Kaipara projects get much-needed leg up from the Govt with $5.5m

Kaipara mayor Jason Smith flanked by Shane Jones and representatives of organisations that benefited from the government funding. Photo / Tania Whyte

Around $5.5 million of taxpayer funding will enable a trio of infrastructure projects to get off the ground in Kaipara, including a dementia unit for senior citizens to receive specialist care.

Nearly $4 million will be given from the Covid Response and Recovery Fund to the Paparoa and Maungaturoto Community Charitable Trusts, and the Kauri Museum in Matakohe focused mostly on improving the lives of people in their respective communities.

About 150 people packed the museum hall in Matakohe where Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced the funding package for shovel-ready projects yesterday. The museum is receiving a $3m makeover that includes creating a centre of excellence for people to have a deeper and stronger understanding of the significance of kauri.

General manager Tracey Wedges said the $3m funding was the biggest in its 60-year history and was huge for the community and on the cultural heritage front.

"This is just huge, given that our funding comes from admissions and from a retail store. We don't get any outside funding."

The Paparoa Community Charitable Trust will receive $750,000 to construct 29 houses, of which 14 will be designed for retirement living while the others will be put on sale on the open market.

Chairman Graham Taylor said the overall project was worth $2.5m which included the trust buying 9.6ha of land just off Franklin Rd in Paparoa and building on it.

"We applied for $750,000 after raising sufficient funds and the government funding is a real hand up for us. As soon as the weather improves, we get straight to construction as we don't have to borrow any further."

Paparoa Community Charitable Trust chairman Graham Taylor shows his appreciation for the $750,000 of government funding. Photo / Tania Whyte

A further $1.75m will be given to the Maungaturoto Community Charitable Trust towards the construction of a 14-bed dementia unit to be attached to the existing Maungaturoto Rest Home and Retirement Village.

Maungaturoto Residential Care Ltd chairman James Ewen said the new dementia unit would ensure patients were cared for in their community rather than being sent to Auckland and other places as was currently the case.

"We already have the foundations and concrete poured so the $1.8m will see it getting finished and we should be ready to open at this time next year or earlier," he said.

The projects in Kaipara are being funded as part of the $5 billion worth of infrastructure investments announced by the government on July 1 to kick-start the post-Covid-19 rebuild by creating more than 20,000 jobs. Northland is expected to get about $150m of the funding.

All approvals are in principle and subject to contract negotiations. Investment values are also subject to change.