The Tararua District Council has approved a funding request from Connect Tararua for $100,000 for a feasibility study required to justify a Provincial Growth Fund business case for a mobile digital infrastructure network across our district.
Initially Connect Tararua was asking for the $100,000 as the first drawdown from the $800,000 approved by the council in its Long Term Plan, but council chief executive said the $800,000 was to be funding for capital projects and couldn't be used for the feasibility study.
But Mel Poulton, of the Connect Tararua governance group, told councillors they needed the $100,000 for the study in order to leverage more government funding for the project.
"The outcomes of our business case will enable companies under the Rural Broadband Initiative 2 (RBI 2) mobile blackspot to cherry-pick site they will develop and also enable Connect Tararua to seek construction funding from the Provincial Growth Fund," Poulton said.
Councillor Jim Crispin said the study was a major step forward for the group and the request had his support.
With mobile black spot cellular projects now rapidly being allocated across New Zealand, it's time to collaborate, co-ordinate and work together to ensure Tararua is included, Poulton said.