WELLINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne on Tuesday announced a new record figure of 272 million NZ dollars (204 million U.S. dollars) in lottery funding to help build stronger, more sustainable communities across New Zealand.
The funding is a result of a very strong 2016--2017 financial year for Lotto New Zealand, Dunne said in a statement.
Lotto New Zealand exists to generate community funding for distribution through the Lottery Grants Board to support a diverse range of community activities, including building community facilities, funding health research and services, supporting outdoor safety and protecting New Zealand's natural and cultural heritage.
"Lotto New Zealand's strong performance during the year was highlighted by a number of large jackpots, including two Powerball Must Be Won draws in 2016, leading to record funding for distribution," Dunne said, adding that this represents over 81 million NZ dollars (60.75 million U.S. dollars) in additional community funding than initially forecast.
Lotto funding is a major source of funding for Sport New Zealand, Creative New Zealand and the NZ Film Commission. "This result will also be welcome news for more than 3,000 groups and organizations which receive Lotto funding to support their communities," he said.
Total lottery funding for the financial year includes 2.7 million NZ dollars (2 million U.S. dollars) raised for earthquake relief efforts in Kaikoura and Hurunui and surrounding regions through a special Lotto draw held on Dec. 10, 2016; and a further 7.5 million NZ dollars (5.6 million U.S. dollars) allocated to Kaikoura's earthquake rebuild in July from profits distributed to the Lottery Grants Board.
Lotto New Zealand celebrates its 30th anniversary this month. Beyond its winners, its biggest impact over the past three decades is most clearly demonstrated by the more than 4 billion NZ dollars (3 billion U.S. dollars) in funding that has been returned to Kiwi communities during that time, Dunne said.
