The fund, approved as part of the Long-Term Plan 2024-2034, provides $2 million a year for large-scale environmental projects. It is designed to support collaborative initiatives that can increase the scale, impact and pace of environmental work across Otago.

Large-scale Environmental Fund Governance Group co-chair Cr Chanel Gardner says the scale of the investment means there needs to be a high bar for how ratepayer money is used.

“The Council table didn’t want to simply create another funding programme and then measure success by how efficiently we distributed the money. So we stopped and asked some harder questions: What are we trying to change? Why is Council the right investor? Who is best placed to deliver it, and what other investment can our money unlock?”

Projects must meet criteria including demonstrating a clear connection to one or more Council Priority Actions, Council endorsed Catchment Action Plans or ORC strategies.

The fund is also guided by three principles:

1. Intergenerational impact – achieving enduring impacts that are in partnership with mana whenua and/or communities (e.g. catchment communities, landowners and occupiers).

2. Facilitation of collaboration across the system – ORC should take a leadership role of the funding system, but local leadership and action should be driven by communities.

3. Alignment to organisational strategy and strategic direction – knowing that the right investment decisions are being made in the right place at the right time to support ORC’s strategic directions and goals as set by Council.

The Large-scale Environmental Fund Governance Group will first meet in September. It comprises Cr Kevin Malcolm, Cr Chanel Gardner, Cr Andrew Noone and Cr Robbie Byars. Crs Gardner and Byars will co-chair the group.

The Governance Group can approve funding of up to $250,000 a year for up to three years for eligible projects, with a maximum of $750,000 per project. The group will report quarterly to Council on funding decisions, and progress towards agreed environmental outcomes.

“If Council investment can bring the right people around the table, connect work that is currently happening separately, and unlock other investment and expertise, then we have the potential to achieve environmental gains well beyond the value of our contribution alone. That is the opportunity I want this fund to be measured against,” Cr Gardner says.