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Kāpiti Coast landowners are being encouraged to apply for funding to help protect and restore heritage features on their properties.
Applications are now open for the Kāpiti Coast District Council Heritage Fund, which provides matched funding for projects involving historic buildings, ecological and geological sites, significant trees and wāhi tapu.
Supporting local heritage
Kāpiti Coast District Council team leader environment and ecological services Andy McKay says the fund helps landowners preserve important heritage assets for future generations.
“We have some truly special places on the Kāpiti Coast.
“This fund is about working together to make sure landowners can preserve and maintain them for generations to come.”
Applications must fall within one of four categories: preservation, riparian management, heritage feature management, or research and education projects that help tell the district’s heritage stories.
Broad range of projects
The fund supports activities such as conservation covenants, planting programmes, pest control initiatives and heritage research.
Andy says previous recipients demonstrate the range of projects eligible for support.
“Through the Heritage Fund and alongside Greater Wellington and the Department of Conservation, we’ve supported the Kotukutuku Ecological Restoration Project.
“This project involved forest restoration and pest control, which led to the translocation of 51 tītipounamu/rifleman to the Kāpiti Coast, a milestone for native bird recovery in the region.”
Other projects have included biodiversity planting at Waikanae Golf Course and research by Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai documenting traditional Māori place names and oral histories.
Matched funding model
The Heritage Fund operates on a matched-funding basis, with applicants required to contribute an equivalent amount either financially or through in-kind support such as volunteer labour.
Andy says the programme recognises that heritage encompasses both cultural and environmental values.
“These projects are reminders of what long-term investment in heritage can achieve, and that it isn’t just about buildings or boundaries; it’s about ecological heritage too.
“We’re excited to see what this year’s applicants will bring forward.”
