A fund to encourage biodiversity in Dunedin continues to prove popular, with total applications received again seeking more than the money available.
A biodiversity strategy was adopted by the Dunedin City Council in 2007, which gave the council the role of promoting, regulating and funding biodiversity values, and protecting biodiversity on its own land.
The fund was established with two rounds a year, with the council matching money put in by a landowner to a maximum of $5000.
Council senior planner (policy) Debbie Hogan said in the April round 16 applicants applied for just over $50,000 in funding, but only $40,875.50, including un-allocated funding from the pre-vious round, was available.
The applications came from private landowners and community organisations for amounts of between $690 and a maximum of $5000 for weed and pest management, planting, restoration and improvements such as fencing to contain indigenous vegetation.
The council's biodiversity fund subcommittee this week decided to grant all applicants some money, with those fully meeting the fund's criteria receiving all they had asked for, and the remainder of applicants receiving either 75% or 50% of what they had applied for.
One of the partial grants went towards research on peripatus worm habitats for the development of a management plan for the species in Caversham.
The second funding round begins in September this year.
