Rodney Local Board's Healthy Harbours and Waterways Fund is now open and will assist landowners and community groups keen to improve water quality in Rodney.
The fund supports community-led initiatives that restore waterways and wetlands on private and Māori land, with a focus on the Kaipara, Mahurangi and Makarau catchments which have a high concentration of E.coli bacteria.
Makarau farmer James Thompson is a previous successful applicant to the fund, using the money to do fencing work on his farm.
“This has allowed me to exclude stock from a section of the Makarau River and fence off a feeder gully. Without this funding, I would not have been able to complete these tasks for some time to come.”
By the end of this round in June 2020, around $1.2m will have been invested through the fund since it was launched three years ago. This includes $750,000 allocated by the local board which will enable 30,000m of stock proof fencing to be installed and the planting of 49,000 native shrubs.
Te Uri O Hau, through the Te Arai Native Nursery, is also supplying plants. In addition, the council’s targeted water rate contributed $99,000 to the fund.
The local board is partnering with industry groups Beef and Lamb, Dairy NZ, Fonterra and community group The Forest Bridge Trust. These groups operate within the local board area and work directly with local landowners.
The Forest Bridge Trust has received funding for two projects located in areas of high ecological value. The trust helped landowners leverage funding from other partners for fencing. The areas are protected from stock and plans are underway for planting and pest control.
Applicants who meet the fund criteria can apply for funding of up to 50 per cent of their entire project cost provided they supply or source the other half of the project’s budget.
Applications are open until 15 September. For more information and to apply, visit the council funding website.
