East Coast receives $24.62m funding for infrastructure

The five projects that will receive RIF funding align with regional priorities. The projects are:

• Quality Roading Services (QRS) (Wairoa - Hawke’s Bay) will receive a $500,000 grant to strengthen flood protection around the operations hub and depot of QRS, a Wairoa District Council-owned engineering firm that plays a critical role in Wairoa’s disaster response and recovery.
• Tātau Tātau Horticulture Limited Partnership (Wairoa - Hawke’s Bay) will receive a $6.83 million loan to expand its existing water storage capacity and establish a scalable post-harvest facility.
• Ngāti Pahauwera Commercial Development Limited (Wairoa - Hawke’s Bay) will receive a $2.36 million loan to develop a 42,000 cubic metre water storage reservoir and distribution infrastructure to convert 30 hectares of whenua Māori into commercially competitive pip fruit orchards.
• Makauri Aquifer Recharge Limited (Gisborne - Tairāwhiti) will receive an up to $3 million loan to build water infrastructure to replenish the Makauri aquifer in Tairāwhiti, delivering a more reliable water supply for primary production on fertile Tūranganui-a-Kiwa flats, near the Waipaoa River.
• Turanga Fast Five (Gisborne - Tairāwhiti) will receive a $11.93 million loan to establish a diversified high-value horticulture development on five underutilised whenua Māori land blocks in Tairāwhiti totalling 70 hectares.

This RIF investment will unlock the use of whenua Māori (Māori land) on the East Coast, enabling higher-value horticulture opportunities, more jobs, stronger export potential, and more positive social outcomes.

The funding also helps the regions bounce back faster from tough weather events, such as storms, flooding or droughts.