Mahi mō te Taiao/Working for Nature Grant
About the grant
In September 2020, Marlborough District Council made it easier for the community to restore and protect native habitats through the creation of a new grant scheme: Working for Nature/Mahi mō te Taiao. This $138,000 annual scheme will consider projects that protect and restore native habitats, and promote positive environmental outcomes.
This grant scheme is just one of the many biodiversity and environmental programmes run by the Council to celebrate the wide range of flora and fauna that is found in the region. Marlborough has been identified as one of five centres of biodiversity in New Zealand due to the concentration of endemic species (found only within New Zealand). The southern part of Marlborough is home to species that have evolved in the dry, rocky conditions whereas the northern region offers a spectacular collection of forests, wetlands, and coastal habitats.
Find out more about our biodiversity and environmental programmes
Applications open for the month of April – from the 1 to midnight on the 30 of April. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their grant by July.
The contestable grant scheme is administered by a sub-committee of the Environment Committee, and operates using a reimbursement model. Once appropriate milestones of the project have been met, applicants can seek reimbursement for purchases up to the agreed funding amount.
This grant scheme encourages community-led participation and collaboration. By working together, we can create enduring outcomes to restore and protect native biodiversity in our region.
Successful Applicants 2026
Habitat Marlborough
| PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Integrated native/vineyard development | $ 2,000 (part funded) |
| Link Pathway Native Plant Restoration | $ 2,000 (part funded) |
| Port Ligar Restoration. Nest Boxes | $ 1,000 (part funded) |
| Taylor Reserve Planting 2027 | $ 1,000 (part funded) |
Protecting Marlborough
| PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Arapaoa Kiwi 2026 | $ 5,071.50 (fully funded) |
| Duncan Bay tracks - Possum control | $ 5,000 (part funded) |
| East Coast Protection Group | $ 4,000 (part funded) |
| French Pass Wilding Pine Control | $ 5,000 (part funded) |
| Kaiaho Pt Trapping & Habitat Protection | $ 9,000 (fully funded) |
| Management of Feral Ungulate Control | $ 7,500 (part funded) |
| Maungatapu Pest Control | $ 7,500 (part funded) |
| Mt Cawte possum trap line | $ 10,000 (part funded) |
| Okaramio/ Kaituna Rvr Restoration Project | $ 7,500 (part funded) |
| Okuri Bay Kohekohe Forest Protection | $ 6,000 (part funded) |
| Penzance Conservation Project | $ 7,500 (part funded) |
| Port Ligar Restoration. Pest Control | $ 9,000 (part funded) |
| Project TRAP | $ 7,500 (part funded) |
| Punaruawhiti Network Sustainability EICT | $ 7,500 (part funded) |
| TARA Community Trapping | $ 1,685 (part funded) |
| Te Hoiere Bat Recovery Predator Control | $ 10,000 (part funded) |
| The Ned/Te Hau Restoration Project | $ 7,500 (part funded) |
| Wild Waikawa | $ 12,500 (fully funded) |
Successful Applicants 2025
Habitat Marlborough
PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
|---|---|
Blind River Native Planting Project | $7,500 (fully funded) |
Renwick School Isabel Estate Project | $1,400 (part funded) |
Taylor Reserve Planting 2026 | $1,500 (part funded) |
Waikawa Stream Habitat Enrichment Yr4 | $5,000 (part funded) |
Protecting Marlborough
PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
|---|---|
Arapaoa Kiwi Stage 4 (2025) | $5,065.75 (fully funded) |
Hinepango Wetland Restoration Group | $10,000 (part funded) |
Limestone Coast Restoration Buffer | $7,500 (part funded) |
Ngā mahi o Te Pokohiwi o Kupe | $10,000 (part funded) |
Penzance Enhancement Project | $7,500 (part funded) |
Pest Free Ngakuta Bay | $7,500 (part funded) |
Project TRAP | $7,500 (part funded) |
Rarangi Dawn Chorus | $1,358.05 (fully funded) |
