Minister Jones makes a series of regional infrastructure announcements at an infrastructure seminar in Auckland.

The Ōpōtiki Harbour and Northland roads will get a large chunk of a $12 billion infrastructure boost to "upgrade New Zealand".

Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones unveiled the spending plans at a seminar in Auckland on Friday.

As part the New Zealand Upgrade Programme, announced in January, $300 million was allocated for regional investment.

WARWICK SMITH/STUFF Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones made an announcement on $300 million worth of regional projects in Auckland on Friday.

The first package for those projects, worth about $190 million, will be spent on projects in Northland, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Otago, West Coast, Canterbury and Southland.

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Northland will get a significant amount of this investment, with $62 million being spent on roads, bridges and easier access to stopping points, alongside seven other projects selected from the Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay and Taranaki.

Supplied The projects are a part of the $12 billion NZ Upgrade Programme announced by the Government in January.

Ōpōtiki is also a big winner, with $79 million set aside for a harbour development.

In Taranaki, State Highway 43 – the Forgotten World Highway – will get $13.5 million for safety improvements.

"The New Zealand Upgrade Programme is a package of investments to prepare the economy for the future by modernising our infrastructure," Jones said.

JASON DORDAY/STUFF Shane Jones ahead of the announcement in central Auckland.

FIORDLAND

A total of $13 million will be invested in digital connectivity and reliable telecommunications in Fiordland.

The region's recent flooding, road and track closures highlighted the important need for such infrastructure, particularly around Milford Sound, Jones said.

Improved digital reliability would also boost tourism, he said.

WEST COAST

The region's fishing industry has been allocated $8.5 million.

Westport and Greymouth ports will get $4 million a piece to install floating pontoons, and Jackson's Bay will get $500,000 to repair its wharfs.

State highways 73 and 6 have been given a $5 million boost for safety retrofitting, while $3.6 million will fix the seawall on State Highway 67.

A plan to build a cycle and walkway clip on to the Franz Josef's Tatare Bridge has been allocated $1.5 million.

SOUTH ISLAND ROADS

About $25 million has been allocated for six projects from West Coast to Canterbury.

This will future-proof some of the flooding issues associated with climate change, including raising a 200 metre section of State Highway 1, which is regularly closed for flooding.