Invercargill Airport getting cash injection for first direct jet flights to Auckland in over 20 years

It's part of a 1.7-million-dollar Provincial Growth Fund investment to drive Southland's growth.

Stewart Island - which has around 400 residents but attracts close to 40 thousand visitors a year - gets 100 thousand dollars for an economic development plan.

Almost 600 thousand dollars will go into water storage, and 550 thousand to establishing a start-up investment network.