Employer Bulletin | 08 July

Councils, iwi, businesses and community organisations with infrastructure projects that support regional priorities are invited to apply for funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund.

“The Coalition Government is focused on growing the economy. We are doing everything we can to enable an export-led recovery, regional prosperity and jobs,” Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says.

The Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) will drive regional productivity, prosperity and resilience by focusing on two key investment categories – ‘resilience’ infrastructure to improve regions’ ability to absorb, adapt and respond to stresses and shocks, and ‘enabling’ infrastructure to support growth by ensuring regions are well-connected and productive.

“The RIF will look for investment and co-investment projects that support the priorities of the regions themselves,” Mr Jones says.

The Regional Infrastructure Fund is primarily a capital fund. Funding support will be provided through a mix of loan and equity investments; grants will be available in only very limited cases.

In Budget 2024, Mr Jones announced the first projects to be funded through the RIF would be an initial $200 million for flood resilience infrastructure. Of this total, up to $101.1m, along with co-investment from recipients, is committed to 42 flood resilience projects close to being started.

More information about the RIF, including details about eligibility criteria and the application process can also be found on the Grow Regions website

In today’s Bulletin

• Personal grievance raised five years after resignation
• Authority upholds claim for unjustified dismissal
• Employer fails to pay employee on time and incorrectly follows abandonment process
• Employer runs a fair redundancy process
• Authority sends strong signal to anyone breaching non-solicitation clauses
• Ten news updates of interest for employers including: Regional Infrastructure Fund opens to applications; Annual enterprise survey: 2023 financial year (provisional); NZ wood and wool to benefit through new trade deal, Employment indicators: May 2024; Critical minerals stocktake underway; Endeavour Fund Investment Plan 2025-2027 published; Annual number of homes consented down 23 per cent; Household labour force survey estimated working-age population: June 2024 quarter; and Next steps for Northwest Rapid Transit underway.
• Twelve Bills open for submission