Media Release

12 September 2013

You’ve LEAFed it too late

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Local Environment Action Fund, known as LEAF, is helping local groups to tackle environmental projects and, due to its popularity, the funding pool which opened in July is empty.

After a steady stream of applications for LEAF grants, the total annual fund of $5,000 has already been fully-allocated to groups and projects.

“We’ve seen a noticeable up-swing in Hawke’s Bay schools and early childhood centres planting vegetable plots and orchard trees,” said HBRC’s Community Engagement Coordinator Philippa Green.

“We are pleased that this fund will help children to learn practical lessons about sustainability, soils, plants, and healthy eating.”

The funded projects this year include:

• Guthrie Smith Trust Board, Tūtira – species signage for the arboretum education project

• Kairakau community – coastal planting project

• Eskdale School – fruit trees for their harvest garden

• Village Kids Childcare Centre, Onekawa – to extend their harvest garden

• Village Kids Childcare Centre, Havelock North – to extend their harvest garden

• Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Reo Aroha, Hastings – shade trees for the school grounds

• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o te Wānanga Tapere o Takitimu, Hastings – to create an organic vegetable garden

• Maraenui Bilingual School, Napier – shade trees for the school grounds

• Te Mahia School, Wairoa – for their waste education programme worm farm.

Non-profit groups and small business can apply year-round for grants of up to $500 to help them with projects, to improve the quality of the region's environment and help extend HBRC programmes. Grants can be made for materials for planting days or rubbish clean ups, training in specific techniques, plants, fencing off a stream or development of an educational programme. A new funding round will open in July 2014. For more information, go to www.hbrc.govt.nz, keyword: leaf.

ENDS

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