significant system-wide change in hospitals, primary care and aged care, the briefing said.
"There would be a risk the target is achieved by focusing resources intensively in ED at the expense of other areas of the health system. This may result in improved ED wait times in the short term, but - through reduction in the quality of care elsewhere - would likely result in worse health outcomes and ultimately higher ED presentations in the medium to long term."
Te Whatu Ora's plan to meet the target is to "stabilise" Health NZ's governance. Primary care is also seen as a solution, with investment in services such as digital access and retaining doctors. A funding boost of
$164 million was announced
for urgent and after care healthcare.
Reaching the 95 percent goal by 2030 is considered to be feasible, meaning there are major risks to achievement.
The target for 95 percent of people to receive elective treatment within four months is a long way away from being achieved, although tracking in the right direction.
At the moment 59.2 percent of people needing elective treatments, such as hip or cataract surgeries, are seen within four months. This is lower than the 62.2 percent reported in the last quarter.
A $50 million investment has been made to reduce a backlog of surgeries, which is expected to fund 10,579 procedures. To date,
at least 9696 have been performed
.
There's also a push to use private hospitals to perform procedures, with Health Minister Simeon Brown
suggesting that Health NZ secure 10 year contracts
with private hospitals.
Delivery of this target is considered feasible, indicating there are still major risks.
Achievement rates for mathematics and reading are still well below the government target of 80 percent of Year 8 students being at or above the expected curriculum level.
Currently 47 percent of students are at the expected level in reading and 22 percent in mathematics.
Writing has not been assessed recently but the 2019 data put 35 percent of students at the expected level.
A plan to raise mathematics achievement has been launched and
structured literacy will be introduced for students from Year 0 to 6
in 2025.
This target is measured annually, so there is no change since the last quarterly update.
Also considered "at risk" is the employment target.
The number of people receiving Jobseeker support decreased by 5500 to 209,800 since the December report. But this is nearly 27,000 above the forecast for March 2024 and 69,800 away from the overall goal of 140,000 or fewer people receiving support by 2030.
The government's update suggests new applicants will reduce as economic conditions improve and "welfare system interventions" are embedded over 2025.
Measures to reduce the number of people on Jobseeker benefit include stricter sanctions via a traffic light system. The system saw 13,300 sanctions handed out in the latest quarter.
The March update says more client engagement is occurring, with 93,000 more Jobseeker recipients attending appointments compared to the same period in 2024.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
27 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Tai Rāwhiti protest: A burning question on Ngāti Oneone's redress
Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson stoking the fire at the protest movement taking place at Te Pā Eketū Shed, on Hirini St, calling for the return of Ngāti Oneone's ancestral lands. Photo: Zita Campbell / LDR A fire signalling Tai Rāwhiti hapū Ngāti Oneone's call for the return of their ancestral lands has been burning for over six weeks. The hapū said it will stoke the fire until the grievance is resolved, but after three generations of attempting to remedy it, does not want the redress to fall on them. "It always falls on us to 'make the case'," Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson told Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) when the movement started on 5 May. The Crown said any potential redress in this case is the responsibility of the landowner and the hapū. As part of its protest, members of Ngāti Oneone have inhabited Te Pā Eketū Shed, a warehouse-sized property on Gisborne's Hirini St. Rather than an "occupation", the hāpu calls the action "a reclamation of whenua". The location is where Ngāti Oneone's marae and pā were originally established in 1852 before being removed for harbour development under the Private Works Act. Eastland Port, of which Trust Tai Rāwhiti is the sole shareholder, owns the shed and others on the hapū's ancestral land on Hirini St and the Esplanade. At the beginning of the protest movement, the hapū called on the trust, Eastland Port and Gisborne District Council to return land not used for "core business". Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann told LDR the council had started exploring how land could potentially be returned following formal requests from Ngāti Oneone in 2024. This includes investigating the relevant legal processes, policy settings and the interests of other Treaty partners. However, Trust Tai Rāwhiti, which has a funding partnership with the council and serves as the region's economic development and tourism organisation, earlier said addressing historical Treaty breaches was not its responsibility, but rather a matter for the Crown, after it sought independent legal advice. "We support Ngāti Oneone in pursuing this with the Crown," chairman David Battin told LDR when the protest started. