City Rail Link
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Targeted Hardship Fund

Targeted Hardship Fund

Targeted Hardship Fund

About

The Targeted Hardship Fund is now closed and is no longer accepting applications.

In early September 2021, project Sponsors – Auckland Council and the NZ Government – announced the creation of a $12 million ex gratia Targeted Hardship Fund to support small businesses experiencing genuine hardship from major and sustained City Rail Link (CRL) construction disruption surrounding the Te Waihorotiu Station,  Karanga-a-Hape Station and Maungawhau Station sites (within the C3 Affected Area).

The THF was governed by high-level guidelines, which were set by Sponsors and established fixed considerations with regards to the dates for eligibility and what the fund covered. These guidelines can be found in full below.

To provide timely financial assistance to eligible businesses while the THF’s detailed eligibility and assessment criteria was being developed, an Advance Interim Payment scheme was developed and administered.

The THF is now closed and the Advance Interim Payment scheme is also closed.

All remaining THF and Advance Interim Payment applications have been processed.

Historical THF eligibility and assessment criteria can be found below.

The THF was managed by CRL Ltd, and administered by project management company TSA, on its behalf - in line with high-level guidance provided by project Sponsors.

The THF was designed to benefit small businesses that were adversely impacted by CRL construction - not landlords/landowners who will benefit from increased property value when the project is complete. As such, CRL Ltd sought meaningful contributions to the amount of financial support offered to business owners from their landlords.

Application cut-off dates

To ensure businesses were assessed accurately against the relevant time period and processed in a timely fashion, applications for the THF were administrated on a quarterly basis and applications had to be received within six months from the end of the relevant period.

The relative periods for each tranche are as below.

  • • Tranches 1 - 5 (01 February 2021 to 30 September 2022) Closed

    • Tranche 6 (01 October 2022 to 31 December 2022) Closed

    • Tranche 7 (01 January 2023 to 31 March 2023) Closed

    • Tranche 8 (01 April 2023 to 30 June 2023) Closed

    • Tranche 9 (01 July 2023 to 30 September 2023) Closed

    • Tranche 10 (01 October 2023 to 31 December 2023) Closed

    • Tranche 11 (01 January 2024 to 31 March 2024) Closed

    • Tranche 12 (01 April 2024 to 30 June 2024) Closed

    • Tranche 13 (01 July 2024 to 30 September 2024) Closed

    • Tranche 14 (01 October 2024 to 31 December 2024) Closed

    • Tranche 15 (01 January 2025 to 31 March 2025) Closed

    • Tranche 16 (01 April 2025 to 30 June 2025) Closed

    • Tranche 17 (01 July 2025 to 30 September 2025) Closed

    • Tranche 18 (01 October 2025 to 31 December 2025) Closed

Please note the first tranche for the THF was backdated to February 2021 to reflect the Sponsors guidelines.

If you have any queries about the process, please email or call.

  • Email: Info@cityraillink.govt.nz

  • Phone: 0800 CRL TALK (275 8255)

Project Sponsors’ high-level guidelines

CRL project Sponsors issued the below guidelines to CRL Ltd to adhere to when delivering the Fund.

·         Financial assistance to businesses should be made available on an ex-gratia basis only.

·        Financial assistance should target businesses where there is evidence of major and sustained disruption, financial hardship, and a reasonable case for financial assistance being required (such as small vulnerable businesses).

·         Financial assistance should target businesses immediately adjacent to the C3 works. In special circumstances, businesses in the wider proximity of the C3 works (e.g. a business that is not immediately adjacent to the C3 works but where access is severely compromised) could be considered where CRLL determines there is a strong case for financial assistance.

·         Financial assistance should be made available to businesses in their capacity as a tenant. In special circumstances, small businesses that occupy their own premises could be considered where CRLL determines there is a strong case for financial assistance.

·         A meaningful contribution towards the level of financial assistance for an eligible business determined by CRLL under the Fund should be sought from the business’ landlord in each year the Fund is in operation. This should include the following approach:

•  as part of CRLL’s communications and stakeholder engagement, encourage a meaningful contribution where viable for the landlord.

• in the case that landlords do not contribute, that CRLL makes up the full 100% of the determined level of financial assistance to the eligible business.

•         Eligible businesses should be limited to businesses that commenced in the affected area before 1 October 2019, when the C3 works began.

•         If a business is receiving the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy (or other targeted Government financial support for a COVID-19 Alert Level 3 or 4 event), it should not be eligible for financial assistance from the Fund for the same time period.

•        Given that applications from affected businesses may take time to assess, advance or interim relief should be available for likely eligible businesses experiencing immediate hardship once their application has been received and is under consideration. Any advanced or interim payment would be deducted from the total assistance provided.

Targeted Hardship Fund general eligibility and assessment criteria

To qualify for Targeted Hardship Fund, a business needed to satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

  • It was situated immediately adjacent to CRL construction, in the C3 Affected Area

  • It had suffered legitimate financial hardship due to major and sustained CRL construction disruption

  • It began operating in the C3 Affected Area prior to 01 October 2019. Businesses were ineligible for the fund if they are sold and/or change majority ownership after 01 October 2019

  • It qualified as a small business, i.e. it employs fewer than 20 full-time equivalent employees

  • It has been and is still operating at the leased premises, with all required statutory and regulatory approvals under the relevant laws, including planning, licensing, and building approvals

  • The applicant was the business owner, not landowner or landlord

 Please note: 

  • In special circumstances, businesses in the wider proximity of the C3 works that have suffered genuine hardship because of the sustained disruption from CRL construction were considered, if CRL Ltd determined there is a strong case for financial assistance

  • If a business owner disagreed with the outcome of an application decision, they had the right to challenge this decision. In this instance, the business owner needed to make a case and provide verifiable evidence of this. CRL Ltd consided all cases at its absolute discretion.

  • Some owner occupiers of small businesses were also eligible

  • All payments were made on an ex-gratia basis

  • CRL Ltd kept all applications details confidential

  • If a business was receiving the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy (or other targeted Government financial support for a COVID-19 Alert Level 3 or 4 event), it was not eligible for financial assistance from the Fund for the same time period

The Fund was not available to: 

  • Any business located outside the C3 Affected Area

  • Any business owner who acquired a business located within the C3 Affected Area after 01 October 2019 (the main start of C3 works)

  • Any business not experiencing genuine hardship

  • Land/property owners in the C3 Affected Area

C3 Affected Areas

These maps show the indicative C3 Affected Area for each station. Being situated within the affected area doesn’t necessarily mean a business will automatically qualify for the Targeted Hardship Fund. Successful applicants must satisfy all eligibility criteria, such as operating in the affected area before 01 October 2019 and being affected by major and ongoing construction disruption, resulting in financial hardship.

Click maps to enlarge.

Maungawhau Station area Karanga-a-Hape Station area Te Waihorotiu Station area

How to apply

The Targetted Hardship fund is now closed and City Rail Link Ltd is no longer accepting applications.

If you have any questions please contact info@cityraillink.govt.nz or call us on 08000 CRL TALK.