The Auckland Council Fund
for covenant enhancement

If you are considering applying, please read the full Terms & Conditions of the fund here.

All projects must be:

• Located within the Auckland region 
• Within a registered QEII covenant  
• Aligned with the purpose and objectives of the covenant deed
• Focused on protecting and enhancing indigenous biodiversity values within the covenant

If you are applying for funding on behalf of the landowner(s), an email or letter from the landowner(s) consenting to the project and any potential associated publicity must be submitted with your application.

You will not be eligible to receive a grant if you have funds still to be utilised from the previous round of the Auckland Council Fund.

Please discuss your project with your regional representative before applying.

The current round of funding is now open for applications.

As there is a limited amount of funding available, applications will be assessed on a rolling basis until the budget has been fully allocated.

Projects must be designed to be completed within 12 months of a successful grant application being confirmed, unless you are planning a multi-year project.

Multi-year grant applications will be accepted for project plans to a maximum of three years for the following project types:

• Pest plant control
• Predator control
• Revegetation

If you are applying for a grant to support a multi-year project, your project plan can be up to three years. If you are successful in receiving a grant, your grant will be allocated across each year of the project (to a maximum of three years).

The objectives of the Auckland Council Fund are to:

• Enable improved protection and management of indigenous biodiversity on covenanted land
• Support engagement of owners of QEII covenants in the Auckland region
• Support landscape-scale action and connectivity
• Improve protection of Biodiversity Focus Areas

Projects that have been funded in the past include:

• Pest animal and ecological pest plant control
• Revegetation
• Track work
• Kauri disease deterrence

Projects that meet the fund’s criteria will be assessed based on how they will provide for improved protection and management of indigenous biodiversity or Biodiversity Focus Areas.

You can apply for a minimum grant of $2,000 and a maximum grant of $23,000 (figures incl GST).

Applications must include minimum one-third financial or in-kind contribution towards project costs from the applicant. For example, if your project’s total value is $9,000, you can apply for a $6,000 grant and must contribute $3,000 (financially or in-kind).

If your project includes funding from another source, this information must be included in your application. Once that contribution amount has been considered, your contribution need only be as outlined above, i.e., one-third of the remainder.

As there is a limited amount of funding available, applications will be assessed on a rolling basis until the budget has been fully allocated. We may also take the following into account:

• If you/the covenant received a grant through the last funding round of the Auckland Council Fund
• If previous grant allocations through the Auckland Council Fund have exceeded $30k over the previous three years

N.B. Previous grants will not rule you out this funding round, but may be considered if the fund is oversubscribed.

In exceptional circumstances, a landowner may apply citing hardship. The hardship application option is intended to provide recovery support for covenants impacted by adverse events. The hardship categories are as follows:

1. Natural disaster events: An event that has caused damage to the covenant. Natural disasters can include earthquakes, landslips, floods, severe weather events (including storms, wind and rain), tsunami, hurricanes, tornados, bushfires, volcanic and hydrothermal activity.
2. Financial and capability hardship: If your covenant requires attention but you are unable to meet the required one-third contribution (financial or in-kind), please discuss your application with your regional representative. You may also be required to provide additional information/evidence to support a financial hardship application.

The required landowner contribution of one-third may be reduced or 100% of project costs may be covered by the Auckland Council Fund for projects we determine meet the fund’s hardship criteria. Please state in the hardship section of the application form if and how much you can contribute to project costs.

All hardship applications must still meet the rest of the fund’s Terms & Conditions, however hardship applications may include repairs to covenant fencing.

All hardship applications will be assessed against the fund’s criteria at the discretion of QEII. If an application is not considered to qualify within the hardship criteria, we will progress the application on the basis of a one-third landowner contribution and communicate this to the applicant for consideration.

Your regional representative must be informed of your intention to apply for funding support based on hardship. You will find your regional representative’s contact details here.

You are required to submit a budget with your application outlining project costs. You can submit your own document or use our template.

Quotes from contractors must be included with your application. For materials or equipment included in your budget, we require quotes or an example of the order included with your application.

For revegetation projects, you will need to provide a species list in line with QEII eco-sourcing guidelines, found here.

Remember to discuss your project with your regional representative before applying as this may increase your chances of a successful application.

The Stephenson Fund is QEII’s annual contestable fund. You can find further information and guidelines on applying to The Stephenson Fund here.

For covenants in the Auckland region, applications that serve to protect, maintain, or enhance biodiversity values should apply to the Auckland Council Fund, whilst those with broader covenant objectives may be eligible to apply to The Stephenson Fund.

Please talk to your regional representative who will help you choose the correct fund to apply to, or email aucklandcouncilfund@qeii.org.nz for application advice.

Please complete this online application form.

If you are unable to use the online form, you can download the form here (you will need to save this to your computer and open it as a new document before adding information). Email your application to: aucklandcouncilfund@qeii.org.nz

If you are unable to use either of the options above, please print and post your completed application form to: The Auckland Council Fund Coordinator, QEII National Trust, PO Box 3341, Wellington 6140.

Please talk to your regional representative if you require support or assistance with your application. You can find your local representative here.

The information supplied in your application will be stored securely. You can further access information on our privacy policy here on our website.

If you have any queries about the application process, please email: aucklandcouncilfund@qeii.org.nz

If you would like any advice on your proposed project, please contact your regional representative.