TARA Community Trapping | $1,241 (fully funded) |
Taylor Pass River at Hares Hut | $3,000 (part funded) |
Te Hoiere Bat Recovery Predator Control | $5,000 (part funded) |
The collaborative management of feral ungulates in the Marlborough Sounds | $10,000 (part funded) |
The Ned/ Te Hau Restoration Project | $10,000 (part funded) |
Trapping Expansion Project 2025 | $7,500 (part funded) |
Waitata Reach Expansion Trap Network | $5,000 (part funded) |
Whataroa Bay Restoration | $12,500 (part funded) |
Wild Waikawa | $10,150 (part funded) |
Environmental Advocacy
PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
Youth Sustainability Programme | $2,000 (fully funded) |
Successful Applicants 2024
Habitat Marlborough
| PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Clos Henri Central Valley Restoration | $3,800 (part funded) |
| Hares Hut - Taylor River | $5,000 (part funded) |
| Harvey Bay Stream Rewilding Project | $3,737.50 (fully funded) |
| Waikawa Stream Habitat Enrichment Yr3 | $5,000 (part funded) |
| Whataroa Bay Restoration | $10,000 (fully funded) |
Protecting Marlborough
| PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Arapaoa Kiwi Stage 3 | $4,979.50 (fully funded) |
| Dayvinleigh Wetland Restoration | $3,100 (part funded) |
| Duncan Bay Trapping | $1,686.89 (fully funded) |
| Hinepango Wetland Restoration | $2,000 (part funded) |
| Limestone Coast Restoration Buffer | $10,000 (part funded) |
| Maungatapu Pest Control | $5,000 (part funded) |
| Parsons Covenant | $770.94 (part funded) |
| Pest Free Ngakuta Bay | $14,345.01 (fully funded) |
| Picton Dawn Chorus | $15,000 (fully funded) |
| Te Hoiere/ Pelorus Bridge Pest Control | $10,716.06 (part funded) |
| Tennyson Inlet Islands Pest Eradication | $3,200 (part funded) |
| Ungulate Control in the Sounds 2024-25 | $10,000 (fully funded) |
| Waima/ Ure River Restoration Project | $10,000 (part funded) |
| Whatanihi Conservation Action | $5,300 (part funded) |
| Wild Waikawa Restoration | $5,175 (part funded) |
Environmental Advocacy
| PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
| CKNZ Save Our Species Programme – Video | $2,000 (fully funded) |
Successful Applicants 2023
Habitat Marlborough
PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
Harvey Bay Stream Rewilding Project | $2,700 (fully funded) |
Te Ara Restoration | $3,590 (fully funded) |
Brawn Vineyards Opaoa River Restoration | $319.78 (part funded) |
Growing Trees, Growing Children | $3,210 (part funded) |
Waikawa Stream Habitat Enrichment | $5,000 (part funded) |
Protecting Marlborough
PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
Hinepango Wetland Restoration | $12,820.88 (fully funded) |
Kaipupu Sanctuary & Mabel Island Weed Control | $7,003 (fully funded) |
Lake Elterwater Willow Control | $14,020 (fully funded) |
Pest Free Ngakuta Bay | $9,250.03 (fully funded) |
Ungulate Control | $10,000 (fully funded) |
Wattle Control – Waikawa | $15,000 (part funded) |
Wild Waikawa Restoration | $10,000 (part funded) |
Environmental Advocacy
PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
Kaipupu Signage Project | $2,300 (fully funded) |
Marlborough SNA’s Learning | $2,000 (fully funded) |
Successful Applicants 2022
Habitat Marlborough
PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
|---|---|
Ōhinemahuta Revegetation Project | $3,240 (fully funded) |
Ward School Playground Redevelopment | $2,198.91 (fully funded) |
Nikau Bay Restoration | $1,000 (fully funded) |
Reinstating River Biodiversity | $5,000 (part funded) |
Te Ara Restoration | $3,590 (part funded) |
Natives for Glenmore | $5,000 (part funded) |
Whataroa Bay Restoration | $10,000 (part funded) |
Hinepango Wetland Restoration Group | $2,500 (part funded) |
Native Planting Greening Project | $5,000 (part funded) |
School Creek Renwick Plantings | $1,750 (part funded) |
Waikawa Stream Habitat Enrichment | $4,000 (part funded) |
Ōpaoa River Gee Street | $1,000 (part funded) |
