Community trusts share $1.15 million from fund
By Toni McDonald Otago Daily Times 11 December 2023
Christmas arrived early for seven Southland community trusts after New Zealand Aluminium Smelters announced it had given a total of $1.15 million to them.
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters chief executive Chris Blenkiron announced two flagship projects, Invercargill Grace Street Project and the Waituna Lagoon recovery programme, would each receive $450,000 to support their community initiatives.
Five others — Southland Warm Homes Trust, Community Foundations of New Zealand, YMCA Charitable Trust, Te Runaka o Awarua and Southland Business Chamber — would all receive $50,000 each from the smelter’s $2m Community Development Fund.
The fund, launched in April, was the result of a community investment agreement signed in 2022 between Ngai Tahu and Murihiku Runaka, NZAS and Rio Tinto.
"This first round of funding is part of our plan to build on the contribution we’ve made to Southland over the past 50 years and one I hope we can continue to build on beyond 2024.
Te Runaka o Awarua representative Jacqui Caine said it had been working with NZAS to achieve remediation, cultural considerations as well as future intentions.
Funds received by Te Tapu on Tane, which ran the Waituna recovery programme, would support 20ha around the lagoon to be planted with native plants around 50ha of new ponding area.
Planting indigenous trees and plants in conjunction with a move away from traditional farm techniques helped habitat reforestation.
Chief executive Jana Davis said the trust wanted to see the region with a healthy ecosystem habitat for native game and wading birds and fish species and wetlands.
That in turn would provide "excellent tuna (eel) habitat and provide abundant mahinga kai gathering opportunities for local whanau".
Invercargill Community Connections Charitable Trust (IC2) — Grace St Project trustee Mervyn English said the funds were an "enormous and heartening step forward".
The trust plans to build seven spaces which included a community lounge, a venue for learning opportunities, large-scale meetings, workshops, exercise classes, exhibitions, internationally streamed gaming stations, offices and co-working spaces, and space for an indoor market and events.
It now had raised about $2.8m of the $4.5m required to complete it.
He believed the grant was a recognition from community development fund that South City needed a facility like this.
He hoped more people would support the project in 2024, as it would enable the trust to take the concept plans into the design stage, he said.
Ms Caine said there had been a wide variety of applicants to the fund.
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters chief executive Chris Blenkiron announced two flagship projects, Invercargill Grace Street Project and the Waituna Lagoon recovery programme, would each receive $450,000 to support their community initiatives.