Posted: 07 July 2006
July 14 deadline for Environment Fund
People keen to secure a share of the Northland Regional Council’s $505,000 Environment Fund have just one week left to get their applications in.
Applications for the 2006 fund - designed to help people protect and enhance the region’s precious natural environment – opened on 1 May and will close at 5pm on Friday 14 July. To date the Council has officially received about a dozen applications, although typically it receives a flurry of dozens of applications in the last few days before the deadline.
Since 1996 the fund has provided more than $1 million to help people improve and protect Northland’s natural environment. About $505,000 is expected to be available from this year’s fund, an increase of almost $200,000 on 2005.
The fund typically contributes up to 50 percent of the total cost of a project, with most grants for between $500 and $5000. Last year 88 projects from lakeside predator control to fencing wetlands were funded; 40 based in the Far North District, 28 in the Whangarei District and 20 from the Kaipara.
Projects must be of long-term benefit to the local environment and clearly show evidence of good resource management. This year’s fund will be split across a number of areas:
• General biodiversity protection
• Wetland protection and enhancement
• Pest animal and plant control
• Revegetation and enhancement with native plants
• Excluding stock from the Coastal Marine Area
• Coast care projects (mainly sand dune stabilisation projects).
The fund is open to individuals and voluntary groups for eligible projects on private land. Landowners, community and conservation organisations, local Maori groups and schools have all successfully applied to the Environment Fund in the past.
People wanting to check whether their project might qualify for funding should contact Regional Council Land Management staff on (0800) 002 004.
Application forms and guidelines are also available from all Northland Regional Council offices, by calling (0800) 002 004, sending an email to nolas@nrc.govt.nz or by visiting Council’s website www.nrc.govt.nz
Successful applicants will be notified by Monday 30 October.