Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa to benefit from $50b Covid Response and Recovery Fund

Pāpāmoa Surf Life Saving Club will receive $800,000. Photo / File

Bay of Plenty surf life saving is set to benefit from a $50 billion Covid response fund including the construction of a new surf lifesaving hub at Mount Maunganui.

Community and voluntary sector minister Poto Williams today announced six shovel-ready projects which will build Surf Life Saving New Zealand's infrastructure facilities in Tauranga, the Coromandel peninsula and Port Waikato.

The $50b Covid Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF) was set out in Budget 2020 and earmarked $3b for infrastructure projects.

The funding for surf lifesaving clubs will replace funds that could not be raised due to Covid-19 restrictions and the loss of traditional funding and fundraising opportunities.

"This is a significant investment which will create jobs while building infrastructure in several coastal communities, which will in turn have lasting benefits to those local communities and for all people that use those beaches," Williams said.

The new Eastern Region Rescue Centre will be in Mt Maunganui and will be the hub of Surf Life Saving New Zealand's eastern region operations.

Waiariki MP Tamati Coffey said the building of the rescue centre in Mt Maunganui was a major asset for the region.

"I am confident it will help reduce the damage done to local whānau through drowning and incidents in our waters, especially amongst our tamariki."

The projects announced today are:

Sunset Beach Community Hub and Lifeguard Facility: $454,000.

Pauanui Surf Life Saving Club: $676,000.

Tairua Surf Life Saving Club: $699,000.

Onemana Surf Life Saving Club: $317,000.

Eastern Region Rescue Centre: $2,890,000.

Papamoa Surf Life Saving Club: $800,000.

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

The Covid Response and Recovery Fund

The $50b Covid Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF) was set out in Budget 2020. It earmarked $3b for infrastructure projects.

The Government established the Infrastructure Reference Group (IRG) to work with local councils and businesses to identify a pipeline of projects to support the economy during the Covid-19 rebuild.

Cabinet then decided the key sectors and regional breakdown of funds, with more than 150 projects worth $2.6b being approved in principle.

These sectors are (excluding a $400m contingency):
Housing and urban development: $464m
Environmental: $460m
Community and social development: $670m
Transport (cycleways, walkways, ports and roads): $708m

The approximate regional breakdown is:
Auckland region: $500m
Bay of Plenty Region: $170m
Canterbury: $300m
East Coast: $106m
Hawke's Bay: $130m
Manawatu/Whanganui: $140m
Northland: $150m
Otago: $260m
Southland: $90m
Taranaki: $85m
Top of the South: $85m
Waikato: $150m
Wellington region: $185m
West Coast: $90m