Local authorities dive on $35m in tourism funding

Local authorities around the country have posted their wishlists for $35 million worth of tourism infrastructure and the race is on to get the money from a new Government fund in time for the coming summer.

The first round of grants from the Government’s $100m tourism infrastructure fund attracted 43 eligible applications for $17.8m, with local authorities covering the remaining $17.2m cost of projects such as car parks, freedom camping facilities, and sewerage and water works.

The $100m fund announced as part of the Budget is to be spread over four years.

A ministerial spokesman said an announcement on successful applications depended on when the new Government was sworn in and the aim was to have recommendations signed off by the end of November.

Tourism Minister Paula Bennett declined to release any details of the applications until a panel decided where the money would go.

However, the Mackenzie District Council has already announced publicly that it wants almost $300,000 towards the $420,000 cost of dealing with overcrowding, lack of parking and noise around the popular Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of Lake Tekapo.

When the new fund was announced in May, the criteria made it clear it was targeting councils that had reached their debt limits, had high visitor-toratepayer ratios, and were in regions earning less than $1 billion a year from tourism.

Bennett promised other sources of funding to assist areas that failed to meet the criteria and Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult took up the invitation.

He said the district was negotiating with government departments for special funding for a couple of projects, including transport, which ‘‘would have taken a significant portion of the tourism infrastructure fund’’.

Westland District mayor Bruce Smith said it had applied for $1.9m to help pay for Franz Josef’s wastewater plant and half a dozen other projects, including car parking in the Hokitika Gorge. “We expect 70,000 visitors this year. I can remember not that long ago that we had under 10,000.”

Local government New Zealand president Dave Cull said the uptake proved the need for a more sustainable long-term funding system instead of a ‘‘grace and favour one where you have to apply’’.