FAQs - Tāngata Whenua Environmental Monitoring Fund

Answers to some of your pātai about the fund.

What is the Tāngata Whenua Environmental Monitoring Fund?

The Tāngata Whenua Environmental Monitoring Fund aims to support and assist tāngata whenua to undertake their own environmental monitoring within Te Taitokerau.

We have funding available for tāngata whenua to undertake monitoring activities, increase skills and knowledge of scientific environmental monitoring, strategic methods of monitoring cultural and physical health of associated ecosystems, waterways, and climate change.

The fund provides tāngata whenua with support and resources within environmental monitoring and complements monitoring activities in projects or programmes that council and tāngata whenua are in partnership.

What does environmental monitoring include?

  • Assessing the cultural and physical health of fresh and coastal waterbodies (and associated ecosystems) and / or the impacts of climate change on fresh or coastal waterways.
  • Development of indicators or methods for assessing the ‘cultural health’ of fresh and coastal waters and assessing the impacts of climate change.
  • Review or development of parts of iwi or hapu environmental management plans related to the above.
  • Training and capacity building for tāngata whenua to undertake environmental monitoring related to the above.

What is not supported by the fund?

  • Monitoring that is the primary responsibility or function of another council or agency
  • Monitoring that is outside the boundaries of Northland Regional Council jurisdiction.

Do all applications receive funding? 

The regional council will try to support as many applications as possible. However, as funding is restricted, there is no guarantee all applications will be successful.

What kind of applications are more likely to succeed?

Applications that are likely to succeed will:

  • support tāngata whenua to undertake monitoring activity
  • increase the skills and capacity of tāngata whenua to undertake monitoring
  • share knowledge and information so both tāngata whenua and council can better understand and manage changes in the environment
  • support progress on objectives of the Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party strategic intent relating to capacity and capability, water/marine and climate change.

How do I apply for funding?

  • Applications will be accepted from 8 November 2024 to 28 February 2025 with an aim to notify successful/non-successful applicants by end of March 2025.
  • Apply at: www.nrc.govt.nz/TWEMF

Applications completed can be sent via email to [email protected] or by post:
Northland Regional Council, Private Bag 9021, Te Mai, Whangarei 0143.

Need help? 

If you need assistance with your Tāngata Whenua Environmental Monitoring Fund application, please contact:

Harley Iraia, Kaiāwhina Kaupapa Māori, Northland Regional Council

P: 0800 002 004 | E: [email protected]

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