📋 Tender Overview
The Provincial Growth Fund PGF is investing to support economic growth opportunities for Otagos engineering and manufacturing sectors Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Trade and Export Minister David Parker announced.Almost 20 million is being dedicated to re-establish KiwiRails Hillside workshop once a key part of New Zealands rail infrastructure as part of the Coalition Governments plan to revitalise rail.Under this Government rail is back on track and the days of managed decline are over. We are dedicating 19.97m to re-establish the Hillside workshop as a mechanical hub and heavy engineering facility to service KiwiRails trains. Hillside is the only heavy lifting rail facility in the South Island so it is vital to KiwiRails business Shane Jones said.The Coalition Government is investing more than a billion dollars in rail including 300m from the PGF in Budget 2019. It makes sense to ensure there are quality facilities available to support KiwiRail to maintain their trains and undertake a range of heavy maintenance and upgrade work.The Provincial Growth Fund is also investing almost 8m in smaller engineering and manufacturing sectors which are vital for this region both in terms of economic growth and employment opportunities.We are providing 5.8m towards the establishment of a dedicated manufacturing agriculture technology business unit within Dunedin-based company Scott Technology. This unit will be dedicated to automation solutions and services for New Zealand food processors producers and their suppliers Shane Jones said.The funding package also includes nearly 500000 for the Southland and Otago Regional Engineering Collective SOREC.David Parker says this funding will support the collective work that SOREC are doing to find ways to reinvigorate the sector.Both this and the seven other projects that received funding today will create a step change in productivity and efficiency and lead to the development of 87 new permanent jobs in the region.New Zealanders have a reputation for thinking outside the square and the PGF recognises our regions are home to some of our most creative and innovative thinkers. Our focus on the manufacturing and engineering industry recognises this regions pioneering spirit David Parker said.
