Predator Free Franklin Te Ara Hīkoi has received a $45,000 boost for its activities.
Franklin Local Board reallocated underspent funding to the group at its recent business meeting, saying the group was well-placed to undertake additional planting, maintenance and pest management trapping work.
With $86,000 available to reallocate from funding tagged for projects that did not go ahead, or which underspent their budgets, the board was also able to also commit $10,000 to the Finding Franklin Bats programme.
The research programme has already found that the long-tailed bat (pekapeka tou roa) is more prevalent across the area than first thought.
With a nationally critical endangered species rating, board chair Angela Fulljames says its critical the work continues.
“We have seen wonderful work undertaken in the Hūnua Ranges for the Kōkako, and our tiny and shy little native bat is just as important.”
Franklin is a hot spot for the bats, with increasing numbers of sites now regularly monitored for their presence.
“We have had excellent community support that has seen pekapeka found in areas we haven’t previously seen them, such on the Āwhitu Peninsula, and we’ve recorded high activity levels in Patumahoe and Paerata.
“We have a way to go to safeguard the species so this funding might allow another small step on the to understanding more about a unique creature.”
In a third environmental move, $10,000 was also allocated to the Papakura Stream restoration initiative, which unites the Franklin, Papakura and Manurewa boards in a project designed to help clean-up the waterway and lift its water quality.
Other funding included $10,000 for the Franklin Local Economic Broker to progress of development work and support the promotion of local producers, $12,000 to the Coastal Rescue Service Grants, and $5,000 to scope a Māori Partnerships programme.
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