February 20, 2018
Love on offer in infrastructure plan
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones says Maori should prepare themselves to feel the love from the Government's new $3 billion fund for regional development.
Details of the fund, which was part of the coalition agreement between New Zealand First and Labour, will be revealed on Friday.
Mr Jones says it aims to address the major failure of previous governments to invest in the future of the regions, and will require coordination between key sectors , civic organisatrions, councils, local economic development agencies and iwi.
He says Maori landowners who want to come back into forestry can benefit, but hapu and iwi need to work with other stakeholders to groom up projects.
"There is no profit in wandering around as an island unto yourself when you are pushing Maori economic development because although we may feel we have substantial amounts of assets now, we don't actually have a great deal of cash, and a billion dollars has got to be chewed through each year so if the projects stack up within Maoridom and they are part of a regional integrated strategy, there is no reason they should not feel the love," Mr Jones says.
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