Regional growth fund trickle today becomes avalanche in election year

Thu, 22 Feb 2018

By Pattrick Smellie Feb. 23 (BusinessDesk) - The government has made an initial $61.7 million down-payment on its promise to spend $1 billion a year for the next three years on regional economic growth initiatives, with Cabinet papers signalling it will take three years for major projects to gain momentum. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones launched the Provincial Growth Fund at a ceremony in Gisborne today, identifying for special attention six "surge" regions where efforts to accelerate...

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