Southland chases funding
Southland has received just $14 million of the more than $650m distributed by the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund, although more applications are being considered.
In February last year, the Government announced an allocated $3 billion to the fund, over three years, to enhance economic development and employment opportunities in regional New Zealand.
A Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Provincial Development Unit spokesperson said that to date, 46 applications from Southland had been submitted.
Of those, eight projects have funding agreements in place, 17 applications were unsuccessful, one was withdrawn and the remaining 20 were currently being processed, the spokesperson said.
So far $14,087,976 has been allocated to Southland, with nearly $2m of that already paid out for three projects.
The CBD redevelopment has been funded $995,000 for a business case and feasibility study.
An aquaculture project has received $424,976 for a business case study into a commercial hatchery, and $490,000 has been given to scope further development of the sheep and goat industry.
At the end of November, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced that Milford Sound would get $12m to boost internet connections in the area.
The announcement came as part of a $44.8m package from the fund to improve digital connectivity in Southland and the West Coast. The latest approval for Southland came on Thursday, when Jones was in Gore to announce $3.7m in funding across two projects – $1.6m for the Maruawai Project, a major upgrade of the Hokonui Moonshine Museum and Gore’s heritage precinct, and $2.1m for the Hokonui Huanui project, which ensures young people have the skills to take up jobs created by Southland’s growing economy.
In February 2018, $250,000 was approved to go towards a KiwiRail feasibility study into shifting forestry to rail in Southland.
‘‘Funding is released at agreed milestones, which are included in
funding agreements signed between the Provincial Development Unit and funding recipients,’’ the spokesperson said.
‘‘The announcement of any further successful applications will be made in due course.’’
Venture Southland chief executive Paul Casson said the ministry was focussing on topquality applications that would be transformational projects creating jobs and economic benefits.
Regions such as the West Coast and Taira¯ whiti had been big winners in the scheme, receiving more than $100m. The Chatham Islands has received only $98,000.
While his team was continuing with applications, an expression of interest could take up to 8 hours of work and a detailed business plan with a feasibility study could take 40 hours, Casson said.
Any applications that were aiming for the $1 million-plus bracket took quite a lot of work.
There was considerable scrutiny given the fact it was public money being invested into these projects, Casson said.
Clutha-Southland NZ First List MP Mark Patterson said Southland was in a good position to apply to the fund because of the Southland Regional Development Strategy.
Patterson is a regional adviser for the Provincial Growth Fund for Southland and Otago and has an overview of the process applicants go through.
The big advantage of having the strategy was that Southland could show it had a detailed plan setting out how it could grow the region and where work needed to be done, he said.