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka had a different view. The 2010 Ngāti Porou settlement of historical Treaty of Waitangi claims includes Ngāti Oneone, Potaka told LDR. "The matter being raised ... is outside of the process for the settlement of historical Treaty claims. "Any exploration of options to return and/or purchase the land is a matter for the landowner agency to undertake in discussion with Ngāti Oneone," he said. Regarding Potaka's statement, a Trust Tai Rāwhiti spokesperson this week said trustees continued to "engage directly with Ngāti Oneone and remained focused on constructive resolutions". Gibson confirmed the hapū had met with the landowner groups involved under Trust Tai Rāwhiti and would have a meeting with the council next week. She was unsure whether the groups would respond individually or together. The hapū has committed to maintaining the protest for two months and then will reassess depending on outcomes, she said. "We'll keep the fire burning until we've had an acceptable response." In addition to the return of land, the hapū has made other requests to the landowners through an online petition signed by over 1950 as of Friday. The petition urges the Tai Rāwhiti leaders to take three actions: "Whakahokia Whenua Mai", which requests the return of land not used for core business, "Whakamana Tangata" and "Te Tiriti". Whakamana Tangata requests that Trust Tai Rāwhiti financially compensate Ngāti Oneone for "the alienation" of their lands without conditions. "Te Tiriti" requests that the leaders seek a pathway that treats Ngāti Oneone in the same vein as a "Treaty" partner, rather than "a community group". Gibson said that after Eastland Port sold a shed on their ancestral land to the Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club three years ago, they worried about what could happen to the rest of their ancestral land, so they started negotiations for the Te Pa Eketū Shed. If the land were sold, it would be harder to reclaim, she said. However, they then realised the port had other sheds in the area, not used for "core business". "In my view, it's not an occupation, it's a reclamation of whenua," Gibson said, explaining that the shed had been leased while negotiating the sales and purchase agreement. The port would send the hapū the bill, which they would send to Trust Tai Rāwhiti, who would pay Eastland Port (owned by the trust), she said. Trust Tai Rāwhiti was going to give them $1.4 million to purchase the shed, but the hapū wanted to use the money to buy the lot. When their request was denied, they understood and looked into other ways of obtaining the sheds, Gibson said. However, when the hapū got the sales and purchase agreement, things shifted. "There were four clauses within the sales and purchase agreement, which undermined Mana motuhake [self-determination], which made it untenable," said Gibson. On 5 May the beginning of the hapū's "Reclamation of whenua", they were supposed to sign the sales and purchase agreement but decided to "reclaim" the land instead. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Curious, concerned: Picton residents weigh in on SH1 changes
By Kira Carrington , Local Democracy Reporter NZTA staff meet with residents at Picton Library about moving State Highway 1 onto Kent Street. Photo: Local Democracy Reporting/ Kira Carrington In a small room in Picton's library, dozens of people have gathered to discuss the intricacies of truck routes, intersections, school crossings and parking spaces. They pored over stands and wall displays, showing the proposed permanent State Highway 1 route along Kent Street to the ferry terminal, instead of through central Picton. The proposed changes have already caused controversy, with one resident calling them "horrible" , when they were announced on 11 June. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi's pop-up sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday hummed with questions, fresh ideas and a bit of debate, but not from Heather Hopkins, a resident of upper Kent Street, who had popped in to see how the highway would go past her home. She was pretty happy, she said. Picton resident Heather Hopkins says she has no concerns about NZTA's proposed changes. Photo: Local Democracy Reporting/ Kira Carrington "I'm not really affected, I just wanted more information," Hopkins said. "[I have] no concerns at all, it'll be free flowing, once everyone gets used to it." In the evening session, people were most drawn to the board showing where Kent Street met the Wairau Road/SH1 intersection, which would take ferry passengers and freight trucks from the terminals out of town under the new proposal. As part of a realignment of SH1 through Picton, changes have been proposed to the intersection of State Highway 1 and Wairau Road. Photo: NZTA Lara O'Brien, who lived around the corner from Kent Street, said the intersection's new alignment would cut residents off from their own town centre during peak traffic. Drivers on SH1 south of Kent Street wanting to get into central Picton would need to make a right-hand turn onto Wairau Road towards Nelson Square. During peak ferry traffic, they would be stuck in a right-turning lane with no gaps, O'Brien said. "These people [leaving the ferry terminal] get to just go, but people going to town, when do they get to go?" O'Brien said. "You get 60 trucks coming out of the ferry terminal. This is going to be a congestion point for locals coming out of town." Another group lingered around the board showing the relocation of the Picton School crossing on Kent Street. People are particularly drawn to the planned changes for the Wairau Road/Kent Street intersection. Photo: Local Democracy Reporting/ Kira Carrington Many of the attendees were reluctant to speak publicly about their opinions on the divisive subject. The loss of roadside parking and problems with trucks parking along the road were common complaints. A truck driver from Levin, whose cousin was a Picton-based truckie, came along to the evening session. He said NZTA did a similar consultation about a pedestrian overpass in Levin and he was sceptical that feedback would alter the proposal. A Picton resident praised NZTA for moving the crossing outside Picton School back to its original position, saying he didn't know why it was put there a few years