ARC gives an extra $121,235 to environmental and heritage projects

22 March 2010

The restoration of a historic church, a project involving weedbusting abseilers and a project to protect dotterals are three of the nineteen projects that have received additional Environmental Initiatives Funding (EIF).

The additional grants take the total EIF funding given by the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) in 2009 to $556,409.

In October, last year the ARC gave 105 projects a combined $435,174 worth of EIF funding.

EIF provides grants to support practical projects in the Auckland region that benefit the environment.

Some of the projects included the Mt Eden Methodist Church Charitable Trust, which received $15,000 for the restoration of the historic Mt Eden Methodist Church.
Orapiu Neighbourhood Group received $7,875 to pay for specialist abseilers to carry out weed control on the coastal cliffs beside the public walkway at Pohutukawa Bay in Orapiu, Waiheke Island.
Another project, which received funding was the Omaha New Zealand Dotterel Protection Group received $1,330 for traps and bait to protect the dotterel population during the breeding season.
ARC Environmental Management Committee Chair Councillor Dianne Glenn says she is delighted that the nineteen projects could be funded.
“I’m really pleased that we could find the extra funding needed because the projects are important for their local communities, churches and the environmental future of the region.”
“Since the first EIF funding round in 2000 the ARC has given 1254 grants worth more than $3 million to community projects that enhance the region’s environment and heritage.”

The nineteen projects that received the additional grants are:

Auckland region

- Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society received $5,000 to develop a strategy, which protects nesting and flocking sites of the fairy tern. They will also identify potential sties which will help with species recovery.

Auckland City

- Mt Eden Methodist Church Charitable Trust received $15,000 for the restoration of the historic Mt Eden Methodist Church.

- Onetangi Beach Care group received $2,000 for dune grass planting.
- Motuihe Trust received $4,000 to pay for potting mix which will be used to grow 50,000 native seedlings that will be planted on Motuihe Island.
- Orapiu Neighbourhood Group received $7,875 to pay for specialist abseilers who are to carry out weed control on the coastal cliffs beside the public walkway at Pohutukawa Bay in Orapiu, Waiheke Island.
Franklin
- Brett Killick received $2,574 for fencing materials and labour to build a fence to stop stock from damaging the edges of a stream on his property. Or to exclude stock and prevent erosion of the stream.
Manukau
- Julie McPherson received $10,426 for fencing materials and labour to fence a bush block and part of the Wairoa River to exclude stock to stop the pollution of the river.
- Bruce Frizzell received $5,000 to build a fence to exclude stock and stop them from damaging the edges of the Patumahoe Stream.
North Shore
- The Devonport Yacht Club received $4,000 to assist with the refurbishment and restoration which dates back to before 1900.
Papakura
- Pahurehure Inlet Protection Society (PIPS) received $1,668 for native plants to stabilise the foreshore at Walter Stevens Reserve.
Rodney
- Te Karearea Trust received $10,900 to build a fence to keep deer out of the stream that runs into the Kaipara harbour.
- Stephen Dill received $11,548 to restore the riverbank on the Hoteo river.
- Omaha NZ Dotterel Protection Group received $1,330 for traps and bait to protect the dotterel population during the breeding season.
- Sue Stewart received $5,400 to build a fence to exclude stock from a wetland on her property.
- Leigh Harbour Valley Society received $2,450 for native plants and pest plant control.
- Tapora Land and Coast Care Group received $3,000 for pest plant control.
- University of Auckland’s South Pacific Institute for Marine Science received $14,875 for native plants for a gully revegetation project at Goat Island.
- Helen Smith received $5,400 to build a fence to exclude stock from a stream at Goldsworthy Bay, opposite Scandrett Regional Park.
- Gaie Liddle received $8,789 to fence, restore and link remaining native forest remnants and wetlands on her property.

Honda New Zealand, a vital sponsor of the EIF, contributed more than $117,000 to fund the planting of trees this year.

For every new car Honda sells it donates funding to EIF that is equivalent to the cost of 10 native trees. For more information visit www.honda.co.nz

ENDS

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