Whanganui climate fund’s future uncertain amid council review

Tarapuruhi Bushy Park has been a successful applicant to the climate action fund for two successive years.

The future of Whanganui District Council’s climate action fund is up in the air with a review scheduled this year.

The climate action fund was introduced in 2022 with $100,000 designated for grants to not-for-profit climate action projects in Whanganui.

For the 2024/2025 financial year, the fund was halved to $50,050 as a “holding year” in preparation for the council’s funding review in mid-2025.

The climate action fund will be reviewed alongside all other council funding to decide which the community needs.

Other funds include the heritage grant fund, public art fund, waste minimisation fund and creative communities scheme.

Over the three years the climate fund has been available, $250,050 has been granted to 22 projects.

“I think it’s had a really good impact on the community,” council climate change adviser Caroline Arrowsmith said.

The applications are considered by the council’s climate change advisory group, which comprises staff members, tangata whenua, community representatives and subject-matter experts.

The reduction of the fund resulted in a stricter decision-making process and Arrowsmith said they chose not to advertise the fund as much as in previous years to avoid letting people down.

“We did look more closely at the local impact potential of the projects and also their ability to get funding from elsewhere,” she said.

“We try to give more support to groups who have fewer options to get funding.”

The recipients of the 2024/2025 fund have been announced, with the $50,050 divided between six projects.

The Eco-School successfully applied for the third time. It was granted $5750 to provide 20 free home energy-efficiency consultations and offer climate change education at Kaitiaki Farm.

Sustainable Whanganui Trust, which has also been successful three times, will receive $5900. This year the grant will support projects such as Greening Whanganui, which plants fruit trees in schools, improving accessibility to the Drews Ave Enviro Hub, and Green Bikes.

The Ngapera Kehu Ahu Whenua Trust was granted $6300 for its work on land stabilisation and carbon sequestration through native planting.

A grant of $7000 to the Woven Rivers Trust will support climate education activities in a food garden and native tree nursery.

A Rocha Aotearoa – Eco Church Project will receive $10,000 to engage Whanganui church communities to take climate action.

Tarapuruhi Bushy Park was granted $15,100 for an educator and community relations co-ordinator under the Whakapaia te Ngahere initiative.

The Woven Rivers Trust, Ngapera Kehu Ahu Whenua Trust, A Rocha Aotearoa – Eco Church Project and Tarapuruhi Bushy Park also received funding in the 2023/2024 allocation.

“We’ll be here to support them in any way we can and promote their projects, and just try to make them as impactful as possible,” Arrowsmith said.

Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.