Expressions of interest are open for Northland Regional Council’s new freshwater quality improvement fund, the Tangata Whenua and Catchment Fund.

The fund has up to $40,000 available for single-year projects or up to $60,000 for projects running for up to three years.

The fund is open to established legal or operational community groups, catchment groups, marae committees, hapū trusts, and iwi authorities outside the Kaipara catchment. Groups in the Kaipara catchment are funded through the Kaipara Moana Remediation programme – see kmr.org.nz/funding for more information.

Council Deputy Chair Tui Shortland encouraged groups with a range of different types of freshwater projects to apply, including on-the-ground mahi, fostering community engagement and awareness, kaitiaki engagement, and relevant training and professional services.

“We know much of our freshwater in Te Taitokerau is in a poor state, and there has been huge loss to the mauri of wai māori (freshwater), ecosystems and taonga species that rely on wai,” she said.

“Action to tackle these problems could look different depending on where you are, your local community, and what you want to do. So we designed the fund to be flexible.”

Expressions of interest are open from 1 April until 31 May 2025. You can express your interest by completing our online form at www.nrc.govt.nz/twcf or contact Northland Regional Council’s Land Management team for more information:

E: [email protected] | P: 0800 002 004