Calling all outdoor recreation groups
Calling all outdoor recreation groups interested in maintaining their backcountry
Wellington – 15th September 2014
Today the NZ Outdoor Recreation Consortium announced that applications are open for three new funds that it manages to support volunteer-led work in New Zealand’s backcountry. Community groups and individuals interested in looking after huts, tracks and other facilities on public conservation land are invited to apply.
“Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC), New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association (NZDA) and Trail Fund NZ are keen to get more people involved in the management of our backcountry, so if you are passionate about doing some work on that special hut or track – and you need some resources – then we would like to help you” said FMC President Robin McNeill.
The three funds are: the Huts and Tracks Fund, the Mountain Bike Fund and the Backcountry Recreation Fund. There is an opportunity for all users of the backcountry to apply for funding. The funds have been made possible by a $700,000 grant from the Department of Conservation’s Community Conservation Partnership fund.
Mr McNeill emphasises, “there are a large number of groups are already doing a significant amount of work – be it the remote hut and track maintenance group Permolat, mountain bikers in the Craigieburn area, or hunters in the Ruahine. There are plenty of people doing practical stuff that supports their pastime but we want to get more people out there getting the satisfaction of getting stuck in”.
NZDA president Bill O'Leary is confident the resulting work will be well received and will encourage more Kiwis to enjoy the outdoors, "these grants will kick-start practical, on-the-ground projects to maintain and restore our outdoor heritage. This could include track cutting, or helping maintain and repair backcountry huts, and will encourage more people to enjoy our natural environment”.
“These
grants are geared towards giving back country users greater
ownership of the facilities they care passionately about,”
said Trail Fund NZ Chairperson Ben Wilde. “This is an
exceptional opportunity for volunteer groups to get access
to funding to support their good work.”
Outdoor
Recreation Consortium fund application forms and guidelines
are available from their website: www.hutsandtracks.org.nz
How
it works?
Naturally, this mutually beneficial
partnership between DOC and the New Zealand Outdoor
Recreation Consortium is attracting a lot of attention, so
here’s a bit more background and information on how it
works.
The NZ Outdoor Recreation Consortium was formed
in 2014 as a partnership between Federated Mountain Clubs,
New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association and Trail Fund NZ to
maintain and enhance backcountry facilities, and attract a
wider range of users to enjoy and look after these special
places. The Consortium will work on behalf of a wide range
of user groups in the outdoors to manage and distribute the
funding for the benefit of all who enjoy the New Zealand
backcountry. The $700,000 (incl. GST) secured by the
Consortium is divided into three pools:
1. Huts
and Tracks Fund: FMC and NZDA are each
administering $175,000 of this fund, to be spent on tracks
and huts in the backcountry.
2. Mountain Bike
Fund: Trail Fund NZ will be administering up to
$175,000 of this fund, to be spent on mountain bike
accessible dual-use trails.
3. Backcountry
Recreation Fund: A third pool of $175,000 is
available to all backcountry recreation groups, including
cavers, horse riders, runners and 4WD users.
How
do I apply?
To apply, please use the application
forms and guidelines that can be found at
www.hutsandtracks.org.nz.
To receive funding, the project must be on public conservation land and aimed at maintaining or enhancing facilities in the back country. If you are keen to be involved, but need help deciding what to do, there are project ideas on the website.
To be successful, a project will need an agreement with the land manager (DOC) and the work will need to be done to the right standard and with the right health and safety provisions in place. We expect recreation groups to work closely with their local DOC office and, if you need help to do this, please contact the consortium.
Applications for the first funding round must be made to the appropriate funding partner – FMC, NZDA, or Trail Fund NZ – by 5pm on 12th October 2014.
Application and queries can be sent
to:
• Trail Fund NZ – trailfund@gmail.com
• Federated Mountain Clubs - administrator@fmc.org.nz
• NZ Deer Stalkers Association - info@deerstalkers.org.nz
Applications will be checked, assessed for completeness and evaluated by the consortium. We expect to be able to let groups know within a month if they are successful.
Key messages for DOC staff
members are:
• This will require Partnerships,
Services, and Partnerships, Historic and Visitors teams to
work with their recreation stakeholders to confirm projects
and ensure the right level of agreements, and health and
safety provisions are in place.
• There will be further
promotion through NZ's recreation network to confirm
projects that the groups will undertake.
• Staff will
be kept up to date about the projects, along with any tasks
we will need you to help coordinate.
• The NZ Outdoor
Recreation Consortium will leverage an additional $156,000
of in-kind contribution from the clubs themselves, including
10,000 hours of volunteer time.
• While the awarded
funds will be focused on maintenance of existing facilities,
there will be some new facilities constructed.
• The
huts and tracks of most interest to the NZ Outdoor
Recreation Consortium are those that the Department would
not normally consider to be a priority.
"My ambition with
this DOC partnership with tramping, hunting and mountain
biking clubs is to get more New Zealanders enjoying and
involved in the great outdoors. We need to change the
culture from it being DOC land to it being public
conservation land in which as many New Zealanders as
possible get out, get involved and connect with their
country," – Hon Dr Nick Smith, Minister of
Conservation.
• Read the full press release
• Listen to Radio NZ's report
• Read Ben Wilde's question and answer with
Spoke Magazine
ENDS