RIF loan supports new freight hub
Published: 8 July, 2026
A loan of up to $22.4 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) will support the rail component of Te Utanganui – a major new freight hub in Palmerston North that links rail, road, air and sea.
The RIF loan will support pre-construction and construction stages of the Bunnythorpe Regional Freight Hub, one of three projects in the wider Te Utanganui freight hub programme.
The funding will be delivered in stages, with $1.9 million allocated to pre-construction, followed by up to $20.5 million for construction once a robust business case and delivery plan have been confirmed.
Led by Manawatū’s Central Economic Development Agency, the project will be delivered with local councils, iwi, KiwiRail and private co-funders.
Around 100 to 300 jobs are expected to be created during early works on the freight hub, with more jobs created over time as the wider Te Utanganui programme develops, potentially supporting roles across logistics, manufacturing and related industries.
The name Te Utanganui was gifted to the project in 2021 by local iwi Rangitāne o Manawatū and refers to the concept of an inland port, of transient goods arriving by sea, sky and land, and then out again.