$10,000 grants chance to put watercare goals into action

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

Applications have opened for $10,000 grants to improve New Zealand’s waterways.

NZ Landcare Trust and Westpac NZ award six grants of $10,000 every year through the Westpac Watercare Project to support sustainable initiatives for rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands.

The first six grants were handed out in late 2022 and Eastern Whio Link from this region was among the recipients.

Eastern Whio Link used the funding to maintain and rebait 400 traps with stoat lures and carbon dioxide gas canisters to enable the whio (blue duck) population to thrive.

NZ Landcare Trust chief executive Dr Nick Edgar said the funding could be used by local groups for a range of practical initiatives such as pest control, water quality monitoring and native planting.

“Many of New Zealand’s waterways are in poor condition and recent extreme weather events have compounded the situation. Our catchment groups are doing a remarkable job around the country in increasing biodiversity and improving water quality, but funding is always an issue,” Dr Edgar said.

“The Westpac Watercare Project grants give catchment groups the opportunity to put their water quality goals into action and help to future-proof their catchments against severe weather events.”

Westpac NZ Head of Agribusiness Tim Henshaw said the bank loved partnering with NZ Landcare Trust to get money straight to where it needed to go — to projects like helping restore whio (blue duck) populations on East Coast rivers.

Applications for this year’s grants are open until July 5.

Groups can register their interest in funding now at tinyurl.com/2p8crv5p