Supplementary Agenda of Grants Subcommittee - Wednesday, 16 November 2022

Notice of Meeting:

I hereby give notice that an ordinary meeting of the Grants Subcommittee will be held on:

Date: Wednesday 16 November 2022

Time: 9.30 am

Venue: Council Conference Room, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, The Octagon, Dunedin

Sandy Graham

Chief Executive Officer

Grants Subcommittee

Dunedin Biodiversity Fund

SUPPLEMENTARY AGENDA

MEMBERSHIP

Chairperson	Cr Marie Laufiso
Deputy Chairperson	Cr Bill Acklin
Members	Cr Sophie Barker	Teresa Chan
	Peter Hayden	Don Hunter
	Adam Keane	Cr Cherry Lucas
	Cr Mandy Mayhem	Hannah Molloy
	Anna Parker	Jonathan Usher
	Cr Andrew Whiley	Craig Wilson

Senior Officer Jeanette Wikaira - Manahautū - General Manager Māori, Partnerships and Policy

Governance Support Officer Rebecca Murray

Rebecca Murray

Governance Support Officer

Telephone: 03 477 4000

Rebecca.Murray@dcc.govt.nz

www.dunedin.govt.nz

Note: Reports and recommendations contained in this agenda are not to be considered as Council policy until adopted.

Grants Subcommittee

16 November 2022

Part A Reports

Dunedin Biodiversity Fund Applications

Department: City Development

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 The September 2022 round of the Dunedin Biodiversity Fund opened on 1 September 2022 with applications closing on 30 September 2022.

2 The purpose of this report is to assist the Grants Subcommittee in considering the applications and determining the allocation of funding by providing a summary of the applications.

3 Seventeen applications were received. Five of the applications were from first-time applicants. The total funding amount requested by the applicants ($67,631.57) is more than the funding available for the funding round ($40,000.00).

4 The total recommended allocation is $40,000.00.

5 First-time applicants with projects on protected land, and previous applicants with projects on protected land were prioritised for full funding.

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Subcommittee:

a) Decides on the allocation of the grants across the applications received to the September 2022 round of the Dunedin Biodiversity Fund.

BACKGROUND

6 The Dunedin Biodiversity Fund was established in August 2007. Minor changes to the eligibility and prioritisation criteria, and terms and conditions, were approved by the Planning and Environment Committee at the meeting of 12 February 2019.

7 The purpose of the Dunedin Biodiversity Fund is: To enhance the condition and extent of indigenous biodiversity across Dunedin City by encouraging and supporting landowners and communities who are committed to protecting, enhancing and managing indigenous biodiversity.

8 The Dunedin Biodiversity Fund operates on a ‘pay first - claim after’ basis and successful applicants have a standard term of 24 months to complete projects and claim the approved grant.

Funding Guidance

9 Funding is to be allocated on a 50:50 cost sharing arrangement, with the Council funding up to half of the project cost and the applicant contributing to the costs. The maximum total grant that can be allocated under the fund is $5,000, and the minimum grant is $500. Projects must be aimed at:

a) Maintaining or improving the state of indigenous biodiversity e.g. fencing, plant and animal pest control projects, and/or

b) Increasing the extent of indigenous biodiversity e.g. revegetation projects.

10 The objective of the Dunedin Biodiversity Fund is to support ‘on the ground’ activities directly benefitting indigenous biodiversity. The DCC contributions are for funding tangible goods e.g. plants, traps, herbicide etc. The applicant’s contribution can include labour and vehicle expenses. Further guidance on eligible project types is provided in Attachment B. Further guidance on eligible grant costs is provided in Attachment C.

Eligibility Criteria

11 Eligibility criteria are defined as the minimum requirements a project application must meet to be funded. Eligibility criteria settings are placed so that if the Fund is undersubscribed, all eligible applications can be approved. Projects that are not eligible, or cannot be made eligible through grant conditions, should not be funded. Eligibility criteria are listed in Attachment B.

Prioritisation Criteria

12 Prioritisation criteria are defined as the criteria by which projects are ranked for funding. Prioritisation criteria are only necessary if the Fund is over-subscribed and the settings are placed so that the projects that contribute the most to biodiversity outcomes consistently rank the highest. Prioritisation criteria are listed in Attachment B.

Conditions of Grants

13 All successful applications will be subject to standard terms and conditions, which will form part of an agreement between the applicant and Council. It is noted that the Subcommittee may impose additional conditions, where considered appropriate. Fund terms and conditions are listed in Attachment C.

DISCUSSION

14 Attachment A summary of each of the applications. The full applications and assessments were provided to the Grant Subcommittee separately.

15 Three applications were submitted by Halo on behalf of individual landowners for different biodiversity projects on separate properties. The Biodiversity Fund criteria do not state that multiple applications cannot be granted to the same applicant in a single funding round.

NEXT STEPS

16 Staff will communicate the Grants Subcommittee’s decisions to all applicants and provide payment when the Terms and Conditions of the Dunedin Biodiversity Grant Funding have been met.

17 The next funding round will be advertised in March 2023.

Signatories

Author:

Zoe Lunniss - Biodiversity Advisor

Authoriser:

Mark Mawdsley – Team Leader Advisory Services

Simon Drew - General Manager Infrastructure and Development

Attachments

	Title	Page
⇩a	Dunedin Biodiversity Fund September 2022 - Summary of applications	9
⇩b	Biodiversity Fund Eligibility & Prioritisation Criteria	11
⇩c	Biodiversity Fund Terms & Conditions	13

SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS

Fit with purpose of Local Government

This report relates to providing a public service and it is considered good-quality and cost-effective.

Fit with strategic framework

	Contributes	Detracts	Not applicable
Social Wellbeing Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Economic Development Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Environment Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Arts and Culture Strategy	☐	☐	☒
3 Waters Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Spatial Plan	☒	☐	☐
Integrated Transport Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Parks and Recreation Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Other strategic projects/policies/plans	☐	☐	☒

The Dunedin Biodiversity Fund directly supports the objectives and outcomes of Te Ao Tūroa – Dunedin’s Environment Strategy and the Spatial Plan. It also contributes to the Parks and Recreation Strategy.

Māori Impact Statement

The fund provides an application process to contribute to enhance indigenous biodiversity.

Sustainability

The projects considered in this report will contribute positively to the long-term sustainability of the natural environment of Dunedin.

LTP/Annual Plan / Financial Strategy /Infrastructure Strategy

There are no implications. The recommended allocation is within budget.

Financial considerations

A total of $40,000.00 is recommended to be granted to applicants.

Significance

This decision is considered to be of low significance in terms of the Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy.

Engagement – external

There has been no external engagement on the project applications.

Engagement - internal

There has been no internal engagement on the project applications.

Risks: Legal / Health and Safety etc.

There are no known risks.

Conflict of Interest

There are no identified conflicts of interest.

Community Boards

A number of the grants relate to Community Board areas – i.e. Otago Peninsula, Mosgiel-Taieri, Saddle Hill, West Harbour and Waikouaiti Coast.