Applications are now open for the annual Westpac Water Care Project grants.
Six grants of $10,000 are available to community and catchment groups around the country working on environmental initiatives that improve the quality and health of waterways.
The Westpac Water Care Project is a partnership between NZ Landcare Trust and Westpac NZ. Since 2022, the annual grants have delivered much-needed resources to help passionate locals protect their natural surroundings for our native wildlife and future generations.
Last year's grants funded the planting of more than 8,300 native plants, improvements to seven wetlands, 163 metres of fencing installed along waterways, and improved management of more than 5.75km of river.
NZ Landcare Trust CEO Dr Nick Edgar says grant funding is really important to small environmental groups, who know their communities and waterways best. More than 430 people were involved in community initiatives funded by the Westpac Water Care Project in the past year.
"Collective action is critical to conserving our waterways to protect biodiversity, and to connect communities," says Dr Edgar.
"By providing local groups with funding to get their projects under way, we give them the means to get really aspirational about what they could achieve."
Westpac NZ Head of Agribusiness Tim Henshaw says the project has already helped thousands of people around the country take steps to look after their own backyards.
"Living, working and playing around healthy and thriving waterways is a big part of who we are as New Zealanders, which is what makes this partnership with NZ Landcare Trust so important," Mr Henshaw says.
"Westpac is here to support the amazing mahi of community groups around the country, both through funding to help those groups, and through our bankers and other Westpac teams putting in hundreds of volunteer hours every year to work alongside them on local projects.
"Our people are part of the communities they operate in, and they love getting their hands dirty on projects that will benefit not just them and their families, but future generations as well."
Applications for this year's grants close 30 May 2025. Interested groups can check if they meet the criteria and register their interest in funding on the Westpac Water Care Project website.
