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June 2011June 29
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Toll road usage higher than predictedThe number of vehicles using the Northern Gateway toll road is two percent higher than forecast. Detailed information on the operations of the road, for the period from 1 July 2010 to 31 December 2010, has been published today by the NZ Transport Agency. The toll road’s latest six-monthly operating report shows that almost 2.5 million trips were made on the road during the six month reporting period, about two percent higher than forecast, bringing the total number of journeys since the toll road opened in January 2009 to 9.4 million. Key results for the six months to 31 December 2010 include:
NZTA Regional Director for Auckland and Northland Stephen Town said while the agency was pleased with the toll road’s overall compliance rate of 96 percent, which compares favourably with toll roads overseas, more than 50,000 toll payment notices were outstanding and the NZTA would be taking additional steps to target the minority of toll road users not paying for their trips. Mr Town said the agency was working to improve payment rates of overdue tolls, including introducing automated referral of infringement notices to the Ministry of Justice for collection, and the NZTA would commence court proceedings against outstanding toll debtors later this year. “The Northern Gateway Toll Road provides safer and easier trips for our customers, and tolling the road to help cover the cost of borrowing for construction meant we were able to build it much sooner than with traditional funding alone. When the debt is paid off the toll will be removed, and we’ll be working hard to ensure that everyone who uses the road pays their fair share.” Mr Town said the NZTA was also focussed on ways of reducing administration costs for toll payments, with the average cost per transaction for the six-month period at $0.74. Customers are currently offered several options for paying tolls, and there is a wide range in the costs incurred to administer different types of payment – from $0.13 per transaction for web payments to $3.85 per transaction for telephone payments. “These costs are not sustainable going forward, and we’re looking at ways to encourage more use of our easier and less expensive payment channels like the web, including the introduction of a new scale of administration charges which will better reflect the level of service and actual costs of the different payment channels.” To download a copy of the Northern Gateway Toll Road Operating Report for the six months ending 31 December, 2010, go to http://www.tollroad.govt.nz/Documents/Reports E.coli spread a "wake-up" callImposed testing won’t guarantee safety of our foods from killer E. coli bacteria, according to Professor of Food Microbiology at AUT University, Dr John Brooks. Renewed global warnings over food safety have been issued after the outbreak of E. coli spread to France in recent days, hospitalising up to 10 people. To date, the outbreak of E. coli O104:H4 has spread to 16 countries and killed more than 40 people. And while we aren’t immediately in harms way, Dr Brooks says New Zealand consumers are not entirely immune from the spread. “The outbreak of E. coli food poisoning in Germany is one of the worst outbreaks on record and certainly one of the most deadly. Our modern food supply chains are extremely complex. Foods are sourced from all over the world, so finding the source of this outbreak as quickly as possible was imperative,” he says. At the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology Conference this week, Brooks will discuss the implications for New Zealand food producers of widened testing requirements. The conference takes place in Rotorua from 29 June – 1 July. “The continuing outbreak of the E. coli O104:H4 infection in Europe - with very high rates of kidney damage and death - is a wake-up call for food producers everywhere. I believe we are seeing evolution in action. A normally benign bacterium has become a killer. That said however, imposing increased mandatory testing will not assure the safety of foods.” E. coli is a normal inhabitant found in the guts of humans and animals. The strain of E. coli O104:H4 found in the European outbreak is a more virulent strain that has picked up extra genes. This has acquired the ability to produce cell toxins which can penetrate the cells of the gut and result in the potentially fatal Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS), causing serious diarrhoea, kidney damage and ultimately death – as in the 44 cases in Germany. Brooks says the frequency of HUS in this outbreak is much higher than usually observed, with over 3800 cases of infection, resulting in an unprecedented 865+ cases of HUS. A number of countries have now banned the import of vegetables from the European Union. Last week alone, Russia introduced a ban on meat and milk products from over 300 German companies, following concerns about E. coli. Tracking down the source of infection through epidemiological investigations may have a success rate as low as 33%, says Brooks. “This shows how difficult it is to pinpoint the source of an outbreak of food poisoning in our highly integrated and widespread food supply chain. At times like this, we often hear calls for increased testing of products before they are released onto the market. “For a number of reasons, microbiological testing to assure safety of food is just not feasible. Testing is expensive and time consuming. In some cases, the testing period exceeds the shelf life of the