Prioritises quick timing in wake of virus

The funding for new projects, which he announced yesterday, included $60m for local roads and rail projects spread across Bay of Plenty, Manawatu-whanganui, West Coast, Wairarapa, Taranaki, and top of the South and Waikato, he said.

Projects involved constructing footpaths, cycleways, playgrounds, vegetation management and roadside clearing and would create at least 600 jobs. The rail projects would fund deferred maintenance like culvert cleaning and drainage improvements in regional New Zealand, which would create 200 jobs.

The $100m for waterway improvement would encourage more farmers to fence off sensitive waterways from stock, Jones said.

‘‘Some farmers wish to protect their waterways but find the costs of fencing prohibitive in the short term. Regional councils provide some support for fencing which the PGF can augment by contracting local firms to redeploy workers to undertake the work.’’

PGF funding of $7.5m would also go to another four projects for regions recovering from the impacts of Covid-19, he said.

Apollo Foods in Hawke’s Bay will get $2.9m for new technology and to upskill workers, while an upgrade to Raglan Wharf will get $2.5m to increase berth numbers and improve access.

About $1.86m will go to redevelop the Westport waterfront with a pedestrian and cycle bridge from the town centre to the riverfront.

Otago engineering firm Te Pari Products will get $209,500 to buy livestock-handling equipment.

The PGF will also provide funding for the renovation of town halls, war memorials, marae and Pasifika churches all over the country. Funding of $70m would cover salaries and construction costs for those projects, Jones said.

In April, Jones announced the Provincial Development Unit was working through applications and projects to see where PGF money could be repurposed for initiatives deemed critical to fighting the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘‘The refocused PGF has three clear objectives that will drive every decision from now on,’’ he said.

PGF investments would need to create immediate redeployment and new employment opportunities for communities and sectors most affected by the crisis, he said.

Funds would be pumped into skills programmes, sectors and infrastructure in regional economies for ‘‘enduring change’’.

‘‘Our focus is on the next two to six months but projects that provide longer term economic benefits, support productivity and strengthen critical infrastructure in the surge regions will remain a priority for investment,’’ Jones said.