August 03, 2020
Rotorua projects steam ahead with PGF help
The Government has announced a $38 million loan to salvage a Rotorua Māori trust's ambition spa project.
Fletcher Tabuteau, the Under-secretary of Regional Economic Development, says the Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa project on the lake shore is a massive play for Pukeroa Ōruawhata, and fits in with Mayor Steve Chadwick's drive to position Rotorua as a spa city.
Construction has started, but the COVID-19 crisis led private funders to pull out.
"What we are saying as a Government is we can't let big projects like this fall by the wayside. This isn't just several hundred jobs. This is the future of Rotorua and the tourism industry here and arguably all of New Zealand. Rotorua is one of the gems that people come and see. You have to invest and we know from the mahi they did and have done over the years that is an amazing project that will make money back and they will pay us back over time," Mr Tabuteau says.
Other investments in the Rotorua area include $11.9 million to help Tāheke C Trust consent and build an exploratory geothermal well on its land, $11 million to build a new St John Ambulance hub, $1 million for the Rotorua Lakefront cultural overlay and $370,000 towards the renovation of Waiteti Marae at Ngongotahā.
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