product. Ultimately, testing for E. coli O157:H7 would not have picked up the German strain.” Brooks says the concern for New Zealand meat exporters now is that our trading partners, particularly the US, will demand testing for these pathogenic strains of E. coli. “Regulators must be strong in the coming months; microbiological testing gives only a retrospective view and imposing increased mandatory testing will not assure the safety of foods. “The only way we can ensure the safety of our food supply is to introduce controlled lethal steps in processing, such as heating or irradiation, or to put in place rigorous control of every potentially hazardous ingredient, process step, processing facility and distribution chain. This is particularly important with high risk products such as sprouts. “ Professor Brooks is Director of AUT University’s Food Science Research Centre and is Head of Research at the University’s School of Applied Sciences. His areas of research include the study of biofilms in food, aquaculture and medicine. Professor Brooks is also a member of the New Zealand Food Safety Authority’s Scientific Academy. Auckland adopts first annual planAuckland Council has adopted its first annual plan, maintaining the proposed 3.94 per cent rates increase for ratepayers while confirming additional funding for a number of other projects. The Mayor complimented the hard work of councillors and staff who had delivered a plan he described as robust, well balanced and inclusive of all Aucklanders. “Auckland Council is only eight months old, in a time of extraordinary change, and we have now got a plan in place that I believe delivers to the people of Auckland. “When we inherited the amalgamated Auckland Council, the projected rates increase from all the old councils was a proposed 9.3 per cent. That wasn’t acceptable, so we worked to cut costs and drive efficiencies in the organisation. I’m committed to keeping the rates increase down below four per cent. We’ve done this at the same time as rolling out the biggest ever investment in our region, “I am especially pleased that due to the hard work put into finding over $81 million in savings, we are able to come back today and announce projects such as the Otahuhu Swimming Pool and Muriwai Surf Lifesaving Club will be going ahead without taking rates over 3.94 per cent,” said Len Brown. Funding was confirmed for a raft of important projects including: Operating expenditure
Capital expenditure
“Those who have worked on the plan have really achieved great balance," she said. “They have diligently saved money to benefit ratepayers, while at the same time investing in areas such as events, heritage, and capital expenditure which will go a long way to creating the Mayor’s vision of creating the world’s most liveable city." Northland annual plan finalisedProposals to redirect the Northland Regional Council’s income and for flood protection works in all three districts have been confirmed as part of the council’s newly-adopted 2011-2012 Annual Plan. Councillors at their monthly meeting in Whangarei yesterday (subs: Tues 21 June) adopted an extensive programme of work to be carried out over the 12 months from July 1 from a total operational budget of $25 million (excl GST). Council Chairman Craig Brown says in adopting the 130-plus page Annual Plan, councillors were acutely aware that affordability was a common thread in many of the more than 220 submissions the council had received on its Draft Annual Plan. Councillors had carefully weighed affordability issues against the need for proposed projects and in the end had collectively decided to proceed with most of them. Among the two biggest influences on this year’s rates bill will be plans to redirect council’s investment income and flood protection projects in Whangarei, Kaeo and Kaihu. Mr Brown says redirecting income will see council’s Service Rate increase on average $17.80 (including GST) annually for each of the next five years. “This will both enable us to do more for our community and lessen council’s longstanding reliance on our investment income - much of it linked to our majority shareholding in the Northland Port Corporation - which typically subsidises roughly one-third of the average rates bill.” Mr Brown says comments from submitters will be used over the next few months to help develop criteria to assess projects and processes for applications/assessments for funding from the reserve. “Until those criteria have been approved by council, the redirected investment income will remain unspent in a reserve called the ‘Northland Investment and Growth Reserve’.” Councillors also agreed to adopt a Whangarei Urban Rivers Management Rate to fund a $682,000 (incl GST) first stage of a Central Business District flood scheme which will include maintenance of existing river channels and bridges. The new rate will see commercial properties in CBD flood area pay $247.83 (incl GST) over the next 12 months, residential properties in the area $94.19 and properties in the contributing water catchment $33.21. Councillors also decided to establish a Kaeo-Whangaroa River Management Rate that will see $638,000 (incl GST) of work, including building a stopbank immediately east of Kaeo township and raising State Highway 10 east of the police station. The new rate will be $74.53 (incl GST) for all ratepayers in the former Whangaroa Ward and includes river maintenance works in the area. Work on Kaipara’s Kaihu River Management Scheme will also proceed to the next stage and over the next few months, council staff will work with the local Liaison Committee and each of the affected landowners over the scheme’s