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Download AudioRatana Pā could get a significant upgrade with support from the newly announced $1.2 billion regional infrastructure fund.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he’s been talking with Housing Minister Chris Bishop about the needs of the township near Whanganui, which plays host to major hui several times a year.
An upgrade was promised in the term of the previous National Government Minister for Treaty Negotiations Chris Finlayson had committed to housing and infrastructure upgrade of Ratana Pā, but the initiative fell by the wayside under the previous Labour Government.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he and Minister for Housing Chris Bishop are awaiting technical infrastructure reports before allocating funding.
“It’s a key institutional feature and they actually are a registered genuine town but we will wait and see what are the options ship via a technical report back to Mr Bishop and in terms of injecting infrastructure funding that has a practical impact on the lives on the people who go back and forth from Ratana,” Minister Jones says.
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