Funding category

Objectives

Project funding limits

Scaling up for biodiversity 

For more information regarding the priority tiers for these projects, see the Spatial Prioritisation informing Biodiversity Management in Otago report.

• To protect and enhance native biodiversity to grow in scale and impact.
• To support community groups to obtain experience in delivery of biodiversity outcomes and to transition towards the LSE fund or other funding opportunities enabling long term success.

Projects between $50,000 and $150,000

Total available - $306,600

General (on-ground, education and ex-situ)

• To protect and enhance Otago’s environment.
• To enable community-led environmental activities.

Projects – up to $50,000

Total available – $306,600

Sustained rabbit management

Rabbit control costs (trapping, poison, shooting, etc) will not be funded through this grant.

• To manage rabbit populations in new or existing community programme areas.
• To enable landowners and community to work together to manage rabbit populations.

Projects – up to $50,000

Total available – $102,200

Biodiversity enhancement on protected private land

For this fund, private land is defined as land not in public ownership i.e., freehold and/or Māori-owned land. 
It does not include Public Conservation Land, council reserves, LINZ-administered land e.g., Crown Pastoral Lease, or Pamu (Landcorp).
Protected private land could include covenants (such as QEII covenants or Ngā Whenua Rāhui kawenata), Significant Natural Areas or Regionally Significant Wetlands scheduled in District or Regional Plans.

• To enhance existing protected areas of biodiversity on private land.
• To enable private landholders to maintain existing biodiversity. 

Projects – up to $15,000

Total available – $102,200

Hill country erosion management

To support farmland with erosion control planting and retirement fencing on hill country.

• To reduce sediment and soil loss through erosion control measures in hill country.
• To support stock-exclusion fencing and/or tree planting for erosion control

Projects – up to $15,000

Total available – $51,100

Weed removal and revegetation

"Weed removal" can be used to assist with creating a space free from undesirable plants in order to help revegetation. 

Land-occupier obligations under the RPMP won't be funded (e.g. old mans beard or wilding conifers)

• To improve native vegetation through removal of weeds / pest plants and rehabilitation.
• To increase area of native terrestrial biodiversity.

Projects – up to $15,000

Total available – $51,100