Regions line up for slush-fund payday:

Manawatu¯ and Whanganui are in line for a big cash injection, but there’s no word yet on which projects will get Government money.

The Regional Development Fund, established as part of the Labour-nz First coalition agreement, will see $1 billion spent each year in regional New Zealand.

The only projects confirmed for a slice of the pie so far are planting 100 million trees a year, investing in rail and studying options for moving the Port of Auckland.

Critics, such as ACT MP David Seymour, have described it as a ‘‘slush fund’’, ripe to be used to buy votes in certain parts of the country.

Regional Econonmic Development Minister Shane Jones, of NZ First, said some projects had already been identified as suitable, such as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s pledge during the election campaign to put $6 million into the Whanganui velodrome roof project.

He had been talking to farmers about projects, and many had pointed out land between Taumarunui and Whanganui for tree planting.

‘‘We’re working at the moment towards getting Cabinet sign-off on the terms of structure and criteria for the fund.’’

He would not be throwing out ideas simply because the previous Government came up with them, he said.

‘‘I’m telling economic development agencies in the regions: ‘Don’t be backward in coming forward’.’’

Central Economic Development Agency chief executive Linda Stewart said spending money on infrastructure, with a focus on integrating road and rail, would give the best return on investment.

Palmerston North’s rail depot was probably fit for purpose 20 years ago, but changes needed to be made so it was easier to turn carriages and load cargo at Palmerston North Airport and the Manawatu¯ Inland Port at Longburn.

‘‘As a region we have to make sure we are well linked and futureproofed,’’ Stewart said.

That included improving rail links for passenger trains.

‘‘We should be able to do that commute in a more European style, and that’s not the approach at the moment. In this day and age, you should be able to get up and down to Wellington much more readily and with more frequency.’’

Improving rail links would help keep logs off the road, which would be important once the one billion trees the Government wants to plant over the next decade mature. ‘‘We need to make sure it’s not just positioning ourselves for tomorrow, but for 50 years,’’ Stewart said.

There were also opportunities to invest in tourism in the area, which would help draw visitors to New Zealand out of clogged cities, she said.

Although Manawatu¯ has a tradition of being visited solely because they had friends or family there, the region had some of the best walking trails and cycling tracks in the country.

The possibility of getting money from the fund has been a topic of conversation for Horizons Regional Council, which takes care of the Manawatu¯ -Whanganui area.

It was raised at the council’s strategy and policy committee this week, where chief executive Michael Mccartney said the council had not written Jones a letter outlining a wishlist. Instead, they would hold a meeting.