PM Luxon’s social targets

The Government has announced nine social targets to be met by 2030. That would be by the end of a second term.

Here they are:

1. Shorter stays in emergency departments: 95 per cent of patients to be admitted, discharged, or transferred from an emergency department within six hours.
2. Shorter wait times for (elective) treatment: 95 per cent of people wait less than four months for elective treatment.
3. Reduced child and youth offending: 15 per cent reduction in the total number of children and young people with serious and persistent offending behaviour.
4. Reduced violent crime: 20,000 fewer people who are victims of an assault, robbery, or sexual assault.
5. Fewer people on the Jobseeker Support Benefit: 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support Benefit.
6. Increased student attendance: 80 per cent of students are present for more than 90 per cent of the term.
7. More students at expected curriculum levels: 80 per cent of Year 8 students at or above the expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing and maths by December 2030.
8. Fewer people in emergency housing: 75 per cent reduction of households in emergency housing.
9. Reduced net greenhouse gas emissions: On track to meet New Zealand’s 2050 net zero climate change targets, with total net emissions of no more than 290 megatonnes from 2022 to 2025 and 305 megatonnes from 2026 to 2030.

True to his corporate roots, CEO/PM Luxon has embraced the business maxim, ‘You can’t manage what you can’t measure’. Targets are undeniably useful, but now what?

Perhaps of widest interest here in Hawke’s Bay would be the health related targets, as our hospital is regularly castigated for its relevant waiting times. For example, as against the target of 95% of ED patients being dealt with within six hours, presently for HB Hospital that number is 72% according to latest 2023 data.

And looking at a precursor metric to wait times for elective treatment, patients waiting longer than four months for first specialist assessment (FSA) has also showed an increase. A hospital spokesperson recently confirmed to BayBuzz that several specialities had made significant inroads into reducing waiting times. “However, workforce pressures and continued demand for services have impacted the FSA wait times in Hawke’s Bay for 2023. The Central Region has committed to working together in 2024 to sustainably reduce FSA wait times.”

Regarding emergency housing, Hastings at least can report major progress in the last three years. At the end of 2023, 66 people (in 39 households) were living in emergency accommodations, down from 285 people (in 117 households) from early 2022 when MSD began formally reporting (HDC estimates were even higher) — a 77% decrease in people. And giving credit where credit is due — the result of exceptional HDC, community and Labour Government collaboration.

The final target — basically honouring the nation’s previous greenhouse gas emissions targets — might prove to be especially problematic. The Coalition Government has yet to indicate its concrete pathway for achieving such reductions, while the NZ Climate Commission is advising these targets are not tough enough for NZ to meet its international obligations.