Natural Environments Fund

The Natural Environments Fund was established to promote and assist with the protection, restoration and enhancement of areas of significant biodiversity, indigenous vegetation and/or significant habitats of indigenous fauna on private land in the District.

This policy applies to both Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) and non-SNAs as defined below:

Significant Natural Areas (SNAs), in the schedule of the operative District Plan, are areas that have been identified as having a level of ecological significance.

The Council also introduced a general rule in the District Plan to protect areas of indigenous vegetation and habitats of indigenous fauna. These non-SNAs are not included in the District Plan schedule.

The Council will consider projects that:

• Assist with protection, enhancement, or restoration of identified SNAs.
• Assist with the protection, enhancement, or restoration of non-SNAs.
• Promote the protection of areas of indigenous vegetation and habitats of indigenous fauna in the District.

Funding types:

SNAs

The Council will contribute up to 50% towards project costs for SNAs, if all conditions made by the Council for such funding are fulfilled.

Non-SNAs

To be considered for this fund, non-SNAs must already be legally protected (through QEII Trust or similar perpetual legal protection agreements), or the landowner must be prepared to legally protect the area as part of the funding conditions. The area for the project either has or will have legal protection status within 12 months of being funded. Legal protection may include, but is not limited to, a Queen Elizabeth II National Trust, Open Space Covenant, or a Memorandum of Encumbrance.

The Council will contribute up to one third the total cost of project costs for non-SNAs, provided that all conditions made by the Council for such funding are fulfilled. In exceptional circumstances, grants of a higher contribution towards total project costs may be approved.

A non-SNA sites that has an active Biodiversity Plan with the Taranaki Regional Council will be prioritised for funding.

Other projects

The Council will consider a funding contribution for other projects that assist in the protection or promotion of the protection of significant indigenous vegetation and habitats of indigenous fauna, (for example: environmental education projects or landscape-scale environmental projects or similar.

This funding does not need to be linked to specific areas (SNAs or non-SNAs), and funding applications for these kinds of projects are assessed by the Council on a case-by-case basis.

Conditions

Individuals and organisations are eligible to apply.

Applications for Natural Environment Funding grants may only be accepted for requests between $5,000 and $30,000, but smaller grants may be allocated on a case-by-case basis.

The applicant’s contribution towards the project must be clearly detailed in the relevant application form. This does not need to be financial and can include volunteer time or in-kind support.

Council funding is complementary rather than a primary funder. Priority will be given to applicants that can demonstrate they are seeking and/or have secured other sources of funding.

Assessment of applications

The Council will consider applications for multi-year Natural Environments Funding grants.

The Council reserves the right to revoke multi-year Natural Environments Funding grants, at its discretion.

The Council may take into consideration any current or previous funding the applicant has received from the Council, when assessing a funding application. The applicant must disclose in the application form financial information and past contributions from the Council. This may include past applications, rates rebates, or lease agreements.

Failure to disclose previous funding allocations from the Council may result in a funding application being denied.

Funding contributions by the Council will not be made available until the projects have been completed to the Council’s satisfaction, and conditions of the funding have been fulfilled. This may include a site inspection.

If funding is approved, successful applicants will receive a funding agreement that will outline the amount and conditions of the grant.