$5.5 Million for Kaipara from Govt's Covid recovery fund

Maungaturoto Residential Care LTD Chairman Jamie Ewen at the site of the new Dementia Unit at the Maungaturoto Rest Home, which today got $1.75 million from the Government's Covid-19 recovery fund.

.

The Kaipara is the latest Northland district to get money from the Government's Post Covid-19 recovery fund, with $5.5 million going to three 'shovel ready' projects.

Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones was in Maungaturoto today where he announced the funding, which is made up of $3m for the Kauri Museum in Matakohe; $1.75m towards building a dementia unit at Maungaturoto and $750,000 towards a new 10-unit retirement village at Paparoa.

Jones said these were a package of wellbeing infrastructure investments in Kaipara which focuses on improving the lives of the elderly and adding upgrading the iconic Kauri Museum.

"These shovel-ready projects will have significant benefits for their respective communities and I'm pleased this funding is enabling work to continue that will lessen the economic impact of Covid-19," Jones said.

The Kauri Museum in Matakohe is receiving a $3 million makeover that includes creating a centre of excellence to create a deeper, stronger understanding of the significance of the Kauri to the community and the rest of New Zealand.

The Kauri Museum Matakohe is getting $3m from the government's Covid Response and Recovery Fund.

Maungaturoto Community Charitable Trust will receive $1.75 million towards the construction of a dementia unit in Maungaturoto. The new unit will be attached to the existing Maungaturoto Rest Home and Retirement Village and addresses the need for more aged care options in the region.

And the Paparoa Community Charitable Trust will receive $750,000 as a contribution for the completion of a new 10-unit retirement village.

"The museum's board is building on the strengths of locals by educating local rangatahi to tell the stories of the significance of the Kauri,'' Jones said.

"As the first stop on the Ancient Kauri Trail, the museum is building on its iconic international heritage status while supporting professional career development. These projects are all well supported and generate a sense of belonging to their communities."

The projects are being funded as part of the infrastructure investments announced on July 1 to kick-start the post Covid-19 rebuild by creating more than 20,000 jobs and unlocking more than $5 billion of projects up and down New Zealand.

The $50 billion Covid Response and Recovery Fund set out in Budget 2020 earmarked $3 billion for infrastructure projects.

Northland projects are set to get around $150 million from the fund.