A volunteer-operated group behind marine clean-ups in Northland will receive $75,000 from the government and a further $50,000 from a Whangarei company to help keep its operation afloat.
Youth Minister Nikki Kaye announced the government's contribution, alongside $50,000 from Port Nikau co-owned by Tony Davies-Colley, to the Sea Cleaners Trust.
Sea Cleaners has collected more than 1.6 million pieces of rubbish from Northland waterways and beaches over seven months and more than 4.3 million litres from the sea throughout the country since it was established in 2002.
Hayden Smith, who started the initiative in Auckland before expanding to Northland, welcomed the new funding which, he said, would help a great deal in their work.
The trust is short of $150,000 for its work in Northland but Mr Smith said they were now getting "very close" to hitting the target.