Protecting Marlborough
PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
|---|---|
East Ned Broom Buffer | $7,765 (fully funded) |
Mahakipawa Trapline | $1,822.66 (fully funded) |
Te Hoiere Bat Recovery Project | $10,000 (part funded) |
Limestone Coast Restoration Buffer | $7,000 (part funded) |
Boons Valley Restoration | $10,866.17 (part funded) |
Ruapaka Wetland Restoration | $5,000 (part funded) |
Hinepango Wetland Restoration Group | $6,000 (part funded) |
Ungulate and Predator Control | $10,000 (part funded) |
Weed Control - KONO | $8,000 (part funded) |
Successful Applicants 2021
Habitat Marlborough
PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
|---|---|
Pukapuka Stream Restoration | $5,910.00 (fully funded) |
Naumai Natives | $6,291.50 (fully funded) |
Northridge Native Restoration | $6,000.00 (fully funded) |
Ganey Restoration | $558.20 (fully funded) |
Ōpaoa Loop Restoration at Astrolabe Farm | $5,000.00 (part funded) |
Wairau Valley Wetland Restoration | $1,600.00 (part funded) |
Salt Works Native Restoration | $5,000.00 (part funded) |
Ōhinemahuta Re-vegetation Project | $2,000.00 (part funded) |
Ward School Playground Redevelopment | $1,000.00 (part funded) |
The Throne Stream Planting | $3,000.00 (part funded) |
Riparian planting 347 DLH | $2,000.00 (part funded) |
Rau ora; restoring ancestral natives | $500.00 (part funded) |
Riverbank planting | $3,800.00 (part funded) |
Protecting Marlborough
PROJECT | GRANT AMOUNT |
|---|---|
Te Hoiere Bat Recovery Project | $9,067.58 (fully funded) |
Ungulate Control in the Sounds strategy | $10,000.00 (fully funded) |
Maraetai Bay Pest Control | $2,264.93 (fully funded) |
Avon Valley Wilding Pine Eradication | $3,000.00 (part funded) |
Marlborough East Coast Predator Control | $2,000.00 (part funded) |
Annual Bird Count and Trap Installation | $2,000.00 (part funded) |
Boons Valley Restoration | $1,500.00 (part funded) |
Havelock - Wattles Out Natives In (Stage 2) | $3,000.00 (part funded) |
Weed and Pest control - Tohu Wines (KONO) | $5,000.00 (part funded) |
Pest control Wairangi & Whakakitenga | $2,000.00 (part funded) |
Extension Double Cove pest control | $3,500.00 (part funded) |
Weed and Pest Control on Mabel Island | $4,200.00 (part funded) |
Successful Applicants 2020
Habitat Marlborough
| Cinders Vineyard Restoration | $2,000 |
| Morven Dell Native Planting Project | $2,500 |
| Jentree Native Planting | $2,000 |
| Odyssey Native Corner | $2,000 |
| The Coterie Riparian Restoration | $2,000 |
| Brawn Vineyards Ōpaoa River Restoration | $4,000 |
| Ōpaoa Loop Restoration | $2,000 |
| School Creek Renwick Plantings | $2,000 |
| Dumgree Swamp Restoration | $4,500 |
| Rakau Hau | $2,000 |
Protecting Marlborough
| Tirimoana Anakiwa Pest Control | $1,820 |
| Exotic species control | $2,517 |
| Weed control at Kaipupu and surrounds | $3,000 |
| Sounds Ungulate Control Project | $4,000 |
| Avon Valley Catchment Restoration | $7,000 |
| Maungatapu Pest Control | $6,553.50 |
| Pest Free Okiwi | $3,000 |
| Pest Free Ngakuta Bay extension | $6,286.25 |
| Havelock - Wattles out Natives in | $3,000 |
| Wairangi Bay Pest Eradication | $7,487 |
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Eligibility, assessment and guidelines
This page contains information on eligibility, assessment and guidelines relating to the Working for Nature/Mahi mō te Taiao grant.
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Grant Accountability
Accountability for funding received needs to be provided by grant recipients to be eligible for future funding.
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Terms and Conditions
This page contains the terms and conditions relating to the Working for Nature/Mahi mō te Taiao grant.
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Tui to Town
The Tui to Town project, established in 2008, ran until 2020 and has now been superseded by the Working for Nature/Mahi mō te Taiao grant scheme.
