Dunedin Biodiversity Fund guide for applicants

Snapshot of the Fund

• The DCC wants to support people who wish to carry out projects that have a direct benefit to our local indigenous biodiversity.
• We will cost share at 50:50 up to a maximum DCC contribution of $5,000 for things like eco-sourced native plants, traps, herbicide, and fencing materials.
• The Fund is contestable, open for applications twice a year (March and September) and has a total of $80,000 per annum to allocate.

Overview of the Dunedin Biodiversity Fund

The Dunedin Biodiversity Fund

The DCC’s Biodiversity Fund has been supporting landowners and community groups to protect and enhance native biodiversity in the city since 2007. The Fund has supported work at over 100 different sites since it was established.

A variety of work has been funded such as native revegetation plantings, animal pest control, weed control, fencing of native forest remnants, and native fauna enhancements e.g. a fish-friendly tidal flood gate and a bird roost.

Purpose of the Fund

To enhance the condition and extent of indigenous biodiversity across Dunedin City by encouraging and supporting landowners and communities who are committed to protecting, enhancing and managing indigenous biodiversity.

The Biodiversity Fund gives effect to Te Ao Tūroa - Dunedin’s Environment Strategy by supporting projects that:

• Maintain or improve the state of indigenous biodiversity e.g. fencing, plant and animal pest control projects, and/or
• Increase the extent of indigenous biodiversity e.g. revegetation projects in threatened environments and/or ecosystems.

Fund Details

$80,000 available annually, from 2 funding rounds ($40,000 each).

Grants are allocated on a cost-sharing basis of 50:50 between the applicant and council.

Maximum council contribution is $5,000 (excl. GST), minimum council contribution is $500 (excl. GST).

Applicants can claim an approved grant after first paying all costs associated with the project.

The Dunedin City Council Grants Subcommittee allocates grants from the Biodiversity Fund. Funding rounds are as follows:

• Fund open for applications 1 - final working day of March (decisions made mid-May)
• Fund open for applications 1 - final working day of September (decisions made mid-November)

Applications must meet the eligibility criteria to receive funding.

Eligible applications will be ranked based on prioritisation criteria for funding.

Projects must be completed within 2 years of funding being approved.

Details of the Dunedin Biodiversity Fund

Is my project eligible for a grant?

To be eligible for funding projects must meet the following criteria:

1. Be located within the Dunedin City boundaries.
2. Have direct benefit to indigenous biodiversity.
3. Contribute to meeting the Objectives of Strategic Goal 2 of Te Ao Tūroa – Dunedin’s Environment Strategy: Sustain ecosystem services, increase indigenous biodiversity, restore areas of ecological value.
4. Be associated with a specific site/s. Projects that refer to the whole of Dunedin or generalised areas within it will not be eligible.
5. Have completed application forms that demonstrate a thorough level of planning.
6. Demonstrate long-term viability of the project outcomes e.g. stock exclusion from planted areas, ongoing planned commitment to animal pest control, ongoing weed control maintenance of planted areas, etc.
7. Have no unclaimed Biodiversity Fund grants relating to either the site or the applicant.
8. Revegetation projects must be stocked with eco-sourced native plants and be of an appropriate ecosystem type for the site.
9. Project activities are not contrary to any regulations (e.g. Otago Regional Council Flood Protection Management Bylaw 2012) and have acquired any necessary consents/landowner permissions.
10. Be from a legal entity (includes individuals) who is able to meet the conditions of the fund.

The Biodiversity Fund does not provide grants for the following:

• Planting of exotic vegetation or non-local native species including nursery hybrids.
• Amenity or landscape plantings i.e. beautification projects.
• Projects that have been created to comply with Resource Consent conditions.
• Government Departments and Local Authorities.
• Non-farming business entities and corporate farming entities (e.g. farms that are not landowner/leaseholder occupied).
• Research projects, education or project planning.
• Visitor or volunteer infrastructure.
• Salaries or wages.

When can I apply?

The fund is open for applications each year between:

• 1 - final working day (5pm) of March.
• 1 - final working day (5pm) of September.

Applications must be received within these dates to be considered for funding.

How do I apply for funding?

Applications must be made using the Dunedin Biodiversity Fund Application online form

Please get in touch if you need help applying for funding or for an informal chat about your project. For a chat phone +64 3 477 4000

How are applications assessed?

If more eligible funding has been applied for than is available, all eligible applications are assessed by the Fund Administrator against the fund’s prioritisation criteria and the Dunedin City Council Grants Subcommittee allocate funding.

Applications will be assessed solely on the information provided in the application form and supporting information.

