By 1news.co.nz
An extra $11 million will help extend the Government’s “incredibly popular” fog cannon subsidy scheme for retailers, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has announced.
Hipkins announced the new measures at his post-Cabinet media conference today. The PM also signalled additional initiatives to address crime in the coming weeks.
“Small retailers continue to tell us that the scheme is working well and that they feel safer knowing that they are better protected against things like ram raids and burglary.
“The retail crime spike that we have been experiencing is utterly unacceptable. Those business owners and their employees experiencing the spike first-hand should not have to be fearful when they go to work.
“Today’s announcement is another step forward in supporting those affected businesses who are at risk of those sorts of crime, but we are also going to be prioritising other work on this issue and I hope to have more to say on that soon,” Hipkins said.
The Government opened applications for the $4000 subsidy in February, and the PM said demand had increased significantly in the past month.
“If weekly approvals remain at the high levels that we’re seeing at the moment, a further 3350 cannons will be subsidised by the end of this year.”
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“I’ve seen first-hand the difference fog cannons are making. Not only do they help prevent crime, but they also give retailers peace of mind,” she said.
“Demand has been strong, with the number of daily applications being received by MBIE significantly increasing since April.
“Fog cannons can help deter ram raids and burglary and reduce the risk of people being harmed. The dense cloud of fog is highly disorienting and prevents attackers from targeting cash, stock, or workers.”
So far 582 installations of fog cannons have been completed, and 1664 applications have been approved, according to the Government.
Hipkins continued: “We’re also going to be continuing prioritising other work on this issue, and I hope to have more to say on that soon.”
Today’s announcement comes as National and ACT continue to push the Government on its law and order record five months ahead of the general election.