ago. "They're just putting it back to where it was, because people don't use it." Graphics supplied by NZTA show the loss of parking on Kent Street under the new proposal. Photo: NZTA NZTA regional manager of system design Robert Osborne said the sessions were a valuable way of sharing information with Picton residents and getting their feedback. "The drop-in sessions were all well attended, with around 30 - 40 people each session and some coming to visit us a couple of times to ask further questions," Osborne said. "We received a great range of questions and comments, which will help us with our detailed design work. "We also understand... that there will likely be a wide range of opinions about them. However, this project is aimed at improving Picton's roads and making it easier for people to get around. "We look forward to continuing to hear from the community about our plans." Design plans would now be finalised and work would start next winter. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Christopher Luxon concludes China trip: 'No evidence' of collaboration with Russia, Iran or North Korea
Photo: Supplied / Dan Brunskill Christopher Luxon has wrapped up his trip to China, dismissing suggestions the superpower is working with Russia, Iran or North Korea to undermine the West - as alleged by NATO's top official. The prime minister says he also stressed to China's leaders that engagement in the Pacific must advance the region's interests, but refused to say whether the recent Cook Islands crisis was raised by either side. Speaking late Friday at New Zealand's embassy in Beijing, Luxon said he was leaving "very, very convinced" the bilateral relationship was in "a really strong place and in good heart". The comments followed a day of top-level meetings at the Great Hall of the People, capping a three-day visit to China, Luxon's first as prime minister. The prime minister and his officials now fly on to Belgium and then to the Netherlands, where he will attend the annual NATO summit. Photo: Supplied / Dan Brunskill Asked about NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte's recent warning that China is working together with Russia, Iran and North Korea, Luxon noted the "Dutch directness" - but indicated a "difference of opinion". "We haven't seen evidence of those four powers coordinating in a way, actively against the West," Luxon said. "We've seen bilateral associations, say, between Russia and North Korea, with respect to the war in Ukraine. We've seen bilateral arrangements between Iran and Russia as well, but we haven't seen evidence of a wholesale force." The rest of the delegation was now returning to New Zealand on the air force 757. Photo: Supplied / Dan Brunskill The talks came a day after revelations New Zealand suspended nearly $20 million in funding to the Cook Islands , after its agreements with China earlier this year. Luxon repeatedly refused to say whether that issue, or any other, was discussed behind closed doors. "We need to respect that they are private diplomatic conversations that need to be respected in the privacy of the sanctum." A media statement issued at the end of the trip said Luxon had raised "the need for engagement in the Pacific to take place in a manner which advances Pacific priorities". Pressed to clarify, Luxon said the concern had been well-canvassed: "Making sure that… all major powers that aren't part of the Pacific family… respect the centrality of the Pacific Island Forum." While none of China's leaders directly mentioned the Cook Islands crisis, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun earlier said China's cooperation with the Pacific nation "should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party". Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown on Friday labelled the funding pause "patronising" and pointed out he had not been consulted on any agreements New Zealand entered with China this trip . Luxon denied any double standard, but said he had "nothing more to add" on the subject. "I'm not going to get into it. I've spoken ad nauseam about the Cooks and the challenge." The prime minister's statement also said he raised "rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific" including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Photo: Supplied / Dan Brunskill Before speaking to reporters, the prime minister took part in an official welcome ceremony at the Great Hall and then a sit-down with his counterpart, Premier Li Qiang. In opening remarks, Li spoke of global turbulence and the need for "mutually beneficial cooperation". He said he had been "deeply impressed" by Luxon's friendship and hospitality during his 2024 visit to Wellington. In response, Luxon said the international challenges made ongoing dialogue more important "even where we differ". The meeting ended with the signing of 11 agreements, promising cooperation in areas including customs, food safety, and tourism. Luxon - and the wider business delegation - then stayed on for a banquet dinner at the Great Hall. Earlier on Friday, Xi said the bilateral relationship had experienced "many ups and downs" but remained respectful and at the forefront of China's Western ties. Luxon meanwhile described the bilateral relationship as "long-standing" and of "great consequence" to New Zealand. "The world looks to China as a major global power to play a constructive role in addressing many of the challenges that are facing us all," he said. Speaking to RNZ before departure, Luxon said he had established "good rapport" with both leaders during their previous meetings. The prime minister last met Xi in November at the APEC summit in Peru . At the time, Luxon characterised their conversation as "warm, positive and constructive" but noted clear differences over the AUKUS defence pact and missile testing in the Pacific. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
