Grants for ‘passionate locals’

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Community and catchment groups around the country can now apply for funding from the Westpac Water Care Project to boost their environmental work and improve local waterways.

The partnership between NZ Landcare Trust and Westpac NZ was established in 2022 to deliver much-needed resources to help passionate locals protect their natural surroundings for our native wildlife and future generations.

So far the Westpac Water Care Project has awarded six $10,000 grants to eligible community and catchment groups, and applications for the 2024 allocation have opened.

One of last year’s recipients was the Eastern Whio Link,  the hunter and fishermen led project in the upper reaches of the Waioeka Gorge with a goal to protect the whio (blue duck).

It used the funds to maintain and rebait 400 traps with stoat lures and CO2 gas canisters to enable  the whio population to thrive.

NZ Landcare Trust chief executive Dr Nick Edgar said grant funding was really important to small environmental groups, who know their communities and waterways best.

“Collective action is critical to conserving our waterways to protect biodiversity, and to connect communities,” he said.

“By providing local groups with funding to get their projects under way, we give them the means to get really aspirational about what they could achieve.”

Westpac NZ Head of Agribusiness Tim Henshaw said the bank’s partnership with NZ Landcare Trust had already delivered positive outcomes around the country.

“Showing support and care for our environment and communities is a key part of what we do as a bank.

“We know access to funding is critical to get projects off the ground so they can create the change they’re aiming for,” he said.

“To date, grants have been awarded to fund a variety of initiatives, from restoration planting and weed management, through to pest control, water quality monitoring and even to produce resources for small farms and lifestyle blocks wanting to improve their wetlands and run-offs.”

“Westpac employees from our senior leaders to front-line branch staff are fully engaged in the partnership and put in hundreds of volunteer hours every year to help get the grunt work done.

“We’ve had volunteers help grant recipients with restoration planting, trap setting, and water testing – our people love being able to look after their own backyards in this way.”

Applications for this year’s grants are open until June 28.

Interested groups can check if they meet the criteria and register their interest in funding on the Westpac Water Care Project website.