Gisborne District Council Natural Heritage Fund has been boosted from $40k to $100k for this funding round. Applications for the Natural Heritage Fund are now open for private landowners in the district, who can apply for assistance to protect or enhance indigenous biodiversity on their land. Any privately owned land within the district is eligible for the funding, which is made available instead of rates remissions on a limited number of properties. Biodiversity protection and enhancement is a core activity of regional and unitary councils. Since its establishment in 2013, the Natural Heritage Fund has helped fund 46 projects and allocated more