Increased funding could be on the way for Otago’s "people on the ground" working on water-quality monitoring, native plant protection, wetland restoration and other community-driven environmental projects under way in the region.
The Otago Regional Council will this week consider upping its commitment to the more than 16 catchment groups working to improve the land, water and ecosystems in their area.
Council acting biosecurity and rural liaison manager Andrea Howard’s report to the council — to be tabled tomorrow — notes that beyond staff support for catchment groups, about $30,000 was included in the 2019-20 annual plan to support the Pomahaka Water Care Group and North Otago Sustainable Land Management Group.
That financial contribution could increase six-fold if the council decides to move away from the status quo.
"As part of planning for the 2020-21 annual plan a further $200,000 has been tentatively ring-fenced should council decide to pursue other related initiatives," Ms Howard’s report said.
Her report recommends a working group be established to create a budget and "implementation plan" in time for the council’s long-term plan consultation.
Further, it said council chief executive Sarah Gardner and council staff had met catchment groups over the past year and the feedback received had included a need to recognise differences between catchment groups; the recognition that behavioural and environmental change took time to achieve; and that catchment groups did not want to be dependent on the council for financial support but rather wanted supplementary money to "ensure local autonomy and ownership is retained".
