Changes to the Natural Heritage Fund 

28 May

Applications for the 2025 round of the Natural Heritage Fund will open on 1st July 2024 and will close on 20th August. This is earlier than in previous years as the big increase in applications to the fund in recent years has meant that we need more time to go through the assessment process.

The Natural Heritage Fund is a contestable fund which is available through GDC for the protection or enhancement of indigenous biodiversity on privately owned land/whenua Māori. The fund was increased from $40,000 to $100,000 per year in 2021. Last year we received 39 applications and 23 of those were successful in securing some funding.

Because there is a high demand for funds, we strongly encourage applicants to get in touch with us early in the application phase. Your chances of being successful in securing funding for your project are much higher if your application is supported by a project plan with quotes or itemised costs, maps, photos. Getting your application in early also means we have more time to look through it and gives you the opportunity to supply any extra information if required.

Another important change to note is that from next year the maximum amount any single project can request from the fund in a single year will be capped at $20,000 (or up to 50% of total costs if less than this). This will ensure that we will be able to support a number of projects in a range of communities across the Rohe.

If you are planning a large-scale project that is dependent on securing a large amount of funding, then consider ways that you may be able to spread the work over a longer timeframe or leverage funding/support from other providers such as Trees for Survival, Trees that Count or QEII/Nga Whenua rahui.

As always, the Land Management and Biodiversity teams are here to help with advice on any aspects of land management and habitat restoration.

Useful links for biodiversity project planning;