configuration, including spillway dimensions and locations. A roadside weed control programme suggested in the Draft Annual Plan was rejected by the council in order to keep rates as low as possible. However, councillors have decided to cover a $130,000 (excl GST) shortfall left by the withdrawal of Government funding for the Enviroschools programme. There are now more than 50 Northland schools in the popular programme, which encourages student-driven action based on sustainable management of resources across all areas of school life. The extra funding in this year’s Annual Plan will be used to fund the ongoing work of two Northland-based facilitators. Mr Brown says council’s rates revenue – excluding targeted river rates – will increase by about 15% to $14.4M (excl GST) - and add about $25 (incl GST) to the average annual rates bill. Overall (including river rates) the Council proposes to collect $15.6M (excl GST) in rates revenue across more than 85,000 properties Northland-wide. Returns from investments, fees and charges will account for balance of the Council’s expected $27.5M (excl GST) income for the 12 months from July 01. Copies of the adopted Plan will be available early next month from all Regional Council offices, by phoning (0800) 002 004 or visiting the Council’s website www.nrc.govt.nz/annualplan Cycle event makes historyDecember’s TelstraClear Challenge will be an historic occasion for the Auckland Harbour Bridge that could develop into a permanent high profile cycling event for the city, accordin to the NZ Transport Agency. “We are aware of the interest from cyclists wanting to cross the bridge, and we’re delighted that we are able to say ‘yes” to a properly organised community event that has the added bonus of a ride on the busway as well,” says the NZTA’s Regional Director for Auckland and Northland, Stephen Town. Mr Town joined the Mayor of Auckland, Len Brown, and other guests to celebrate the official launch of the first TelstraClear Challenge, which will be held on 11 December. Mr Town says the event reflects the high standards of maintenance the NZTA applies to the bridge like the successful upgrade of the box girders completed last December, and the confidence the Transport Agency has with organisers to match the detailed preparation required for the Auckland Marathon on the bridge. “The Auckland Harbour Bridge can carry 200,000 vehicles a day, and anything to do with it requires detailed and complex planning. The NZTA’s approval came only after careful and deliberate consideration that the main function of the bridge as the strategic transport link for communities on both sides of the harbour is not compromised,” he adds. . The two outer southbound lanes of the bridge will be closed until mid-morning on the Sunday of the event so that cyclists starting from the Westhaven Marina can cross the harbour and join the Northern Busway. Organisers will have to have the lanes re-opened before traffic volumes increase in late morning. “The NZTA hopes that if the cycle challenge is successful it will become an exciting addition to the city’s calendar, just like the marathon, and enhance Auckland’s reputation as an events capital,” says Mr Town. High tide warnings for AucklandThe NZ Transport Agency advises that care is needed for all Auckland drivers this weekend as unusually high tides in the Manukau and Waitemata Harbours coincide with weather forecasts predicting heavy rain and strong winds. High tides of up to 3.4m are expected from until next Monday (20 June). “The high tides do not normally pose a significant risk to the safe operation of Auckland’s motorways, but as they coincide with the storm we would ask drivers to take extra care, especially when they travel on sections of the network close to the harbours,” says the NZTA’s State Highways Manager for Auckland, Tommy Parker. The area most likely to be affected is the highway and adjoining cycleway on the Northwestern Motorway (State Highway 16) between the Patiki Road Interchange and the Rosebank Road Bridges. Mr parker says the NZTA and its contractors will be monitoring conditions, and traffic will be diverted to local roads if sections of the motorway network have to be closed because there is a risk to people’s safety. “When the tides peak the cycleway in this area will definitely be underwater, and we are asking cyclists to try to avoid using it 1.5 hours either side of high tide,” says Mr Parker. “We would also ask drivers to take care and drive to the conditions for a safe journey.” The NZTA is planning to raise the Northwestern causeway by 1.5 metres and increase the width of the motorway to provide extra lanes as part of the project to complete construction of the Western Ring Route, the motorway alternative to SH1 and the Auckland Harbour Bridge. For more information on tide times, alternative routes or planned detours and closures please contact NZTA Auckland Motorways on 09 5200 200, email help@ama.nzta.govt.nz or visit www.aucklandmotorways.com Call for Heritage Festival eventsPlans are underway for this year’s Auckland Heritage Festival, which will take place from 17 September to 2 October 2011 and Auckland Council is inviting the community to be a part of it. With a programme of more than 100 exciting, diverse and interactive events, the festival will run alongside Rugby World Cup 2011 and presents an opportunity to showcase Auckland's heritage to domestic and international visitors looking for an Auckland experience. Auckland Council invites local groups and organisations to submit their event ideas by Monday 27 June for consideration in the 2011 programme. Auckland Heritage Festival 2011 will