Capital Kiwi looks to councils for funding

Tuesday, 21 May 2024

CCTV has captured a kiwi hanging out at a residential property in the suburb of Broadmeadows, after a project to reintroduce the national bird into the city.

Capital Kiwi is likely to be the lucky exception in a series of community organisations and charities asking the cash-strapped council for funding.

At the Wellington City Council’s long-term plan hearings the kiwi conservation project, which has successfully re-established a population of 140 kiwi in Wellington’s western hills, asked for operational funding from the council for the first time.

Greater Wellington Regional Council had already set aside $230,000 per year for Capital Kiwi starting in 2025, in its proposed long-term plan. The project requested the same contribution from the city council.

It might be the rare community project that gets funding from the city council – others like Wellington Free Ambulance, asking for a similar amount at $220,000 per year, might not be so lucky.

Mayor Tory Whanau is a supporter of the project, saying Capital Kiwi “bring so much value to Pōneke”. Once all submissions were heard the council would “see what’s possible” in terms of funding, she said.

A kiwi chick born in Wellington as part of the Capital Kiwi Project. (File photo)

“We’re going through a process, but a lot of councillors feel it is a project we should support,” said committee chairperson Rebecca Matthews.

In Capital Kiwi’s submission on the long-term plan, Dame Kerry Prendergast told councillors that the project had received $5 million of philanthropic funding, donations and some limited support from the Department of Conservation over its seven-year lifetime.

“I know we’ve had lots of warm fuzzies [from the council] but we haven’t had any financial support,” she said.

“What we have done for you is put Wellington on the world map.” The kiwi project had made the New York Times and National Geographic, as well as being shared on Leonardo Di Caprio’s Instagram. Capital Kiwi is also one of six New Zealand nominations for the global 2024 Earthshot Prize.

Capital Kiwi is looking to the private sector for funding as well, with its written submission saying that other partnerships are in the works. Funding from the two councils and DOC would form “the base of sustained civic support” from which they could access those other opportunities.

City council funding would go towards maintenance for predator traps as well as some staffing costs. Those were the essentials needed to prevent the incursion of stoats into the kiwi habitats.

Spokesperson Jonathan Hill said the network of 4600 traps operated by Capital Kiwi was one of the most extensive community-owned trap networks in the country.

Paul Ward, leader of the project, told councillors he liked to think the project would be “incredibly efficient” if examined by the council.

Paul Ward says it is important that the project started in the community with the trust of landowners. (File photo)

“You’ve spent nothing and we’ve returned kiwi to our hills after 150-odd years. Now we’re asking for some resources to make sure the birds can stay safe and thrive.”

It had been important to lead the project from the community, which was why they had not tried to bring the council on board earlier, said Ward.

“If we’d gone out there with DOC uniforms or council uniforms seven or eight years ago we simply wouldn’t have been able to do it. We have landowners and communities who have different existing relationships with those institutions.”

But although things look positive for the project to restore the national bird, it’s not clear whether the council can meet other organisations’ requests for cash.

Several community organisations with less prominence are asking for funding.

The New Zealand Portrait Gallery would like its grant funding of $50,000 a year to continue.

The Hataitai Community Recreation Trust is asking for $2m of capital funding to upgrade the earthquake-prone Bowling Club, now used as a community centre.

Friends of the Botanic Garden indicated that the full cost to upgrade Begonia House might now be $27m, and asked for council funding for the project to be included in the plan.

The Save Khandallah Pool group is once again mounting a campaign to save the outdoor swimming pool, but council staff have estimated the cost at $11.6m.

The council makes the major decision on its long-term plan next week, after which the plan will be sent to auditors before a final vote at the end of June.