This instrument is made under section 124(1)(d) of the Social Security Act 1964 by the Minister for Social Development.

Instrument

1. Title—This instrument is the Special Needs Grants Amendment (No. 4) 2016.

2. Commencement—This instrument comes into force on the day after it is approved by the Minister.

3. Principal programme—This instrument amends the Special Needs Grants Programme* (as established and approved on 18 December 1998) (“principal programme”).

4. Clause 18 amended (Grants to Farmers, Orchardists etc.)—(1) After clause 18.6 insert:

18.6A Despite clause 18.6, during the extended period of approval—

1. Grants under clause 18.2 to Farmers to whom clause 18.6B applies may be made for more than one year but for not more than the expiry of the extended period of approval; and
2. clause 18.7 does not apply to those Farmers.

18.6B This clause applies to Farmers whose land-based industries are directly affected by drought in the affected areas.

18.6C In clauses 18.6A and 18.6B—

affected areas has the same meaning as in the instrument titled Approval for rural assistance under Special Needs Grants Programme dated 18 February 2015 (New Zealand Gazette, 5 March 2015, Issue No. 20, Notice No. 2015-go1175) (“2015 Approval”).

extended period of approval means the period to which the approvals set out in the 2015 Approval were extended by the instrument titled Extension of Approval for rural assistance under Special Needs Grants Programme dated 20 June 2016 (New Zealand Gazette, 30 June 2016, Issue No. 60, Notice No. 2016-go3744).

(2) Revoke clauses 18.6A to 18.6C (as inserted by subclause (1)) on the close of 28 February 2017.

Dated at Wellington this 12th day of September 2016.

Hon ANNE TOLLEY, Minister for Social Development.

Explanatory note

This note is not part of the instrument but is intended to indicate its general effect.

This instrument amends the Special Needs Programme to ensure that assistance under Part 6 of the programme can continue to be granted until the close of 28 February 2017 to eligible farmers whose land based industries are directly affected by drought in the districts of the following local authorities:

• Ashburton District Council
• Central Otago District Council
• Christchurch City Council
• Dunedin City Council
• Hurunui District Council
• Kaikoura District Council
• Mackenzie District Council
• Marlborough District Council
• Selwyn District Council
• Timaru District Council
• Waimakariri District Council
• Waimate District Council
• Waitaki District Council.

* New Zealand Gazette, 28 January 1999, No. 8, page 202.