feature events from across the region, encouraging people of all ages to celebrate, embrace and learn about the unique social, cultural and built heritage of the Auckland region. Last year’s programme featured events from guided heritage walks and open days, to tours of historic sites, vintage fashion displays and heritage market days. Auckland Council is proud to be able to offer people the chance to discover, experience and celebrate the layers of fabric of Auckland's historic environment that make up our wonderful heritage. To submit their ideas, people should download an application form from the Auckland Heritage Festival page at on the Council's website or phone 09 301 0101 for more information. Borrowing Bill could save $10m a yearSavings to Auckland Council of up to $10 million a year in borrowing costs would result from the passing of the Local Government Borrowing Bill, members of the Future Vision Committee heard today. The bill would allow a New Zealand Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA) to issue debt in New Zealand and offshore markets on behalf of local authorities and permit Auckland Council to borrow directly in foreign currencies. Savings would mainly come from reduced interest costs and could be used to either finance other council projects or reduce pressure on rates. The committee agreed to support the bill without amendment. The legislation is expected to pass by October 2011. The council’s Strategy and Finance Committee has recommended that necessary changes to the council’s treasury management policy, allowing it to take advantage of the bill’s proposals, be adopted at the full Governing Body meeting on 28 June. “To borrow in foreign currencies is important because Auckland Council’s size means not all our borrowings can be met through New Zealand debt issues or through the LGFA,” said Mayor Len Brown, chair of the Future Vision Committee. He added: “It’s about having a range of options. We have some $800m worth of mum and dad investors and it’s important we continue to offer these opportunities but we’re also responsible to mum and dad ratepayers who expect us to be fiscally prudent in getting the best arrangements for our borrowings.” The new council has inherited about $2.8 billion of debt. Due to the level of infrastructure needed in the region this is forecast to increase to about $4.5 billion at group level including Watercare by 2017, the Mayor said. The council currently has over 11,000 investors in domestic debt issued to retail and institutional investors but this market is limited and pricing can be expensive. Offshore investors are willing to lend to the New Zealand council sector but prefer not to lend in New Zealand currency. “The council remains committed to funding in domestic capital markets and will utilise the LGFA scheme but also needs access to foreign currency borrowing,” the council says in its submission to the bill. Truck crash closes SH1 in Dome ValleyA truck and trailer has rolled on State Highway 1 in the Dome Valley between Warkworth and Wellsford, completely closing the highway for south and north bound traffic. The crash happened about 2.45pm near Falls Bridge, and the NZTA says the highway could be closed for four hours. All traffic is being diverted on to State Highway 16. People heading north are being diverted along Kaipara Flats Road, just north of Warkworth, to SH16. Those driving south are being diverted from Davis Road in Wellsford. The NZTA says SH16 is a rural highway and people should drive with care because of higher volumes of traffic using it. Digital switchover dates confirmed
The final dates for New Zealand television going digital were announced today by Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman. Regional rugby memories go onlineNew Zealand’s online history resource NZHistory has created a new feature which documents the emergence of the provincial game in this country. Presenting facts and anecdotes about each of New Zealand’s 26 provincial teams, the regional rugby feature describes the passion and parochialism that has helped to give rugby a special place in New Zealand’s social and sporting history. Steve Watters, one of the NZHistory writing team, spent three months researching and reading about New Zealand’s regional rugby teams and unions. He says his research confirmed that, “Rugby has remained a grassroots game in New Zealand. The culture and community behind our players is immense and has founded generations of New Zealand’s best players. The strength of New Zealand rugby at the international level has been our strong provincial game”. During the 2011 Rugby World Cup thousands of rugby fans are coming to New Zealand’s shores and will be visiting towns and cities all over New Zealand for matches. The regional rugby entries are an excellent source of interesting information for our visitors and for media researching local teams. Prior to 1976 the Ranfurly Shield was the only national competition. It gave the smaller unions the chance to compete against the ‘big boys’. Buller’s heroic 6-6 draw in 1949 against Otago is a case in point, Mr. Watters says. “Otago were the team in the years immediately after the Second World War and nobody gave Buller a show that day. While they came up just short this probably remains Buller’s greatest day. The players and matches who became part of local folklore explain why many New Zealanders firmly believe that no other country on earth truly ‘gets’ rugby as they do”. The shield could bring entire communities to a standstill. In 1972 a staggering 40,000 fans squeezed into Whangarei’s Okara Park to watch North Auckland defend the shield