Thirty-three environmental projects across Otago have received a total of $854,733 in this year’s annual Otago Regional Council’s Environment, Community, Otago funding programmes.
The ECO funding supports community driven projects that protect, enhance, and promote Otago’s environment, which now tops a total $2.58 million going to 166 organisations since mid-2018.
ORC’s chair of the ECO Fund assessment panel, Alan Somerville, is delighted the programme has been able to support projects across Otago – from the headwaters and Central Otago to North Otago, Dunedin and the Catlins.
“Otago gets huge value from the ECO Fund. Control of pests – sycamores, rabbits and possums – protects our natural landscapes and habitats. Native revegetation restores habitat and looks after our waterways. Traplines and control of predators further helps our native animal populations recover,” Somerville said.
He said the ECO Fund goes “way beyond” ecological benefits.
“Communities know what matters most locally and the ECO Fund can empower them to turn those ideas into action. Local groups throughout Otago build valuable knowledge and skills and strengthen their community connections. They put in a very impressive amount of work,” he said.
Local groups also play an important part in educating their communities about environmental values and action.
“It’s especially pleasing that we have supported environmental programmes in three primary schools. Those children can carry their attitudes of care for the environment into their adult lives,” he said.
The applications covered a wide variety of topics, from pest plant and animal control to native species protection and habitat restoration, native revegetation and regeneration.
In Focus Podcast: Full Show | 24 May
It’s been almost a year since Westpac introduced its Sustainable Farm Loan to the market, which gives farmers a discount on their interest rate in return for meeting certain standards. Head of agribusiness Tim Henshaw joins Bryan to discuss the types of work borrowers are undertaking.
Then, Federated Farmers submitted its views on rural banking to the Primary Production Select Committee. We speak to Richard McIntyre.
And, senior reporter Richard Rennie gives an update on that Zespri SunGold shipment found with mice in the hold and also unpacks the recent report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
