Jan Tinetti Labour MP

When I was principal at a local school here in Tauranga, I saw first-hand the consequences of people living in cold, damp homes.

The impact on the health and wellbeing of children and older people is particularly devastating.

I am proud to be part of a government which has been steadfastly committed to rectifying this issue, which is not only devastating for peoples' health, but is also economically detrimental with more people off work and school through illness and putting an added strain on our health system.

The government's highly successful insulation and heating programme, Warmer Kiwi Homes, celebrated a key milestone this week, with the completion of more than 38,000 insulation and efficient heater installs in the year to the end of June.

This smashes its target of 25,000 installs for the year, and since July 2018, 69,000 installs have been completed.

In the Bay of Plenty alone there have been 4047 installs, meaning a better life and better health outcomes for thousands of our residents. It's great to see so many Kiwis engaging with our plan to boost energy efficiency and health standards in the home.

Thanks to further support for Warmer Kiwi Homes in Budget 2021, an extra 47,700 homes will be made warmer and energy efficient this year. The programme also stimulates job growth and is good for the economy.

Some 86 companies are currently contracted to deliver the programme, with more than 81 per cent of the insulation products they install manufactured in New Zealand, further supporting our economic recovery from Covid-19.

Warmer Kiwi Homes has been a win-win for our people and our economy.