- Hon Louise Upston
- Hon Shane Jones
Projects backed by the Regional Infrastructure Fund are creating resilient communities and local employment opportunities, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston say.
"Regional New Zealand powers the country and it's essential the regions are supported to grow and prosper. The Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) does just that. Through application criteria that focus on infrastructure, important work such as flood resilience, water storage, and energy are being funded to protect and improve the lives of Kiwis all over the country," Mr Jones says.
Since the $1.2 billion RIF opened for applications mid last year, announced projects are projected to provide employment for more than 1750 fulltime workers during construction alone. Most of these will be drawn from the regions in which the projects are based.
"RIF applicants are expected to prioritise New Zealanders in their workforce planning, reflecting a 'locals first' approach to employment. This ensures local communities benefit directly from the opportunities these projects create," Ms Upston says.
"Because RIF investments focus on infrastructure, they're creating jobs in construction and related trades during the build phase of these projects. Post-construction these projects will offer employment opportunities in areas such as agriculture, horticulture and processing."
For example, eight Southland projects supported by $38.31 million in RIF funding are generating jobs across construction, engineering, and project management during the build phase. The Rakiura renewable energy project, SpaceOps Satellite Station, Ocean Beach aquaculture and five flood resilience projects are projected to provide employment for 180 FTE during construction.
Once complete, further employment opportunities will be created in areas such as renewable energy, satellite operations, and aquaculture through these projects - Rakiura renewable energy, SpaceOps Satellite Station and Ocean Beach Aquaculture Centre of Excellence.
As of 30 September 2025, government funding of more than $862m has been committed for RIF projects, of which $355.6m has been approved and announced. More project approvals are in the pipeline.
"The RIF is gathering momentum in regional New Zealand and delivering well-planned, resilient and enabling infrastructure that will support economic growth, create jobs and make a real difference to our regions," Mr Jones says.
Editors' note:
- The Regional Infrastructure Fund is a capital fund which opened on 1 July 2024 with the primary purpose of accelerating infrastructure projects, particularly with a focus on water storage, energy, Māori economic development, enabling growth, and resilience.
- The employment projections are based on estimates provided by each project's applicants when applying for funding. These may vary from actual FTE figures, which RIF recipients report back to MBIE on a monthly basis.
- Committed RIF funding includes approved funding and funding ring-fenced for specific purposes but yet to be approved for release.
More information about the RIF can be found on the Grow Regions website