Eligible applications will be ranked based on the following prioritisation criteria:

Present or potential biodiversity values:

• Meet, or are likely to meet, the criteria for an Area of Significant Biodiversity Value (ASBV) in the DCC second generation (2GP) District Plan.
• Projects that provide buffers, linkages and/or corridors to or for indigenous biodiversity.
• Align with the 2007 Statement of national priorities for protecting rare and threatened species on private land^[1]:
  1. To protect indigenous vegetation associated with land environments (defined by Land Environments of New Zealand at Level IV), that have 20% or less remaining in indigenous cover.
  2. To protect indigenous vegetation associated with sand dunes and wetlands; ecosystem types that have become uncommon due to human activity.
  3. To protect indigenous vegetation associated with ‘originally rare’ terrestrial ecosystem types not already covered by priorities 1 and 2.
  4. To protect habitats of acutely and chronically threatened indigenous species.

Protection and effectiveness:

• Have a protective covenant registered on the title of the land.
• Be scheduled as an Area of Significant Biodiversity Value (ASBV) or lie within an Urban Biodiversity Management Area (UBMA) in the DCC second generation (2GP) District Plan.
• Align with current best practice for the activities involved.

Other:

• Projects located on private land that are landowner managed will have higher priority than community-led projects on public land.
• Eligible applicants and/or sites that have received grants in the previous funding round will have lower priority.
• Animal pest control projects from outside the Predator Free Dunedin catchment area will have higher priority than animal pest control projects within the Predator Free Dunedin catchment area.

What can the grant be used for?

The idea of the Biodiversity Fund is to support ‘on the ground’ activities directly benefitting indigenous biodiversity.

The DCC contributions are for funding:

• Physical goods e.g. plants, traps, herbicide etc.
• Labour contributions are eligible as a project cost as part of the applicant’s contribution.
• Vehicle expenses are eligible as part of the applicant’s contribution.
• Contractor costs (e.g. for weed control) can be funded as a 50:50 cost-sharing expense.

The not all costs are not eligible, the excluded costs are detailed in the Rules and include work carried out by the applicant towards the project cannot be claimed as an expense against the council’s contribution i.e. is considered labour. This includes examples such as growing plants or making home-made planting stakes which should be included as labour in the applicant’s contribution.

Grants are to be used for the costs detailed as the DCC contribution in the approved application. Minor differences between the planned and actual works on the ground can be approved at the discretion of the Fund Administrator. Major changes should be included in a new application and grant monies surrendered. This is because the subcommittee have approved funding based on the plan in the original application and the expectation is that the plan will be followed.

Any grant approval is for work on the site on which the project is located. Grant monies are not transferable between sites, applicants or applications (including those by the same applicant for the same ongoing project if applicable).

The minimum size for revegetation planting projects is 0.1ha (1000m²). E.g. a 50m x 20m area.

My application

All sections of the Biodiversity Fund application form need to be completed.

The application form describes the level of planning required and how to breakdown costs. The components of a basic management plan are included as part of the application form. These are:

1. A basic map of the site on aerial/satellite imagery and line drawing of proposed activity. Such imagery is available freely on the DCC website or via GoogleEarth.
2. A description of the project objectives/outcomes, current biodiversity values and threats, and proposed work programme associated with the application. For ongoing projects, the plan must summarise the project stages, the long-term outcome, and where the current application activity fits into the plan.

All applications will be acknowledged within 10 working days of receipt and all applications will be assessed by the Fund Administrator as to eligibility.

If the funding round is undersubscribed, all eligible projects are likely to receive funding.

If the funding round is oversubscribed, eligible projects that have a clear biodiversity outcome in mind, are well planned and align best with the prioritisation criteria are the most likely to receive funding.

The outcome of the application will be advised in writing to the applicant within 10 working days of the Grants Subcommittee meeting.

My grant

• Grantees must first pay all costs associated with the project.
• It is very important to keep proof of expenditure in the form of receipts and/or invoices matched to proof of payment for all project costs (both DCC and applicant contributions). Without these, grant monies cannot be paid out.
• For labour and vehicle costs, a basic log needs to be kept to verify costs claimed.
• Grantees have 2 years to complete the project funds have been granted for and claim the grant monies.
• Once the project, or project stage is complete, a project completion report needs to be completed and sent in to DCC along with evidence of costs claimed. Photos (before and after) should be included.
• Project completion report templates will be available on the DCC website.
• Grant claims will be assessed by the Fund Administrator to ensure compliance with rules and conditions. Grant monies will be released within 10 working days of approval of project completion reports and costs claimed.