Funds available for private conservation initiatives

Hauraki Gulf landowners have until Monday, 12 April to apply for conservation funding from Auckland City’s $50,000 heritage fund.

Eligible projects will be on private land in the gulf and will be assessed for environmental benefit versus cost requirement. Such projects may include, but are not limited to, pest control, weed control, revegetation and fencing.

Often projects that look after existing natural areas have greater environmental benefits in relation to cost than those that plan to build new conservation areas from scratch. For this reason, most of last year’s funds were allocated to pest and weed control in existing natural habitats.

Funds will also be allocated according to whether a particular native bird, lizard or plant has a stronghold in an area. For example, the areas of Great Barrier where the Pateke (Brown Teal) live.

Last year, five projects on Waiheke Island, eight on Great Barrier Island, one on Rakino Island and one on The Noises received funding.

Waiheke projects included several pest control programmes and a Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand project to plant a wetland. Great Barrier, Rakino and The Noises received funding for projects that concentrated mainly on pest control to help reduce predators so that rare native birds and lizards could survive and breed successfully.

For more information on how to apply for Gulf Islands heritage conservation funding or to view the application criteria, phone (09) 379 2020 or visit www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/grantsandfunding

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

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