The chair of Auckland Council’s Planning, Environment & Parks Committee, Richard Hills, says it was only by strong councillor push-back that a community grants programme was saved.
The Ngā Hapori Momoho-Thriving Communities grant scheme, along with a regional arts and culture fund and various transport subsidies were on Mayor Wayne Brown’s cull list last year, but it was eventually approved at a lower level of funding.
Hills’ committee has approved grants totalling $318,00 to 13 organisations - with about half the money directly benefiting Maori through activities like a spoken word poetry workshop for Maori, a community connection programme for older Aucklanders and a music wellness programme.
“It’s not funding the whole event or whole programme but it’s us being able to use a little bit of ratepayer money to help get a project off the ground or help it get other funds so it’s a good way to make that dollar go further,” Hills told Waatea.News.Com.
