The Government has announced $1.04 million 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 to help restore some of Taranaki’s rarest coastal habitat and protect kōkako in the region’s north-east.
Te Kāhui o Taranaki will receive $432,840 to map, monitor and restore critically endangered coastal turf ecosystems within the Taranaki Iwi rohe for its Restoration of Critically Endangered Coastal Turf Ecosystems within the Taranaki Iwi Rohe project.
The Iwi-led project will carry out restoration planting and involve local communities in the long-term protection of this rare habitat. It is expected to attract $123,600 in co-investment.
East Taranaki Environment Trust, which operates as the East Taranaki Environment Collective, will receive $603,760 to expand predator control and monitoring within a 46,000-hectare landscape in north-east Taranaki.
The project is co-led with Iwi, supported by local volunteers and will help create a safer, more connected landscape for kōkako and other native species. It is expected to attract $1,085,000 in co-investment.
“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,” said Conservation Minister, Tama Potaka.
“By working together, taxpayer funding goes further and we can achieve more for the special places and species of Taranaki.
“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.”
The Taranaki projects are the first to be announced from the 2026 DOC Community Fund, with further announcements to follow across the country.
