Funding of $24.62 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund will turbo-charge horticulture expansion in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti through water storage, flood resilience and whenua Māori projects.

Northland’s economic future is on display with significant developments either underway or on the near horizon, Rail Minister Winston Peters and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones say.

It’s been nearly six months since the Fast-track Approvals system opened for business, and updated statistics show the one-stop shop is on track to make it quicker and easier to build the projects New Zealand needs for economic growth.

The Government is investing more than $56 million into water resilience projects in rural Canterbury to help protect against changing weather patterns and increase productivity through higher value land use.

A reservoir to be built near Carterton will be a game-changer for the town and wider Wairarapa region, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says.

Three solar projects in regional New Zealand will receive loans of up to $28.1 million combined from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to ensure security of local energy supply and community resilience.

A major step in protecting Franz Josef township on the West Coast has been officially completed.

The Government has opened public consultation on the biggest change to national direction in New Zealand history, with proposals to make it easier to consent quarries and mines to enable more infrastructure development.

The Government is making good progress on its exploration of supercritical geothermal as a potential energy source, with a governance group established and potential drilling sites being identified.

Otago rail has received a big boost today with the official reopening of the Hillside Workshops in Dunedin and the announcement of up to $8.2 million for part of a vital rail link between Port Chalmers and Mosgiel.

A new floodway infrastructure upgrade that provides flood protection and resilience for Edgecumbe was opened today by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson.

Wairarapa flood resilience has been shored up with the completion of five projects funded by the Regional Infrastructure Fund, with more on the way, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones have welcomed the formation of the first two Fast-track expert panels.

The Regional Infrastructure Fund will invest up to $2 million to investigate building additional electricity transmission and distribution capacity in Northland, which could also have benefits further afield.

Good progress continues to be made on the Northland Expressway, with the emerging preferred corridor for the Te Hana to Port Marsden Highway and the Port Marsden Highway to Whangārei Roads of National Significance now confirmed by NZTA.

Regional Development Minister Shane Jones will take one of the largest delegations in recent years to the Chatham Islands tomorrow for his next regional summit.

Water projects in Northland will receive up to $41.5 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to significantly increase the region’s water security and unlock economic growth.

Most of New Zealand has now been mapped in 3D, creating a rich dataset for planning economic growth, land management and modelling for risk.

Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealand’s geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua today.

The Coalition Government’s drive for regional economic growth through the $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund is on track with more than $550 million in funding so far committed to key infrastructure projects.