against big city neighbours Auckland - not bad for a city with a total population of only 34,000. To foster more sharing of regional rugby stories NZHistory has created a “community contribution” section at the bottom of each entry where anyone can share their rugby memories. The site encourages readers to write in, Mr Watters says, “The ability to contribute stories about games readers might have attended, or any other rugby memories is one way in which the feature promotes a truly community based approach to history”. NZHistory is an online resource dedicated to presenting New Zealand’s history in an accessible and engaging format. The website provides diverse snapshots of New Zealand’s history, with new subjects added regularly. For more information visit: www.nzhistory.net.nz New Zealanders doing wellThe latest results from the International Wellbeing Study show that older people are happier, people in relationships are doing well, and New Zealanders’ level of happiness compares well with other countries. The study began in March 2009 and is ongoing taking in new participants every three months. The latest findings are based around the scores of 6487 participants (with a New Zealand cohort of 1558 participants) answering the same 208 questions every three months for a year, and then yearly thereafter. NZ Assn of Positive Psychology president Dr Aaron Jarden says the initial findings show that men and women differ quite substantially in regards to their levels of wellbeing, their range of wellbeing, and importantly the components that made up their wellbeing. “Analysis shows that while females scored higher in areas such as personal growth and mindfulness, males indicated they were lonelier, worked more, and were more satisfied with life in the past,” she says. “In terms of relationships, people who were single reported more depressed mood while those in relationships reported much greater life satisfaction, highlighting the importance of positive relationships for wellbeing.” Age also showed variance in reports of wellbeing with the older a person was, the happier they were, although this is already a robust finding in the literature. “Younger people, on the other hand, reported more depressed mood, more rumination and that they were searching for meaning in life more.” Countries differed on a number of wellbeing indicators for example, people in Russia reporting the highest levels of depressed mood, people in the Philippines reporting the highest amount of time being happy, and people in Mexico reporting the most satisfaction with their lives. “By and large New Zealanders reported in the top end of most wellbeing indicator scales, such as for positive emotions like joy, but interestingly did not use their strengths as frequently. Using your strengths is usually a factor strongly associated with higher wellbeing. Countries that are high in strengths use are generally much more productive and have better performing economies." Some of the most interesting findings to come out of the study to date highlight the importance of both living in alignment with personal values and being satisfied with time use, and how these both strongly predict wellbeing. The IWS is supported and funded by the Open Polytechnic, Victoria University of Wellington, and the New Zealand Association of Positive Psychology. The study was developed by six key researchers in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and in China: Dr. Aaron Jarden, Professor Ormond Simpson, Dr. Kennedy Mclachlan, Associate Professor Todd Kashdan, Dr. Alexander MacKenzie, and Associate Professor Paul Jose. Results of this study are set to be published in the International Journal of Wellbeing towards the end of this year. The International Wellbeing Study is currently open to new participants until the end of June. Regarded as one of the most in depth wellbeing studies in the world, the IWS involves over 70 researchers globally, has been completed over 10,000 times in more than 100 countries, and is available in 16 languages. “The IWS is unique as it assesses wellbeing on an international level as well as the components that make up wellbeing, such as strengths, meaning, engagement, relationships and personal values." Campaign targets teen driversThe NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is launching a new campaign to improve the poor road safety record of teenage drivers in New Zealand. “Road crashes are the single biggest killer of 15-19 year old New Zealanders, and our teen crash rates are among the worst in the developed world – that’s a situation no-one should accept,” said Michael Cummins, the NZTA’s National Manager of Road User Behaviour. New Zealand has the highest road death rate in the OECD for 15-17 year olds, and the fourth highest road death rate for 18-20 year-olds. Mr Cummins said the NZTA was committed to reducing the needless waste of young lives on New Zealand roads, with a new campaign to raise awareness of the risks faced by teen drivers and to help parents to take an active role in addressing the problem. The campaign will support parents by providing practical advice and free tools via a dedicated new website - www.safeteendriver.co.nz – aimed at helping parents to stay actively involved in teens’ driving during this critical time. The website will be promoted to parents of teens on a restricted licence with online, print, radio, TV and cinema advertisements. The ads are a funny take on how teaching a teen to drive can be difficult and challenging but with a clear safety message - don’t bail out now just because they no longer need a supervisor. “In New Zealand too many