June 10, 2019
Trees and roads for Wairoa revival
Māori landowners in northern Hawke's Bay are set to benefit from a Provincial Growth Fund package aimed at boosting the Wairoa community.
The $9.1 million the district will receive is part of a wider $68 million investment in the wider region that will also include investment in two central Hawke's Bay water storage schemes.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau says the Wairoa package includes digital connectivity, business expansion, roading, and skills and employment initiatives.
Some $5.5 million from the PGF Whenua Māori fund and $1 million from Te Uru Rākau One Billion Trees programme is earmarked for the Ngāti Pahauwera horticulture, forestry, and land enhancement project, which has the potential to convert 82 hectares of flat, unproductive land into productive horticulture over the next three years, providing at least 40 jobs.
There's $2 million for road upgrades, and 11 marae in the region will be connected to reliable and fast broadband.
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