Infrastructure

Tauranga will be the first region to access a new government fundraising tool to support up to $175m for local infrastructure projects.

Auckland’s much-debated second harbour crossing is up for debate once again, and businesses in the city are calling for a clear roadmap.

A new analysis outlines the benefits and the risks involved.

Significant progress” is being made on restoring 460km of Marlborough’s road network following floods that affected the region last year.

A successful effort to bring fibre broadband connectivity to the West Coast will enable the Rural Connectivity Group to build 16 new mobile cell sites across the region.

Making the project work financially would have required a significant scaling back, which would have undermined the attraction’s purpose.

New Zealand needs to get ready for the age of electric planes, says a key Crown entity tasked with mapping out the country’s future infrastructure needs.

Hinahina Bridge in the Catlins has reopened following a $3.6m upgrade jointly funded by Clutha District Council and Waka Kotahi.

Project to be worked on by council and the Te Atamira Trust, with funding part of ten year plan.

A draft plan for an $8bn upgrade in Waikato transport infrastructure has been signed-off for public consultation.

Hamilton City Council will combine three high profile infrastructure projects to improve access to the Hamilton Zoo and Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park.

Three feasibility studies would contribute to the wider Picton Redevelopment Plan.

The project included a library, community hub/meeting rooms, a village square, open recreation and play spaces, and a potential privately owned and operated pool.

The walking and cycling pathway would stretch from Westhaven to Albany.

Sealing the Pouto road would unlock tourism and business opportunities for Kaipara locals. 

The road is an important tourism route, forming part of the Thermal Explorer Highway linking Rotorua with the Hawkes Bay, Lake Taupo, Ruapehu and Hamilton.

The project would see Kōpū developed as a centre of marine servicing operations across the Hauraki Gulf, and act as a connection for water-based tourism opportunities and a growing aquaculture industry.

The funding will come from $220m cycleway package included in the Government’s $3bn infrastructure provision.

The construction of the new Marlborough District Library and Art Gallery in Blenheim will go ahead after approval from the Marlborough District Council.

The $16m restoration of Wellington’s Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is underway thanks to an $8.5m contribution from the Government’s ‘shovel ready’ infrastructure fund.

Tourism projects in the Chatham Islands, Rotorua, and the Far North will share in just over $110m in new funding announced by the Government.

The revamp includes a marine education zone, commercial buildings, and bus terminus.

 A new pou-whenua, Uenuku Te Pou Tipua o Tūroa, has been unveiled and completes the new park and ride and camping facility at the foot of Mt Ruapehu. 

Tourism projects across the country last week shared funding totalling around $120m as the government continues its efforts to stimulate regional economies and improve tourism infrastructure across the country.

Scoping work on a new harbour crossing would also begin if National won power in September, says the party’s new leader.

The Govt is investing the cash in Fiordland’s Homer Tunnel, an Arrowtown museum, and a Balclutha hub.

“The tourist hot-spot has been hard hit by the implications of Covid-19, but having a financial boost like this will mean the whole community can soon be even prouder of this great asset.”

Environment minister David Parker said the new processes would get projects started sooner and people into jobs faster.

Councils around New Zealand are presenting the Government with lists of “shovel ready” projects collectively costing billions of dollars.

An Air New Zealand charter flight returning from Frankfurt to Auckland via Vancouver is carrying five specialist water engineers.

The Government will invest a record $54b in its balanced transport policy over the next decade.

Two popular tourist routes in the South Island will be affected by maintenance and resealing this week.

Construction of the new $29m Rotokauri Transport Hub in Hamilton will commence before Christmas.

Queenstown’s Skipper Road is set for a number of road closures starting next week as Queenstown Lakes District Council commences work to address a heightened rock fall risk near Blue Slip.

Round four of the Tourism Infrastructure Fund will open for applications this Thursday 1 August 2019.

A total of $12m of government funding has been divvied up between 25 councils in the latest round of the Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

Thames Coromandel District Council is ploughing ahead with plans to improve tourist infrastructure in Hahei, including a new walkway to the start of the Cathedral Cover track and toilets.

The agency plans to help its regional neighbours develop tourism product and infrastructure.

The government has extended its plans to boost digital connectivity in a move that will see additional tourism hotspots such as the world famous Doubtful Sound given coverage.

A lower funding threshold and streamlined decision making are among the changes made.

There’s more funding for rolling out coverage at some of the country’s most Instagrammable hotspots.

The challenges around managing tourism growth are writ large in the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into local government funding and financing.

The stalling of Queenstown Airport Corporation’s expansion plans was partly because it had “shouldered the debate” over the bigger of issue of the resort’s growth, an industry audience heard yesterday.

NZ needs a “cohesive, carefully constructed, financially prudent and sustainable nation-wide approach” to accommodation regulations and infrastructure funding.

Hawke’s Bay has officially opened new facilities at one of its most well-known visitor attractions, Te Mata Park.

Investment can be stimulated by a handing more power to local govt and encouraging foreign interest, according to The NZ Initiative.

NZ Transport Agency contractors have installed a new, short-range cell site at the Department of Conservation’s Pleasant Flat campsite on State Highway 6.

The government’s new 10-year plan for land transport investment will directly benefit the tourism industry, according to the minister of finance, Grant Robertson.

The tourism industry is at risk of turning from an “icon into a con” as social license and infrastructure pressure builds, says Damien O’Connor.

Some of the country’s most instagrammable tourist hotspots will be receiving mobile coverage a year earlier than expected.