Applications for Otago Regional Council’s annual ECO Fund is again almost three times oversubscribed – with 28 projects having been shortlisted from a total 69 applications, the Council has revealed.
Of a total $1.05 million available this year, the 69 applicants were seeking a combined $2.87 million for environmental projects around Otago. The 28 shortlisted applications to Council seek a total of $1,059,178 – just under the $1,059,500 available.
ORC’s Environmental Funding Lead, Elodie Letendre says with $1,059,500 available and initial requests for $2,872,157, the fund was about 2.7 times oversubscribed – similar to the past two years.
“The oversubscription again this year reflects increasing community awareness, and that people are very keen to help protect the environment. Every year we wish we could fund more applicants,” said Ms Letendre.
The 28* shortlisted applications will go before a full Council meeting on Wednesday for consideration.
“Again, there were a large number of very good applications this year,” Ms Letendre says.
The 2025 applications cover a wide variety of projects, from weed and pest animal control, native species protection and habitat restoration, native revegetation and regeneration and water quality.
“It’s the communities who know what matters most locally and these funding programmes can empower them to turn great ideas into action,” she says.
The ECO Fund underpins the ORC’s partnership with local communities throughout Otago to improve and enhance the environment, Ms Letendre says.
Included in the total 69 applications, were 28 from the wider Dunedin district area, 17 from around Queenstown Lakes, 10 from Central Otago, seven from the Clutha district and six from around Waitaki – North Otago.
| March 2025 Funding Round | |||
| ECO Fund Category | Number of applications | Funds requested | Funds available |
| Large-scale biodiversity projects | 15 | $1,665,388 | $450,000 |
| General (on-ground and education) | 26 | $715,886 | $309,500 |
| Sustained rabbit management | 10 | $263,959 | $100,000 |
| Biodiversity enhancement on protected private land | 12 | $156,524 | $100,000 |
| Critical source area management on private land | 1 | $15,000 | $50,000 |
| Weed removal and revegetation | 5 | $55,400 | $50,000 |
| TOTAL | 69 | $2,872,157 | $1,059,500 |
*The 28 shortlisted applications could be reduced to 26.
On Wednesday, Council will consider endorsing a budget reallocation from two of the ECO Fund funding categories to another ECO Fund funding category, which would allow funding of two additional projects in the General funding category.
The ECO Fund Assessment Panel met on 15 April 2025 to assess the applications, ultimately recommending 28 applications to Council for funding to a total value of $1,059,178. This includes the reallocation of $3502 and $35,000 from the categories of weed removal and revegetation (Biodiversity operations budget) and critical source area management on private land (Land and Water operations budget) respectively, to other specific ECO Fund funding categories due to undersubscription.
The successful applicants will be announced following Wednesday’s meeting.
