Just over $1million is up for grabs in the Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) annual Eco fund, to help environmental projects across the region.

Applications open for a month on March 1, and have increased from $918,000 last year to a total $1.05 million this year spread across six categories.

ORC’s chair of the ECO Fund assessment panel, Alan Somerville, said he’s “delighted” this year’s fund will shortly be opened, highlighting every year has been oversubscribed and people should contact staff from now for advice on applying.

The ECO Fund has been enabling community-led environmental projects around Otago since 2018.

“It’s the communities who know what matters most locally and these funding programmes can empower them to turn those great ideas into action.”

“We’ve made some changes to the fund processes which should make applying clearer and easier for applicants to navigate. As always, it's a very good plan to speak to council staff early about your project before lodging your application,” he said.

To assist applicants, ORC was running a webinar on February 25 and staff were also part of in-person funding clinics across the region for applicants being run by the Otago Community Trust.

The funding programmes underpin the regional council’s partnership with local communities throughout Otago to improve the environment, which under the different categories can include on-ground works, biodiversity enhancement, water quality improvement, animal or plant

pest control, native planting and regeneration, education, or administrative support.

Manager environmental implementation Libby Caldwell said the work which could now be undertaken from the funding programme was a great example of the regional council working in partnership with local communities throughout Otago.

“These programmes enable communities to either take first steps to begin a new project, or continue and enlarge existing projects, to improve the state of the environment across numerous types of needs,” she said.

The funding clinics would be held on February 19 in Alexandra and Cromwell, and more details would be available soon on the regional council website.

In 2024 the fund was used for sustained rabbit management, native planting and plant pest removal across Central Otago.

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