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2026 Budget: $2.6B Surplus, Senior Card, Transport, No Carbon Credits

5/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

The 2026 budget projects a $2.6 billion surplus 2028/29 and earmarks $42 million for photo-ID upgrade to the SuperGold card for 900,000 seniors by October 2028.
The budget allocated $309.6 million for 232 classrooms serving 4,714 students and maintenance, and $7 billion for roads and rail, $1.8 billion for Cambridge-to-Piarere Expressway and $1.075 billion for rail upgrades.
Treasury warned that meeting the 2030 Paris climate target will need offshore carbon-credit purchases, which the government will not pursue.

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Story summary

The 2026 budget projects a $2.6 billion surplus 2028/29 and earmarks $42 million for photo-ID upgrade to the SuperGold card for 900,000 seniors by October 2028.
The budget allocated $309.6 million for 232 classrooms serving 4,714 students and maintenance, and $7 billion for roads and rail, $1.8 billion for Cambridge-to-Piarere Expressway and $1.075 billion for rail upgrades.
Treasury warned that meeting the 2030 Paris climate target will need offshore carbon-credit purchases, which the government will not pursue.