of us assume that passing the restricted driving test means a teenager is ready to go it alone. Passing the test is only the beginning of the journey, and parents still have a crucial role to play in helping teens become safe drivers. It might not feel like it at times, but parents still have a strong influence on their teenagers’ lives. The research on adolescent risk-taking highlights the important role that parents play in keeping teens safe. Our aim is to provide support and guidance to parents to help them stay involved. “Teaching teens to drive doesn’t just involve practical skills. They also need to understand the mental skills and maturity required to be a safe driver. Things such as assessing yourself, reading the road environment, resisting peer pressure, managing distractions and planning ahead are all vital skills for safe driving.” Data shows that New Zealand’s teen drivers are most at risk of having a serious crash in the first six to 12 months of driving solo on a restricted licence. They are more vulnerable on the road during this period than at any other time in their lives. Each year for the past five years there has been around 1300 crashes resulting in injury or death involving teen drivers on a restricted licence. Mr Cummins said while the NZTA encourages young drivers to undertake formal driver education, in many New Zealand families parents are the primary educators of teen drivers. “All parents want to keep their kids safe, but they need support to teach their teens the right skills at the right time to stay safe on the road. That’s why the NZTA has created the ‘safeteendriver’ website. We want parents and caregivers to stay involved with teens as they work their way through the Graduated Driver Licensing System.” The campaign also acknowledges that relationships between parents and their teenagers can often be fraught. The NZTA has worked with leading teen psychologist Dr Ian Lambie to develop the tips and tools at www.safeteendriver.co.nz which will help parents with the emotional side of teaching and interacting with their teens. The new website also complements the existing NZTA/ACC Practice programme for teens in the learner licence phase, which encourages learner drivers to accumulate 120 hours of supervised driving. Overseas research suggests that crash rates among young drivers who complete 120 hours of driving practice in a range of conditions and situations are 40% lower than for young drivers who complete only 50 hours of supervised practice. Mr Cummins said the NZTA was also working to introduce a tougher restricted licence practical driving test from February 2012, in order to further reinforce the need for 120 hours of practice. In addition to a new restricted licence test, other pending changes to improve the safety of young drivers, as outlined in the government’s Safer Journeys road safety strategy, include raising the driving age to 16 and a zero alcohol limit for the under 20s. Heritage and environmental funds openApplications are now open for a range of Auckland Council funds aimed at supporting community-driven environment initiatives and preserving the region’s rich heritage. Around $500,000 is up for grabs across a range of funds which opened on 1 June. “There are many individuals and community groups who do an exceptional job caring for our environment and these funds make it possible for projects that people are passionate about to take off,” says Councillor Wayne Walker, chair of the council’s Environment and Sustainability Forum. "The funding programmes off all sorts of possibilities. I encourage people to look at previous projects to get an idea of what can be applied for. But this doesn't stop fresh initiatives.” He says many of the successful recipients in the past are still providing major benefits to the region today. Some local board members will make allocation decisions for the Rodney Heritage Item Assistance, Rodney Natural Heritage, Waitakere Heritage Fund Auckland City Cultural Heritage, Auckland City Natural Heritage and Manukau Heritage Item Assistance funds. These funds will have allocation decisions made three times a year. To be considered at the first allocation meeting, applications are due by 30 June with decisions expected in September. The Auckland Council Manager Environmental Services will make allocation decisions for the Rodney Environmental Education Fund, Regional Resource Consent Subsidy and Manukau Resource Consent Subsidy funds. These funds will have allocation decisions made on applications as they are received.. Chair of the council’s Parks, Recreation and Heritage Forum, Councillor Sandra Coney encourages those with heritage projects to apply for the funds. “There are some great grassroots projects and groups doing wonderful things to celebrate, protect and record heritage in their communities and these funds will help support that.” To find out more about these funds including the application criteria, application deadlines or to download an application form visit the funding page on the council’s website www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/funding For funding advice or to receive an application form in hard copy please contact the Environmental Funding staff environmentalfunding@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or phone 09 301 0101 Details of the funds for the 2011/12 financial year are as follows:
Provides grants to not for profit community organisations throughout the Auckland region to help meet the cost of Air and Water resource consent applications. Remains open until all funding is allocated. |
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