新西兰政府拨款2240万纽元支持北帕默斯顿大型货运枢纽铁路建设
新西兰政府批准提供最高2240万纽元资金，用于支持北帕默斯顿（Palmerston North）Te Utanganui综合货运枢纽的铁路基础设施建设。铁路部长与区域发展部长共同宣布了这一消息。
Te Utanganui是下北岛一项大型综合物流枢纽，将铁路、公路、航空及海运网络连接起来。其中，区域基础设施基金（Regional Infrastructure Fund，RIF）将以贷款形式支持Bunnythorpe区域货运中心的前期准备及建设工作，该项目是整个Te Utanganui货运计划三大核心工程之一。
Winston Peters表示，这是一项关键的国家货运基础设施，将进一步提升铁路与公路运输效率，强化供应链韧性，并推动下北岛经济持续增长。
他指出，整个项目未来仍需获得货运企业及港口公司的进一步投资承诺，而政府此次拨款将推动下一阶段工程展开，并持续完善土地整合，为纳税人创造更大价值。
根据计划，资金将分阶段发放，首先拨出190万纽元用于前期规划及准备工作；待完整商业计划及项目实施方案获确认后，再提供最高2050万纽元用于正式施工。
Shane Jones表示，政府的支持对于确保项目按计划推进至关重要。
他说，基础设施前期投资成本高，短期内难以为投资者带来回报。政府透过区域基础设施基金降低项目初期风险，从而增强私人企业共同投资的信心。
该项目由马纳瓦图中央经济发展局（Central Economic Development Agency）牵头，联合地方政府、毛利部族（iwi）、及私人投资伙伴共同推进。
预计货运枢纽建设初期将创造约100至300个就业岗位。随着整个Te Utanganui计划逐步落实，未来有望进一步带动物流、制造业及相关产业发展，创造数千个就业机会。
Shane Jones表示，这项投资将有助于填补制约下北岛经济发展的基础设施缺口，释放工业用地潜力，提升物流网络效率与韧性，为地区经济未来发展奠定坚实基础。
The Government has approved up to $22.4 million in funding to support the rail component of Te Utanganui – a major new freight hub in Palmerston North, Rail Minister Winston Peters and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones say.
Te Utanganui is an intermodal distribution hub in the lower North Island that links rail, road, air and sea. The Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) loan will support pre-construction and construction stages of the Bunnythorpe Regional Freight Hub, one of three projects in the wider Te Utanganui freight hub programme.
“This is critical freight infrastructure that will improve efficiency using rail and roads, strengthen supply chains, and drive economic growth in the lower North Island,” Mr Peters says.
“The full development will require investment commitments from freight and port companies but this investment enables the next stage of works to develop and to continue to secure the landholdings to generate value for the taxpayer.”
The funding will be delivered in stages, with $1.9m allocated to pre-construction, followed by up to $20.5m for construction once a robust business case and delivery plan have been confirmed.
Mr Jones says government support was key to the project staying on track.
“Early-stage infrastructure is expensive and doesn’t usually create immediate income for investors. Through the RIF, we have helped de-risk the wider project to enable private sector investors’ confidence to co-invest.” Mr Jones says.
Led by Manawatū’s Central Economic Development Agency, the project will be delivered with local councils, iwi, KiwiRail and private co-funders.
Around 100-300 jobs are expected to be created during early works on the freight hub, with significantly more jobs created over time as the wider Te Utanganui programme develops, potentially supporting thousands of roles across logistics, manufacturing and related industries.
“This funding helps address the infrastructure gap constraining economic growth in the lower North Island regions. It will unlock industrial land, build resilience and strengthen efficiency in the logistics network,” Mr Jones says.
“This investment will enable our regions to grow and set them on a strong path for the future.”
