Consultation on the Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2019/20 to 2021/22 has been extended. The new closing date for submissions is 5pm, 28 September 2018.
The extension is to allow time for additional information to be considered as part of submissions.
Additional information
Due to a high level of interest the Ministry of Health recently published additional information on its website to assist submitters and respond to questions raised during and after the 10 recent public consultation meetings.
In particular, the Ministry received questions regarding the proposal to carry over $5 million of underspent appropriation into the next Levy period for the purpose of:
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Piloting new ways of working for public health and clinical intervention services in geographical areas or communities that are currently under-serviced ($3 million over 3 years)
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Piloting peer support services ($800,000 over 3 years)
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Piloting a small amount of residential care for gambling harm ($700,000 over 3 years
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Evaluation of the pilots ($500,000 over 3 years).
The indicative cost for these services is $5 million explained in the Consultation Document and Consultation slides. An indicative breakdown of the costs for these services is provided in the slide pack (slides 34 and 35) available on the Ministry’s website at the link below:
Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2019/20 to 2012/22: Consultation document
This means that in practice the total funding required to fulfil the proposed Strategy is $60.339 million over three years. However the Ministry is proposing to fund this through:
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The Problem Gambling Levy recouping the cost of $55.339 million
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The Ministry carrying over $5 million of unspent appropriation.
The Ministry welcomes submissions on the Strategy, including on whether the $5 million underspend should be carried over into the following Levy period, and whether these proposed pilot services provide the best use of this funding, or whether the costs should be different.
Because of the level of interest in this, and in the interests of being fair and transparent, the Ministry has decided to extend its consultation period by a week. The period will now close at 5pm, 28 September 2018 to allow time for the additional information to be considered as part of submissions.
If you have already made a submission, please feel free to make another or to resubmit a revised version, if you wish.
