DOC hands $9.2 million to 20 community conservation projects
Last Updated on August 24, 2026
The Department of Conservation is putting $9.2 million toward 20 community-led conservation projects around New Zealand, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced this week.
The money comes from the DOC Community Fund, a contestable Crown fund set up to back conservation work carried out by community groups on both public and private land. According to Department of Conservation, this year’s funding round drew 121 applications requesting more than $69 million in total, meaning the successful projects represent a small fraction of what was sought.
Wetlands, geothermal sites and threatened species
Potaka said the projects funded this round span a wide range of ecosystems and species, from internationally recognised wetlands and geothermal areas through to Northland horopito and Whitaker’s skink.
“Communities around the country are rolling up their sleeves to protect the places and species that make New Zealand unique, combining practical conservation actions with local knowledge, community effort, and strong partnerships with Iwi,” he said.
He described the community groups receiving funding as playing “a vital role in New Zealand’s conservation efforts,” and said the investment would help “turn their commitment into action.” Potaka added that the effects would extend well beyond the immediate funding period, saying the work would protect wildlife, improve ecosystem health and “leave a lasting legacy for future generations of New Zealanders.”
Extra support beyond the grant money
The $9.2 million from DOC is not expected to be the only money flowing into these projects. The department says community groups and other contributors are likely to add a further $12 million on top, through co-funding, donations and in-kind support such as volunteer labour and services. That would bring the combined value of this year’s funding round to more than $21 million once community contributions are counted.
DOC has published a full list of the 20 successful applicants and their projects on its website, under the 2026 DOC Community Fund results. The department has not detailed how much competition there was for individual projects, but the gap between the $69 million sought and the $9.2 million awarded suggests demand for the fund significantly outstripped what was available this year.
Source: Department of Conservation.
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Photo: “Pāuatahanui Wildlife Reserve lagoon” by Steve Attwood, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse.
