11 March 2013

New Fund Supports ‘Zero Waste’ Goal

A new grant scheme of $500,000 to foster fresh ideas and support projects to help reduce waste going to landfill in the Auckland region launches in April.

The Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund (WMIF) opens on 1 April for applications from community groups, businesses, iwi / Maori organisations and educational institutions with great ideas and existing projects for waste reduction and minimisation.

The fund is one of the first actions to emerge from the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP), adopted in June 2012, which has an aspirational goal of Zero Waste by 2040.

"This new fund is exciting because it is part of a whole new way of doing things," says Councillor Noelene Raffills, who led the WMMP hearings process. "We need to get our waste sorted, and this grants scheme will bring forth a whole raft of fresh initiatives and businesses to help us achieve our goal of making Auckland the world’s most liveable city."

The WMIF has an annual pool of $500,000 to disburse through two funding rounds. The first round opens on 1 April and closes on 30 April. The second round will be in October. Projects will fall into three main categories: small grants ($250 to $5,000), medium grants ($5,001 to $25,000) and large grants (grants over $25,000). A project can receive up to 50 per cent of its cost from the fund, with sources of additional funding and support to be secured by the applicant.

The WMIF can support a broad range of projects to reduce waste going to landfill, from the development of feasibility studies, business cases and surveys, through to infrastructure design and development, equipment and plant, pilot programmes and workshops.

Project owners will need to demonstrate how their initiatives incorporate the key strategies and principles of the WMMP. The key areas of focus for the fund are resource recovery, commercial waste, organic waste and community and behaviour change.

For more information about the grant scheme and to apply for funding, visit the Auckland Council website at www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/funding and select the ‘Environmental and Heritage’ link, or call 09 301 0101.

ENDS

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Snow Forecast: Red Cross Prepares For Severe Weather Conditions

A Red Cross Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) is being set up in Christchurch to respond to the snow forecast for the South Island.

An Incident Management Team will be in place at the EOC from 10.00am tomorrow morning and Emergency Response Teams around the country are on standby.

South Island Emergency Management Officer Stephen Manson says that final preparations are underway to ensure the EOC is in a position to respond to emergency community needs as they arise. More>>