Waikato Regional Council has granted a total of $1.34 million from its Natural Heritage Fund (NHF) towards four landscape scale environmental projects.

The Integrated Catchment Management Committee has approved grants for projects at Mt Karioi (Raglan), northern Coromandel Peninsula, Mt Pirongia and the Kaimai-Mamaku Ranges. (Details provided below.)

Integrated Catchment Management Committee chair Cr Robert Cookson says the number of applications to the fund shows the value of the council’s increased investment in community initiatives to enhance the Waikato region’s environment.

The council had increased its per property natural heritage rate from $5.80 per annum to $15 as part of the 2024-2034 Long Term Plan.

This has provided a significant boost to the funding available to support more work to protect and restore our region’s native plants and animals, special landscapes and ecosystems, with 10 applications received for the NHF’s 2024/25 funding round.

“We want to support projects to mature and succeed over the long term,” says Cr Cookson.

“We do this not only by making funding available, but also by working closely with all these community groups and giving them guidance and advice; developing true partnerships.”

The next Natural Heritage Fund round will open in April, for the 2025/26 financial year, with approximately $1.4 million to distribute.

The council has three contestable funds as part of its Natural Heritage Partnership Programme (NHPP):

• Small Scale Community Initiatives Fund for project grants up to$5000
• Environmental Initiatives Fund for project grants up to $40,000
• Natural Heritage Fund (for project grants over $40,000).

Details of the four successful applicants for 2024/25 round of the Natural Heritage Fund are as follows:

A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand, $393,000 over four years towards Te Whakaoranga o Karioi – The Karioi Project

The funding will go towards: 

• labour – pest animal control, seabird/coastal ranger and volunteer coordinator
• mātauranga Māori cultural health monitoring
• health and safety – materials and expert guidance.

This group has been working together with the Raglan community for over 15 years. It undertakes a landscape scale pest control programme on the Karioi maunga, a backyard trapping programme in the surrounding rural and urban landscape, supports an iwi-led kākā reintroduction project, supports an iwi-led wetland restoration project at Toreparu Wetland, and runs an environmental education and awareness programme.

Moehau Environment Group Incorporated, $445,593 over three years towards its Caring for Native Biodiversity in Northern Coromandel project

The funding will go towards:

• labour – pest animal, pest plant control and community and school engagement programmes
• materials – traps and consumables.

This group has undertaken community led, landscape scale pest control and biodiversity management projects for over 20 years. The project area comprises a significant number of private properties, including QEII National Trust covenants along with areas of public conservation land. The group oversees a network of traps for a kiwi sanctuary, pest animal and pest plant control at Waikawau Wetland, a coastal forest pest animal control sub-project, and education and advocacy programmes in both schools and the wider community.

Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society, $303,023 over three years towards its Kia Mau Tonu Kaitiakitanga o Pirongia project

The funding will go towards:

• labour – pest animal control and administration support
• materials – traps and consumables
• track maintenance
• biodiversity outcome monitoring.

This group was established in 2002 as a community-led initiative to support, protect and enhance the native flora and fauna on Mt. Pirongia. It is expanding pest animal control operations on Mt. Pirongia to protect the spreading population of kōkako. This work also protects and enhances threatened native flora including Dactylanthus (wood rose). The group also has pest control operations at Okahukura in northern Pureroa, with a particular focus on protecting kōkako and long-tailed bat (pekapeka) populations.

Manaaki Kaimai Mamaku Trust, $200,000 over two years towards its Kaimai Mamaku Restoration project

The funding will go towards:

• labour – subregional hub to support capacity and capability of the iwi/hapū led subprojects
• health and safety support
• data and monitoring platform support.

This group was formed to manage Jobs for Nature funding secured from central government. It operates as a subregional hub, currently providing capacity and capability building for eight iwi/hapū pest control subprojects, including four from the Waikato region. The funding will only be applied to Waikato based activities supported by this trust.

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