Waikato Regional Council has given 44 pest animal and
plant control projects $150,000 in funding in the latest
round of its Small Scale Community Initiatives Fund
(SSCIF).
The fund was set up to help local communities
and individual landowners undertake ecological enhancement
through pest animal and plant control, and this year
received 99 applications seeking a total of
$345,484.
Successful applications ranged from $323.96
for pest animal control by an individual landowner in Thames
to $4999.59 to Pukawa Wildlife Management Trust to expand
its possum and rat trapping network around the Pukawa
settlement on the southwestern shore of Lake
Taupo.
Natural Heritage biodiversity officer Andrew
Thomas says preference is given to applications that seek to
look after the region’s special natural
areas.
“The fund helps volunteer groups and
landowners with the costs of materials required to undertake
pest management. Being able to support them financially to
buy the tools can make a real difference in trying to keep
on top of pests.
“In this funding round we are
helping with the purchase of a range of traps for rats,
stoats, possums and herbicide for pest plant
control.”
Mr Thomas says it’s heartening to see
how much ecological enhancement is going on by individuals
and groups across the region.
“We have people who
are just starting to do predator or pest plant control on
their properties to projects that have been operating for
over 50 years.”
SCCIF is funded though the uniform
annual general charge rate and $150,000 is available every
year. Applications can be made for up to $5000, with the
funding round falling in June.
The regional council
also recently granted $54,000 from its Environmental
Initiatives Fund to six community groups working to enhance
and/or benefit the environment or provide environmental
education.
For more information on funding and
scholarships by Waikato Regional Council go to https://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/community/funding-and-scholarships/.
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