NZ First MPs Winston Peters (left) and Fletcher Tabuteau. Photo / Andrew Warner
NZ First MPs Winston Peters (left) and Fletcher Tabuteau. Photo / Andrew Warner
The Deputy Prime Minister has fond memories of the former nightclub at the Rotorua Museum building.
Winston Peters recalled being out until 5am at the Tudor Towers as a young man, when he spoke to Rotorua business, iwi and local government leaders on Saturday.
But preserving Rotorua's memories at TeWhare Taonga o Te Arawa, was the focus of his visit.
Peters joined Rotorua-based MP and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau, to announce the museum restoration would be accelerated with $2 million from the Provincial Growth Fund.
NZ First MPs Winston Peters (left) and Fletcher Tabuteau. Photo / Andrew Warner
Another $90,000 was also allocated from the fund to bring forward work on a new visitor centre as part of the Whakarewarewa / Tokorangi development.
Rotorua Museum was closed in 2016 following a seismic assessment made after the Kaikōura earthquake and is expected to reopen in 2022 after a $55m rebuild.
The NZ First MPs' announcement on Saturday means the Government has now put a total of $22m towards the project with $17m from the Provincial Growth Fund and $5m from the Regional Culture and Heritage Fund.
Peters said it was crucial to back New Zealand's regional economies in times of need, such as the Covid-19 downturn.
"The provinces will save this country if we put the right level of investment in behind businessmen, businesswomen and the workforce. We are all in this, after all, together."
Tabuteau said tourism would return to Rotorua "stronger than before".
He said the timing of Provincial Growth Fund allocations in Rotorua was "even better than we originally thought" with the employment created by the projects.
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick. Photo / Andrew Warner
The museum restoration is expected to create 371 additional jobs in the region and the forest redevelopment, which is receiving more than $7m of Provincial Growth funding in total, is projected to create 133 jobs.
The funding for the museum roof was "truly the icing on the cake" in Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick's view.
"Our district and our region has never done better in terms of investment ... than we've done over the last six years, so we thank you for that," she told the MPs.
