Latest news with #regionaldevelopment
CTV News
26-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Manitoba puts $1.65M into southwestern airport
Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard (left) is joined by officials at the Virden Regional Airport on May 26, 2025. (Manitoba Government/YouTube) The province is putting $1.65 million into an ongoing project to improve the airport in Virden. Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard was in the southwestern town on Monday to make the announcement. 'This is an important investment that will encourage regional development and job creation in Westman,' the minister said in a statement. The provincial dollars will go towards the expansion and rehabilitation of the Virden Regional Airport. The province said the funding will go towards a new automated weather observing system and improved support for medical transfer flights for services like STARS Air Ambulance. 'This is very important for our area,' Virden Mayor Tina Williams said, adding her town is becoming a health-care hub for the southwestern part of the province. Along with the health-care improvements, Williams said the new funding will help bolster tourism and business opportunities tied to the airport. The airport was built in 1940 as a flying school to train pilots during the Second World War. 'Since the RAF decommissioning in 1944, the airport has been kept active through the efforts of many area residents, private aviators, and especially the Virden Flying Club,' said Coun. Bruce Dunning, chair of the Virden Airport Commission. Dunning said the overall project was launched last year as the airport had become outdated over the decades. He said the ongoing project has seen the extension of the runway, installation of the weather observation system, and runway lighting. 'Once again our airport has become the centre for aviation activity in southwestern Manitoba,' he said. Dunning noted along with the provincial funding, the project has seen support from rural municipalities of Wallace-Woodworth and Pipestone, the Town of Virden, and the Virden Area Flying Club.
RNZ News
19-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Competing Otago Port proposals 'frustrating', says Associate Regional Development Minister
The Associate Regional Development Minister says local leaders should have created a coordinated regional plan. Photo: 123RF Clutha's mayor says newly announced funding for an inland port proposal came out of the blue, despite his efforts to be transparent about a similar project just down the road. Calder Stewart debuted plans to develop a privately-funded inland port in Milburn just days before the government announced a multi-million dollar loan to develop a rail connection between Port Chalmers and a proposed Southern Link Logistics Park in Mosgiel last week. The Associate Regional Development Minister said local leaders should have created a coordinated regional plan instead of having two nearby competing inland port proposals - Mosgiel and Milburn are less than 50 kilometres away from each other. Dunedin mayor Jules Radich said he had repeatedly discussed the Mosgiel plan when Clutha's mayor was present. But Clutha district mayor Bryan Cadogan said he was caught off guard by Friday's Port Otago funding announcement, which was frustrating as his district had been upfront and transparent about the Milburn proposal. Photo: Supplied by Calder Stewart The Calder Stewart proposal was the district's "once in a lifetime project" and had been in the pipeline for at least a decade. Local leaders including Dunedin's mayor had discussed the project last year, he said. The Regional Development Minister hadn't been briefed about the Milburn proposal which could have impacted the government's funding decision as it didn't have the whole picture for the region, he said. Cadogan didn't have any issue with the Port Otago project and didn't believe Calder Stewart intended to seek government funding, instead he was concerned that those local leaders didn't disclose a competing proposal despite his efforts to keep them informed. He wanted the South to start working in unison. "If there is a conflict like this, just be transparent. If I put my cards on the table, could you put cards on the table the same way," Cadogan said Dunedin mayor Jules Radich agreed that it was important for regions to work together, but said he had talked about the Port Otago-Mosgiel plan repeatedly in the Clutha mayor's presence including at the Otago mayoral forum in Queenstown last year. "I asked for government support of a heavy traffic bypass for Mosgiel to complement the project," Radich said. "I also think the Mosgiel logistics hub would be a great asset to the meatworks in Balclutha and Ōamaru." The up to $8.2 million loan for the Port Otago rail connection was earmarked from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, which is run by the government's Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit, Kānoa. Associate Regional Development Minister and local List MP Mark Patterson said only one project was formally proposed to the government in the end. It was frustrating there were two competing proposals when they could have worked together to create a cohesive proposal, he said. He described collaboration in the regions as "absolutely critical", and said the government was expecting that regions would coalesce around an agreed set of projects and priorities. The Port Otago option also had backing from Fonterra, Silver Fern Farms and KiwiRail so they were confident in their processes and in making the investment, he said. He believed they could be complementary projects, and said last week's funding announcement wouldn't prevent Calder Stewart from making a funding application in the future if it chose to. The Regional Development Minister has been contacted for comment. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
