Kaingaroa Village to get $5 million funding for redevelopment

The funding is set to bring Kaingaroa's facilities and infrastructure up to par with the rest of the district. Photo / File

Kaingaroa Village will get $5 million to help fund an upgrade of its infrastructure, facilities and housing, with more than 100 workers recruited on a locals-first basis.

Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau made the announcement today in the rural village, telling residents the funding was "well overdue".

"Decades of neglect, inadequate funding and maintenance mean there is now an urgent need for improvement," Tabuteau said.

The funds will be spent on refurbishing and building new community buildings, upgrading or constructing new roads, installing new streetlights and underground infrastructure and building new parks and playgrounds.

Workers will be recruited on a locals-first policy along with a commitment to help them get the training and opportunity to further improve their skills.

Construction will be over two years and is expected to create more than 100 jobs, with 20 sustainable jobs in the long term.

Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau. Photo / George Novak

"Quite simply, infrastructure and facilities are not fit for purpose and in desperate need of upgrading," Tabuteau said.

"This project to redevelop Kaingaroa will be transformational and make a real difference to the lives of the people living there."

He said it would bring Kaingaroa's facilities and infrastructure up to par with the rest of the district and allow village residents to enjoy the same level of services as other communities.

The funding announced today is part of the $3 billion infrastructure package in the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund, announced by Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones on July 1.

The fund is expected to deliver more than 20,000 jobs across New Zealand and unlock investment with a project value of more than $5b.