The $30 million sediment and debris funding is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment towards helping communities, including owners of whenua Māori, farmers, growers and communities to recover from the cyclone.

The funding is intended to support owners of whenua Māori make decisions about the clean-up of their land.

Te Puni Kōkiri is also managing $2 million of the $10.15 million woody debris grant funding announced by the Minister of Forestry, Peeni Henare, as part of Budget 23. This $2 million has been allocated specifically to manage woody debris in catchments on whenua Māori.

Fund overview

On 29 June 2023, Minister for Māori Development, Hon Willie Jackson confirmed funding of $30 million to support whenua Māori owners respond to Cyclone Gabrielle.

The $30 million is to provide vital clean-up of sediment and debris in Tairāwhiti and the Hawke’s Bay regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. This is in addition to the $102 million announced earlier to help councils in Tairāwhiti and the Hawke’s Bay deal with sediment and the $70 million to help commercial properties clean up their land.

This funding for whenua Māori builds on the activity already underway on the ground and supports local recovery efforts by iwi, communities, councils, and owners of whenua Māori.

In addition, $2 million of the $10.15 million woody debris fund announced by the Minister of Forestry, Peeni Henare, as part of Budget 23 has been allocated  specifically to manage woody debris in catchments on whenua Māori.

Owners, trustees and entities of whenua Māori in Tairāwhiti and the Hawke’s Bay are eligible to apply for funding.

For the purposes of this funding, whenua Māori includes:

• Māori freehold land, Māori customary land and Māori reservations as set out in Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993
• Land held by Post-Settlement Governance Entities (including Treaty settlement land)
• General land held by owners of whenua in the above categories which is managed together with that whenua.

For information and enquiries about making an application contact your local Whenua Māori Service at your nearest Te Puni Kōkiri regional office or email SedimentandDebrisWhenua@tpk.govt.nz

Our kaimahi can talk to you about your aspirations for your whenua and support you through the application process.

The application form is also here.

Got a question?

You can find information about the fund, eligibility, kinds of projects which can be funded, how to apply, and answers to other questions, by reading our frequently asked questions.

Information required to make an application

The first step is to contact your local whenua Māori kaimahi in your nearest Te Puni Kōkiri regional office or email SedimentandDebrisWhenua@tpk.govt.nz. Our kaimahi will be able to explain the process to you and provide you with an application form.

Information required to complete the application form will include:

• Name of the kaitono – e.g. the whenua Māori owners, trustees, or entity applying
• Geographical location and brief description (e.g. name) of the land blocks concerned, and for woody debris the name and location of the catchment. If you have photos available please provide these
• Key person or people and contact details
• The bank account number of the kaitono
• The amount and full description of what you are applying to get funding for, and why you need it
• A financial breakdown of the funding required. Please note that to be fair to everyone, costs need to be reasonable and in some cases there will be limits on the maximum rates (e.g. for woody debris)
• The risks that may impact on your ability to complete the project successfully and how you plan to manage those risks
• Details of other funding applied for or granted for the same or similar purpose
• When you expect to begin the project, and how long you expect it to take.

The $30 million funding for sediment and debris is intended to be used between 1 July 2023 and the end of June 2024, and can be used for eligible activities already undertaken since Cyclone Gabrielle.

The $2 million funding for woody debris will also be available from 1 July 2023, or once fund settings are finalised, and will need to be used by the end of 2023. Download the application form here

Investment progress

List of current investments at 30 November 2023

Investment update at 30 November 2023