An award-winning fund has made a big contribution to life along the Waitaki River, from Mt Cook to Glenavy, David Bruce reports.
From smoke alarms to million-dollar community centres, life-saving equipment to playground safety gear, the Waitaki Basin has benefited by $1.7 million from an award-winning community fund over the past five years.
Meridian Energy established the Waitaki Community Fund in 2006 with $1 million available over three years, renewing that again in 2009 with another $1 million for the next three years.
It was established by the company after research into the best way to distribute grants and sponsorship into the Waitaki and Mackenzie areas where it owned and operated the Waitaki hydro generation system.
Another four funds have been established in areas where Meridian generates electricity.
Before 2006, applications for funding were received on an ad hoc basis and decisions on what received money were made on a case-by-case basis by its staff.
The company looked at the way it funded community groups, models used in New Zealand and overseas and came up with a community-based system.
The aim was to give communities a lot more input into decisions, at the same time providing a long-term fund for community-led projects.
This year, the fund won the community award at the national Sustainable 60 Awards, which promote best-practice business sustainability, The Waitaki fund panel that allocates the money is made up of three community representatives and three Meridian staff. It meets to consider applications three times a year.
Community representative Rick Ramsay, of Twizel, has served on the panel since its inception and is a keen advocate of the community-led approach.
"It's gone extremely well. When you look at the projects funded, there are some brilliant ones.
"Small communities always struggle to raise funds and this is a major source of funding."
In many cases, a substantial grant from the fund has encouraged communities to tackle major projects. It can also provide an impetus for funding from other grant providers.
"It should not be viewed as the only source of funds - to make it go around everyone you can't take that sort of approach."
There had been some big projects that stood out - the Kurow island environmental project, Lake Alexandrina enhancement, the Otematata Community Centre and current plans to turn the Omarama Hall into a multipurpose complex, which last month received a grant of $95,000.
There had also been smaller projects that have benefited the community, such as funding for a defibrillator for the Ohau village.
Mr Ramsay said there were big benefits from having community representatives on the funding panel.
"Local knowledge is vital. You know the groups in your community and you know what their needs are, who they are and whether the project is a goer.
"With better local knowledge you know what support is needed and how to give it," he said.
Projects such as the Omarama Hall redevelopment would have struggled without a "big chunk of money" to help get it started.
Mr Ramsay said many projects, both small and large, might not have begun or succeeded without the fund.
The $1.5 million distributed so far has gone into supporting a diverse range of projects.
One with a difference was $8000 last year to the South Canterbury Fire Service to install two long-life smoke alarms in the homes of everyone aged over 65 years in Twizel, Tekapo and Glenavy.
The aim was to provide greater safety for elderly homeowners, but with smoke alarms that did not have to be touched, including replacing batteries, for 10 years.
The Twizel and Tekapo brigades benefited in 2008 with emergency generators, a need which emerged after a major snowfall.
Kurow Museum's Carron Cossen said a grant to purchase a new computer to store archives had made "a huge difference".
It was being used to provide information to people about Kurow and the district's history and families, with plans to employ an archivist for 12 months to load the rest of the material into the system.
Children have also benefited from assorted funding, $1941 last year providing safety matting for the Mt Cook playgroup and $1108 for a new boundary fence for the Lower Waitaki Playcentre.
The Duntroon Hall Committee got $11,350 to install more efficient, cost-saving heating.
Emergency service groups have benefited - for example the fund bought a modern defibrillator for Omarama's first response unit and the Omarama Fire Brigade got $20,000 for an equipment shed.
Over the years, communities have also seen an improvement in facilities from the fund.
Just looking at Otematata, it received $11,000 for a swimming raft at Loch Laird, $50,000 to upgrade its community hall and, more recently, $10,000 to build a wetland walkway.
Association vice-president John Munro said the grants had made a big difference to the community and its facilities.
Recreation has also benefited, Twizel's "Hard Labour" weekend getting $22,000 for automatic electronic timing equipment, the Tokarahi Golf Club $20,000 for clubhouse improvements and the Ben Ohau Golf Club $10,000 to upgrade its kitchen.
The $2 million distributed by the end of next year has improved life for those who live there.
Along the river
Meridian Energy Waitaki Community Fund.
• Established with $1 million over three years in 2006.
• Renewed in 2009 with further $1 million over three years.
• Benefiting area from Mt Cook to Glenavy.
Criteria for funding
- Applications taken three times a year.
Panel members: Community, Rick Ramsay (Twizel), Vicky Munro (Otematata), Parris Heath (iwi representative, Waihao runanga); Meridian, Mat Bayliss (asset maintenance manager, Twizel, Jackie Curtis (relationship strategy manager, Christchurch), Neal Barclay (general manager markets and production, Wellington), chairman.
- Funding criteria and applications on Meridian website.
