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More than $1 million in Government funding will support coastal habitat restoration and kōkako protection projects in Taranaki.
The Government is investing $1.04 million through the 2026 DOC Community Fund in projects led by Te Kāhui o Taranaki and the East Taranaki Environment Trust, alongside an expected $1.2 million in cash and in-kind support.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says the projects demonstrate the benefits of combining Government funding with local conservation efforts.
“This is what good conservation investment looks like. Government backing local ambition, with Iwi, landowners, community groups and volunteers bringing funding, time, expertise, and practical support to the table.”
Te Kāhui o Taranaki will receive $432,840 to map, monitor and restore critically endangered coastal turf ecosystems within the Taranaki Iwi rohe.
The Iwi-led project will include restoration planting and involve local communities in the long-term protection of the rare habitat.
The East Taranaki Environment Trust, operating as the East Taranaki Environment Collective, will receive $603,760 to expand predator control and monitoring across a 46,000-hectare landscape in north-east Taranaki.
The project is co-led with Iwi and supported by local volunteers, with the work intended to create a safer and better-connected landscape for kōkako and other native species.
“From the coast to the ngahere, this is mahi tahi in action. Our Government, Iwi, landowners, community groups, and volunteers combining their strengths to deliver lasting gains for Taranaki’s environment,” Potaka says.
The Taranaki projects are the first investments announced from the 2026 DOC Community Fund, with further projects around the country to be announced.
