“It’s a win-win situation for everybody. They have employment for the next six to seven months and at the same time, they are doing a great job for the community by eliminating pest trees and clearing areas to make way for more native plantings,” says Mr Mahy. “To get five young people involved in an […]

In August 2019, $15 million of PGF funding was announced for the museum redevelopment, and $7 million was announced for the forests project in September 2018. Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa Rotorua Museum will receive additional funding of $2 million and the forest projects will receive an extra $90,000 to enable the Rotorua Lakes […]

Digital connectivity is something many of us take for granted, yet some communities still have limited ability to access the internet or the tools to use it. The COVID-19 lockdown proved that good internet connectivity is crucial as the internet provided a key point of contact for working, shopping, paying bills, learning and keeping in […]

The projects funded by the Provincial Development Unit will help build the local economy, create hundreds of jobs, attract future investment and unlock tourism, cultural and commercial opportunities. They include: a new commercial boat harbour ($19.6m equity stake, loan and grant from Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)), revitalisation of the riverfront and town centre ($9.6m loan […]

The Boat Harbour Development project will give commercial users in Whakatāne access to better facilities and more berths, thereby increasing economic returns for the local community. Project Manager for Te Rāhui Lands Trust, Dayle Hunia says the development is the result of collaboration between the Trust, industry specialists, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Awa […]

PGF announced $400,000 for a regional digital hub in Ōpōtiki and visited the Whakatōhea mussel factory site blessing. Construction is about to start on the factory site thanks to a previous $19.85m PGF investment. Digital connectivity is an essential part of doing business while lifting regional productivity, economic development and the wellbeing of communities. The […]

As part of the NZ Upgrade, $300 million was allocated for regional investment opportunities. The Provincial Development Unit and the New Zealand Transport Agency have worked together to identify which roading improvements are ready to go but required funding. We have announced $88.25 million on a major accelerated road investment plan with construction able to […]

As part of the $12 billion NZ Upgrade Programme announced by the Government last month, $300 million was allocated for capital projects in regional New Zealand. The first package of regional projects – worth about $190 million – has been announced by Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones at an infrastructure seminar today. They include […]

New Zealand slang can be quite hard to follow, especially when combined with our fast talking, and can sometimes leave those with an untrained ear completely bewildered. Below is a list of some Kiwi colloquial phrases to help you talk like a true Kiwi. Aye – “It was cloudy this morning, aye?” This is a […]

A survey by dating site Harmony, has seen the New Zealand accent ranked as the second most attractive to people in the UK, coming in behind the Queen’s Received Pronunciation accent. It comes after the New Zealand accent was also rated the sexiest in the world in an extensive poll, conducted by Big Travel in […]