Hon Jo Goodhew

Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector

25 June 2016
Media Statement

$3.56m programme to support our communities

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew has today announced the new Community-Led Development Programme (CLDP), supporting community-led initiatives into the future.

“This new programme marks a step change for the long-term support of community projects, and will have significant positive impacts for successful applicants,” says Mrs Goodhew.

The programme will allow selected communities to identify community aspirations, then partner with the Department of Internal Affairs, other government agencies, local government, private funders, businesses and local iwi to achieve their goals.

“The Programme will incorporate all of the beneficial aspects of the previous Community Development Scheme and the Community-Led Development pilot that concludes on 30 June 2016.

“As the pilot Community Led Development Programme draws to a close on 30 June, it is timely to announce the CLDP which will build on the pilot’s success and facilitate a larger number of communities taking a similar approach,” Mrs Goodhew says.

Participation in CLDP will consider the strengths and readiness of communities to adopt a Community–Led Development approach. Community-Led Development Programmes work together in a location to create and achieve locally-owned visions and goals.

The Programme's key elements will be:

· Paid community development workers;

· A partnership approach and a joint commitment to adhere to Community–Led Development principles;

· Promotion of community leadership;

· Intensive advisory support from Internal Affairs;

· Holistic and flexible funding;

· Wide community engagement and support; and

· Sustainable and measurable action plans to support progress of the collective community vision.

This new partnering approach will provide support for up to five years through the investment of intensive advisory support provided by the Department of Internal Affairs and through the investment of Crown funds.

The CLDP budget starts at $1 million in 2016-17 (with investments commencing in early 2017), rising to $3.56 million in 2019-20. Over the same period the Community Development Scheme (CDS) will be gradually phased out. All funding from the CLDP pilot and the CDS will be combined for the CLDP.

The CLDP will be open to communities, hapū, and iwi across New Zealand, and a contestable Expression of Interest process will open in September 2016. More information is available at www.communitymatters.govt.nz.

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