Between 75 to 80 per cent of our roading network has poor or very poor mobile coverage

Connect Tararua governance group, Tararua District mayor Tracey Collis and others were flown by Tararua Heliwork to see potential cell tower sites in the Tararua District.

The Tararua District Council has approved a funding request from Connect Tararua for $100,000 for a feasibility study required to justify a Provincial Growth Fund business case for a mobile digital infrastructure network across our district.

Initially Connect Tararua was asking for the $100,000 as the first drawdown from the $800,000 approved by the council in its Long Term Plan, but council chief executive said the $800,000 was to be funding for capital projects and couldn't be used for the feasibility study.

But Mel Poulton, of the Connect Tararua governance group, told councillors they needed the $100,000 for the study in order to leverage more government funding for the project.
"The outcomes of our business case will enable companies under the Rural Broadband Initiative 2 (RBI 2) mobile blackspot to cherry-pick site they will develop and also enable Connect Tararua to seek construction funding from the Provincial Growth Fund," Poulton said.

Councillor Jim Crispin said the study was a major step forward for the group and the request had his support.

With mobile black spot cellular projects now rapidly being allocated across New Zealand, it's time to collaborate, co-ordinate and work together to ensure Tararua is included, Poulton said.

"The RBI 2 mobile black spot funding goals set under the last Government are targeting high tourist areas and state highways, but neither of these criteria differentiate Tararua for high need," she said.

"However, the work completed by Connect Tararua has proved more than 75 to 80 per cent of our roading network has poor or very poor mobile coverage. This has a huge impact on all Tararua."

Councillor Alison Franklin, a member of the Connect Tararua governance group, told fellow councillors that "there has been an absolutely massive number of volunteer hours of work" go into the group's application for an expression of interest to the Provincial Growth Fund.

And Tararua District mayor Tracey Collis thanked Poulton for the huge amount of work she and her group have put in.

"You have made significant ground in getting to this stage," she said.

Funding of $100,000 will be made available from council's General Purposes Reserve with a matching reduction in the capital budget in the LTP for connectivity.