Applications for the Otago Regional Council’s annual ECO Fund open on March 1, with funding this year increased from $918,000 to a total of $1.05 million.
Assessment panel chairman Alan Somerville said every year the fund, which began in 2018, was oversubscribed and people should contact council staff for advice on applications.
Changes had been made to the fund processes which should make the application process clearer and easier for applicants to navigate.
The council would run a webinar to assist applicants next Tuesday and council staff would also be involved in funding clinics across the region run by the Otago Community Trust.
The funding programme categories included on-ground work, biodiversity enhancement, water-quality improvement, animal or plant pest control, native planting and regeneration, education or administrative support.
Council manager for environment implementation Libby Caldwell said funding would help both new and existing projects.
"These programmes enable communities to either take first steps to begin a new project or continue and enlarge existing projects."
Since 2018, $2.58m had been distributed from the fund. More than $7.5m had been requested from the fund with 166 successful applicants from 351 applications.
On average, each of the previous funding 10 rounds had been oversubscribed by about 300%. It was crucial people contacted staff now to determine their eligibility, Mrs Caldwell said.
There were six categories for projects needing funding up to $15,000, $50,000 or $150,000.
The categories were large-scale biodiversity projects, general (on-ground and education), sustained rabbit management, biodiversity enhancement on protected private land, critical source area management on private land, and weed removal and revegetation.
— APL
