Funding

The Toitū Te Hakapupu: The Pleasant River Restoration Project is funded by the Ministry for the Environment’s Essential Freshwater Fund through the Government’s Jobs for Nature programme to create jobs while enhancing nature.

Funding of $4 million has been provided to support this $5 million restoration project.

The Ministry for the Environment does not necessarily endorse or support the content of this publication in any way. 

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Other community funding opportunities

While we have managed to secure $5 million for the work detailed above, there is always more work that can be done in the catchment to improve water quality with the help of community funding. 

If you have a community-led project that will help protect, enhance, or promote Otago’s environment,  

ORC’s ECO Fund could help get your project off the ground.  

ORC’s ECO Fund boosted to $900,000 

This year ECO Fund has received an almost 60% boost to available funds. 

The combined ECO Fund and four Incentives Funds is joined by a one-off “large-scale biodiversity fund” this year – targeting projects in a range of $50,000 - $150,000.  

The funding supports the ORC’s partnership with local communities throughout Otago to improve the environment, which under the different categories can include on-ground works, biodiversity enhancement, water monitoring, animal or plant pest control, native planting and regeneration, education, or administrative support. 

ORC’s annual ECO Fund round for community projects opens on 1 March with applications closing early April. 

Find out about the ECO Fund

Other community funding providers include:

• Dunedin City Council biodiversity funding
• Waitaki District Council biodiversity funding
• Clutha District Council biodiversity funding
• Queenstown Lakes District Council community funding
• Central Otago District Council community funding
• Department of Conservation funding
• Otago Community Trust funding
• Ministry for Primary Industries funding