Thursday, November 2, 2017
Ross McCullough
NEW economic development and infrastructure minister Shane Jones has given a strong indication Opotiki’s Harbour Project will finally be receiving the funding it needs to proceed.
Speaking to the Northern Advocate, Mr Jones said the newly-announced $1 billion a year regional development fund promised provinces like Northland, huge economic development opportunities over the next three years.
Mr Jones said the $1b fund would revitalise the regions and give them the opportunity to fund major projects that will be transformational for those communities.
In stressing the importance of the new fund, he said he had already given the green light to one project – Opotiki’s Harbour Project – stating it would be the first cab off the rank and likely to receive some of the coalition-agreed $1b funding.
“That plan’s been around for 10 years but hasn’t got the funding,” Mr Jones said. “We will make that happen and it will allow economic development and tourism opportunities there.”
However, Mr Jones said that proposals for funding from the $1b a year purse would need to go before a panel of public sector and private sector experts for approval.
And while the news from the new forestry, economic development and infrastructure minister was exciting, Opotiki District Council chief executive Aileen Lawrie was also treading cautiously, recognising there was still a way to go in the process before confirmation the harbour project would go ahead.
Judging by reports in the media over the past few days, she said there appeared to be an appetite to consider the project sooner than later.
Ms Lawrie said it was fair to say that Opotiki’s aspirational project had a high profile with politicians across the spectrum.
“We like to think it is because our proposition just stacks up and makes sense, regardless of politicial affiliation.
“Members of National, Labour, the Greens and New Zealand First have all visited us over the years to discuss the project,” she said.
Those responsible for the final business case for substantive funding were still on track to get it in front of Government officials in the coming weeks, she said.
The harbour business case is in the final draft stage and it’s hoped partners such as the Whakatohea Maori Trust Board, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Bay of Plenty Regional Council would collectively sign off on it in the next few weeks, she said.
The job of officials was to then brief ministers accordingly, Ms Lawrie said.
From there, the cabinet papers would be drafted and join the queue before going before the cabinet.
The briefing process and the decision was then the responsibility of central government, she said.
Ms Lawrie said with the ministerial positions having just been worked out, no initial conversations had yet been bridged with any ministers from the new coalition Government.
But she indicated ministers waiting in-the-wings may have needed to be briefed with any election outcome anyhow.
“It may take a few conversations with members of Parliament to help them understand the harbour and its benefits.
“But we have been working with officials for many years and they have an in-depth understanding of our project and can also share this with their respective ministers.”
Amid the hype and excitement, Ms Lawrie did acknowledge the contribution the previous Government had already made with the initial $3 million committed for geotechnical and design work which was a “help to us to get the business case across the line, Ms Lawrie said.
Included in the new Government’s $1b a year regional development fund is a billion trees planting programme which aims to plant one million trees a year and is likely to have vast spin offs for regions like Northland and the East Coast.
At this point, Ms Lawrie said no more was known about how Opotiki’s Harbour and other developments might fit with the regional fund, other than Mr Jones calling the long-awaited project the first cab off the rank.
She said the seawalls as part of the new harbour entrance were crucial to the economic development of Opotiki.
The benefits anticipated would only be realised if the proposal proceeds as planned.