Eligibility for the Waterway Protection Fund (WPF)

Who can apply for the WPF

Funding is available in the Franklin, Papakura, Rodney, and Great Barrier Island areas to all:

• landowners
• farmers and lifestyle block owners
• community and environmental groups.

The waterway protection project must be on private land with a property size of five hectares or over.

If you have an existing grant and have spent the funding as agreed, you can apply again for the next stage of your project.

What you can apply for

This grant is for projects that aim to:

• protect, improve or restore streams, waterways, wetlands and riparian margins
• reduce contaminants by:
  • providing fences to exclude livestock and enhance riparian margins
  • providing alternative water supplies
  • planting native plants along watercourses.

What you need to consider

Read the Waterway Protection Fund guidelines to check the fencing standards. These are set out to ensure livestock are permanently kept out of waterways.

A minimum riparian margin buffer of 5m wide is required as part of the funding conditions. All plants used must be ecologically sourced and appropriate to the area.

WPF assessment criteria

We will assess your grant application for:

• potential environmental benefits, such as:
  • improved water quality
  • improved health of aquatic ecosystems
• the type and significance of the environment and biodiversity your project aims to protect
• the length of riparian margin the project will protect
• the extent of community involvement in leading or being part of the project
• connections with other landowners to form partnerships and share knowledge
• how likely the project is to succeed.

What the WPF will not fund

We will not fund:

• a project that may lead to a conflict of interest for us as a consent authority
• an activity or work that has already been started or completed
• projects on public land
• fencing or planting which is a condition of a current or future resource consent - grants cannot be used to secure subdivision consent for a 10-year period.

Read more about activities we don't fund.

Previously funded projects

Download the project document to find out who has received funding in previous years.

How to apply

Find out how to apply for the Waterway Protection Fund (WPF).