Horizons council makes more than $350,000 available for climate and biodiversity projects

Last year, Castlecliff Coast Care was awarded a Kanorau Koiora Taketake grant to support their dune re-establishment. Photo / Bevan Conley

More than $350,000 is available for community projects that build community resilience to climate change or encourage indigenous biodiversity in the Manawatū-Whanganui region.

Horizons Regional Council has opened applications to its $277,000 Kanorau Koiora Taketake – Indigenous Biodiversity Community Grant and its $78,250 Pūtea Hapori Urupare Āhuarangi – Community Climate Response Fund.

Previous recipients of the Horizons Regional Council grant include Whanganui’s Castlecliff Coast Care, which received $5217 to fund further work to re-establish the dunes on the northern beach area.

The funding was put towards the removal of invasive species and mulching and planting days, with a number of community groups, local business and schools now involved on a regular basis.

Horizons chairwoman Rachel Keedwell said last year, 25 total grants were allocated between the two funds and supported community projects that were “making a positive impact”.

“We are hoping to reach even further within the region this year.

“It’s great to be able to empower these communities to contribute to the health of our region’s ecosystems.”

Horizons councillor Fiona Gordon said Horizons was impressed by the diverse range of projects in recent years.

“Projects that were successful for this last year included a climate camp for rangatahi, planting a school orchard and a food resilience project.”

Kanorau Koiora Taketake aims to support a transition to a sustainable, carbon-neutral regional economy by 2050.

Gordon said interested groups should read up on the guidelines and criteria for each of the grants before applying.

Applications for this year are open to both new projects and previously funded projects from Monday, March 27. For more information and to apply for one of the grants, visit the Horizons website: https://www.horizons.govt.nz/grants-and-sponsorship.