The Government is providing an investment totalling more than $100 million for regions to protect against and mitigate the effects of climate change, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones have announced.
Six regions will receive funding from the $3 billion allocated to infrastructure projects from the Government's COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
"There is no doubt climate change poses a real danger to our regions through extreme weather events, coastal inundation, and the associated problems such as erosion, flooding and the destruction of infrastructure," Mr Peters said.
"This has a negative impact on those regional economies and their productivity. It is imperative that we are providing our regions with the resources they need to protect against these issues. And in these uncertain times, this funding will stimulate regional economies and get people into work.
"We saw the damage extreme weather did to Northland recently, submerging much of it in floodwaters. We have seen first-hand how it has set the region back. That's why we are announcing $103.7 million for climate resilience measures in six regions. This funding is on top of the $107.2 million we have already announced for six other regions in the past four week," Shane Jones said.
"The projects announced today will also create an estimate 490 jobs, at a time when unemployment looms for many as the economic fallout COVID-19 continues."
The following regions will receive funding:
- Tairawhiti - 1 project, $7.5m
- Waikato - 10 projects, $23.8m
- Hawke's Bay - 4 projects, $19.2m
- Manawatu-Whanganui - 5 projects, $26.9m
- Wellington - 3 projects, $10.8m
- Canterbury - 6 projects, $15.5m
The funding announced today is part of the $3 billion infrastructure package in the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, announced by Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Shane Jones on July 1. The fund is expected to deliver more than 20,000 jobs across New Zealand and unlock investment with a project value of more than $5 billion.
Note to editors:
All approvals are in principle and subject to contract negotiations. Investment values are also subject to change.
Details of regional projects
Canterbury - 88 jobs
- Ashley/Rakahuri river protection and fairway management.
- Halswell/Hurutini weed barrage - critical old infrastructure that needs replacing for land drainage and flood protection of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere.
- Waimakariri River, McIntosh's Bend - Kaiapoi Community Flood Protection Project.
- Waiau township stopbank repairs and upgrades.
- Regionwide river berm planting programme and weed control programme.
- Rangitata River 2019 flood recovery
Gisborne - 20 jobs
- Waipaoa River Flood Control Scheme - construction of stopbanks to protect valuable horticulture land
Hawke's Bay - 63 jobs
- Heretaunga Plains Flood Control Scheme - Tutaekuri, Ngaruroro and Clive Rivers areas, where 80 per cent of the population live
- Wairoa River Scheme - Ferry Road flood protection
- Upper Tukituki Flood Control Scheme near State Highway 50 Bridge to protect bridge
- Upper Tukituki Flood Control Scheme - stalled through lack of funds
Manawatu - Whanganui - 36 jobs
- Foxton flood mitigation for the town which has a high level of exposure to flooding
- Palmerston North flood protection - rebuilding stopbanks to protect the western side of city which is highly vulnerable to flooding
- Kumeroa Quarry for flood protection rock
- Lower Manawatu flood protection resilience - upgrading 25km of stopbanks
- Rangitikei River enhancement
Waikato - 229 jobs
- Erosion protection in the catchments of Lake Waikare - plantings & river works
- Fish passage pumps - critical flood protection environmental infrastructure
- Foreshore east and west stopbanks. Project protects all of Hauraki Plains from Firth of Thames to Te Aroha on Waihou and Firth almost to Morrinsville on Piako
- Lake Kimihia lake level restoration project, Frost Road, Ohinewai
- Mill Road pump stations upgrade
- Muggeridge's Pump Station - Piako River
- Ngatea left bank stopbank and Ngatea to Pipiroa to Ngatea RSB.
- Piako Scheme right stopbanks, Shelley Beach Road, Pipiroa
- Roger Harris pump station
- Replacement Barge construction project, Waikato River
Wellington - 53 jobs
- Hutt River erosion edge protection
- Riverlink, Hutt River Scheme. Series of projects to protect Lower Hutt and enable city development. Critical stopbank building.
- Ruamahanga River Scheme (Wairarapa) - buffer land establishment and tree planting ($1m); stopbanks reconstruction
