Investing in North’s future
The Provincial Growth Fund continues to invest in Northland’s future. Last week the Minister for the Environment, David
Parker, and I announced an investment of up to $18.5 million in water storage in the Mid North, which, as we know, is vulnerable to both droughts and floods. Better access to a more reliable supply of water will give land owners more options for higher-value uses for their land. This will also have a positive impact on land use options for the owners of Ma¯ori land, much of which is currently devoted to less intensive and lowervalue options.
The Northland Regional Council will work with other councils, iwi, land owners and businesses to investigate water storage options, helping to take pressure off existing surface and groundwater resources as land use becomes more intensive. We expect the project to lead to $150m more in earnings annually from horticulture, and more than 1100 extra jobs.
The largest tourism investment in the Mid North is at Ngawha Springs, where we are investing $1.79m to redevelop Te Waiariki Ngawha Springs complex. Patronage has almost doubled since 2015, and this will allow them to better accommodate this increase and ensure the complex can cope with further growth. The expansion is expected to create 30 jobs.
In Whanga¯rei we are supporting the early stages of a project to develop the Riverside Hotel and Entertainment Precinct with $1.3m towards a feasibility study. The concept includes two hotels, and, if it stacks up, the development will create more than 100 jobs and provide an injection of $7.75m annually into the city’s economy.
The PGF will also be resourcing a business case ($176,000) to develop Te¯ Pu o Te Wheke – the Heart of Nga¯puhi, a multi-use community, cultural and tourism hub that has the potential to revive the town centre of Kaikohe.
And we are backing, with $890,000, an evaluation of a project whose goal is to develop an innovation and enterprise hub at Ngawha. The 165ha site is intended to improve the way we utilise the resources of the Mid North and bring together transport, manufacturing, innovation, research and development in the region. It will also provide pathways to training and employment for locals.
The first regional digital hub in the country will be in Kaitaia, with others expected in Kaikohe and Dargaville not long afterwards, giving business people access to working and meeting spaces with free WiFi connectivity, and providing opportunities for those developing businesses to gain access to skill development opportunities.
The wide selection of projects supported by the PGF demonstrates the potential of regions like Northland and how important it is that central government backs our ambitions and talent.
They bring together and support the initiatives of our people so we can have more jobs at higher incomes and ensure our communities, wha¯nau and neighbours thrive.
"The wide selection of projects supported by the PGF demonstrates the potential of regions like Northland and how important it is that central government backs our ambitions and talent."