19-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Competing Otago Port proposals 'frustrating', Minister says
The Associate Regional Development Minister says local leaders should have created a coordinated regional plan. Photo: 123RF Clutha's mayor says newly announced funding for an inland port proposal came out of the blue, despite his efforts to be transparent about a similar project just down the road. Calder Stewart debuted plans to develop a privately-funded inland port in Milburn just days before the government announced a multi-million dollar loan to develop a rail connection between Port Chalmers and a proposed Southern Link Logistics Park in Mosgiel last week. The Associate Regional Development Minister said local leaders should have created a coordinated regional plan instead of having two nearby competing inland port proposals - Mosgiel and Milburn are less than 50 kilometres away from each other. Dunedin mayor Jules Radich said he had repeatedly discussed the Mosgiel plan when Clutha's mayor was present. But Clutha district mayor Bryan Cadogan said he was caught off guard by Friday's Port Otago funding announcement, which was frustrating as his district had been upfront and transparent about the Milburn proposal. Photo: Supplied by Calder Stewart The Calder Stewart proposal was the district's "once in a lifetime project" and had been in the pipeline for at least a decade. Local leaders including Dunedin's mayor had discussed the project last year, he said. The Regional Development Minister hadn't been briefed about the Milburn proposal which could have impacted the government's funding decision as it didn't have the whole picture for the region, he said. Cadogan didn't have any issue with the Port Otago project and didn't believe Calder Stewart intended to seek government funding, instead he was concerned that those local leaders didn't disclose a competing proposal despite his efforts to keep them informed. He wanted the South to start working in unison. "If there is a conflict like this, just be transparent. If I put my cards on the table, could you put cards on the table the same way," Cadogan said Dunedin mayor Jules Radich agreed that it was important for regions to work together, but said he had talked about the Port Otago-Mosgiel plan repeatedly in the Clutha mayor's presence including at the Otago mayoral forum in Queenstown last year. "I asked for government support of a heavy traffic bypass for Mosgiel to complement the project," Radich said. "I also think the Mosgiel logistics hub would be a great asset to the meatworks in Balclutha and Ōamaru." The up to $8.2 million loan for the Port Otago rail connection was earmarked from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, which is run by the government's Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit, Kānoa. Associate Regional Development Minister and local List MP Mark Patterson said only one project was formally proposed to the government in the end. It was frustrating there were two competing proposals when they could have worked together to create a cohesive proposal, he said. He described collaboration in the regions as "absolutely critical", and said the government was expecting that regions would coalesce around an agreed set of projects and priorities. The Port Otago option also had backing from Fonterra, Silver Fern Farms and KiwiRail so they were confident in their processes and in making the investment, he said. He believed they could be complementary projects, and said last week's funding announcement wouldn't prevent Calder Stewart from making a funding application in the future if it chose to. The Regional Development Minister has been contacted for comment. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Malay Mail
17-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Sarawak deputy minister urges regional development agencies to fast-track projects for economic growth
KUCHING, May 17 — Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) are encouraged to execute low-hanging projects that can be completed in under a year to accelerate regional development, said Datuk Abdul Rahman Junaidi. In a statement issued following the completion of his official tour to all RDAs in the state, Abdul Rahman stressed the need to fast-track such projects so they can be completed as early as 2028. He noted that quick-win initiatives would provide immediate impact and demonstrate the effectiveness of regional development plans. 'During his visit to all the nine RDAs, the RDAs presented the progress and challenges they faced in the project implementation. For the record, this is the first RDA tour he has conducted since becoming the Deputy Minister in the Premier's Department, serving as Project Coordinator for Regional Development Agencies, on March 17 this year,' the statement read. Abdul Rahman ended his tour to RDAs on Friday (May 16) with a final visit to Greater Kuching Coordination Development Agency (GKCDA). The RDA tour had started on May 5, covering all nine RDAs, namely, the Northern Region Development Authority (NRDA), followed by the Highland Development Agency (HDA), Mid-Rajang Development Authority (MiRRDA), Upper Rajang Development Authority (URDA), Sri Aman Development Authority (SADA), Rajang Development Authority (RADDA), Betong Development Authority (BDDA), Integrated Samarahan Development Authority (IRSDA) and GKCDA. He was accompanied by representatives from Economic Planning Unit Sarawak (EPU) and Sarawak Implementation and Monitoring Unit (SIMU), that act as the secretariat of the Regional Development Agencies Coordinating Committee (RDACC). The Committee, chaired by Abdul Rahman, aims to enhance collaboration and monitoring and provide strategic direction for the implementation of projects under RDAs. — The Borneo Post
