Forty-nine community organisations will receive $922,443 in funding to deliver region-wide projects that enhance, restore and protect Auckland’s natural environment, as part of Auckland Council’s annual Regional Environment and Natural Heritage Grants.
Councillor Richard Hills, Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee that approved the grants today, says the grant supports people and groups in communities across the region to take action and achieve genuine results in improving our natural environment.
“These grants are about community development and getting Aucklanders enthused and inspired to work together with the council to tackle some of our tough long-term environmental challenges. It’s a great way of doing the mahi in the community because we can spread our funding and other resources a lot further and achieve a lot more by working together”
Of the total $922,443 in funding, $440,000 comes from the Auckland Council’s natural environment targeted rate, which ring fences $311 million in the council’s 10-year budget for projects tackling pests, weeds and diseases threatening native species and ecosystems.
This year’s grant supports a large number of conservation projects (76 per cent) helped by the additional natural environment targeted rate funding. The remaining projects supported include sustainable living, healthy water and kaitiakitanga initiatives across the region.
Examples of the 49 organisations set to receive funding include:
Tread Lightly Charitable Trust ($29,000) to support Tread Lightly Caravan and the Tread Lightly Drain Game 2020 that will engage and educate 4,000 students from primary and intermediate schools across the Auckland region in 2020 about the environmental consequences of our everyday lifestyle
Makaurau Marae Maori Trust ($40,000) to support Whakahaere kīrearea o Oruarangi Awa, the sustainable management and protection of indigenous ecological taonga through the monitoring and eradication of predators within the Oruarangi Awa catchment
Friends of Oakley Creek ($15,000) to support the Oakley Creek - Te Auaunga Restoration Project to protect and preserve the creek’s wildlife, indigenous species and recreational facilities for present and future generations. Funded from the Natural Environment Targeted Rate
Pest Free Kaipātiki Restoration Society ($50,000 over 3 years) to support the project for a pest free Kaipātiki area by 2026 with public engagement in taking collaborative action against predators and weeds on public and private land in the area.
The Regional Environment and Natural Heritage Grant is an annual contestable grants programme that supports the protection, restoration and enhancement of Auckland’s significant natural heritage areas. It also funds projects that encourage and support Aucklanders to adopt environmentally sustainable lifestyles.
More information about the successful projects and what they aim to achieve can be found here.
