Filling the gaps others don’t reach
The financial challenges involved in organising volunteer conservation work led a Hamilton couple to set up a philanthropic investment fund to fill the funding gaps faced by the region’s nature groups.
Selwyn and Dianne June first established the Waikato Hauraki Conservation Fund at Momentum Waikato with a significant donation in late 2021, which was during the Covid pandemic, so they only started grantmaking and promoting it to environmental networks in late 2023.
Five conservation projects around the Waikato benefited from those first grants - Kakepuku Mountain Conservation Society for trap refills and bait; Rings Beach Wetland Group Inc for possum, mustelid and rat traps; Kaitiakitanga Charitable Trust for engaging youth on pest control and riparian planting projects; Roselle Gould for predator traps near a stream and wetland at Whangamata; and Holthuizer Farm near Walton for riparian planting.
The Junes’ intent is to provide a long-term funding source for conservation work anywhere in the wider Waikato region, that the public can support with donations.
Poll: Are you a Te Huia fan?
All three Hamilton MPs appear to be united behind the retention of the Te Huia passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland, as well as potentially expanding it to Tauranga.
But whether Hamilton East’s Ryan Hamilton, Hamilton West’s Tama Potaka and soon-to-be Labour list MP Georgie Dansey have the combined power to shunt transport minister Chris Bishop and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon onto their line of thinking remains to be seen.
Are you a Te Huia fan? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
-
80.6% Yes
-
19.4% No
One size fits all rates cap model ‘unworkable’, says Waipā DC
Waipā District Council says the government’s “one size fits all” proposal to cap rate rises could disproportionately harm fast-growing councils such as Waipā.
On Wednesday, Strategic Planning and Policy committee members debated the council’s submission on the proposed rates cap model.
Recommendation
Any recommendations please for someone who can knock out a dent in a car bumper.
Loading…
