Mana Whenua Funding Policy

Mana Whenua Funding Policy

Maori Land Owners Feasibility Fund

Toitu he kainga whatungarongaro he tangata

The land remains when people have disappeared

October 2009

CONTENTS

Pages

1.POLICY (white pages) 1 – 5

2.APPLICATION FORM (pink pages)6 – 16

3.SAMPLE CONTRACT (white pages) 17 – 18

4.APPLICATION CHECK LIST(white pages) 19

5.REPORTING TEMPLATES (light blue pages) 20

Progress Report20

Final Report21

Evaluation of Project22

Financial Report23

ROTORUA DISTRICT COUNCIL

MANA WHENUA FUNDING POLICY 2007

1.0PURPOSE:

This policy supports Rotorua’s Bright Futures Community Outcomes community that values a living Maori culture” “A community that respects its environment and “A prosperous community”

Rotorua District Council’s Kaupapa Maori Department is to provide local Ahu Whenua and Whenua Topu[1] Land Trusts with an annual funding opportunity to assist in designing project plans that will:

• Increase Maori capacity to participate in council decision making processes. (For example helping successful applicants through Council’s resource consent and or planning processes)
• Enhance, preserve and/or encourage sustainable development of Maori owned Land
• Promote and encourage kaitiakitanga[2] and/or guardianship of Taonga Maori[3]
• Encourage local agencies to work together to progress Maori economic, social, cultural and environmental aspirations.

The way Council will promote this is by encouraging sustainable and appropriate development planning of unoccupied[4] Maori land. Projects can include:

a) Research and Planning of Papakainga housing

b) Investigating and facilitating feasible land based business ventures or projects

c) Researching and planning environmental and/or bio-diversity projects

d) Identifying and planning land based community/cultural/social/environmental and economic projects

e) Planning and facilitating preservation, beautification and or enhancement of significant sites, waahi tapu etc

2.0BACKGROUND TO FUNDING POLICY

Council’s Community Outcomes and Ten Year Plan, state the importance of Maori culture, land and resources to the community. The Resource Management Act 1991 sets guidelines for how Council must work and consult with Tangata Whenua and the Local Government Act 2002 requires council to consider ways to develop Maori capacity to participate in council decision-making processes. This policy is a method of meeting some of Council’s statutory, strategic and identified community goals.

3.0TARGET AUDIENCE

There is a large number of unoccupied and partly occupied[5] multiple- owned Maori land parcels within the Rotorua District. This policy is a way of providing an opportunity for Maori land owners to work towards planning sustainable development of their land which will provide benefits to owners and the wider community.

The main focus of the policy is on developing capacity for land owners in collaboration with Council. It is envisaged that by working closely with council processes, land owners will learn more about council systems and how to effectively plan for development whilst complying with local government legislation.

Council can offer technical and compliance advice, resources and information. Maori owners may be able to provide information about land tenure, whakapapa, cultural and/or customary sites, horticultural, agricultural and conservation practices inherent in their land.

4.0MANAGEMENT

Mana Whenua Funds will be allocated annually and will be managed and administered by the Kaupapa Maori Department of Council. All applications will be acknowledged.

5.0FUNDING TIMEFRAME

Annual Fund:$40,000

Open date for applications20th October 2009

Closing date for applications4th December 2009

Evaluation and funding Decisions7th-16th December 2009

Late applications will not be considered

5.1FUNDING ALLOCATION PROCESS

 Allocation of funding will be 50% on the signing of agreement, 40% on the completion of a progress report and final 10 % payment on receipt of a final report and project evaluation.

 Funding decisions are final and all applicants will receive notice of approval or decline.

 Projects should be up to 12 months duration

 On-going funding will be considered, if agreed project objectives and outcomes, evaluation and reporting deadlines are satisfactorily met.

 Contributions ‘in-kind’ (cash, labour, expertise, resources) should be equivalent to 30% of the entire funding requested.

6.0CRITERIA

Applications MUST include

• Trust deed and/or constitution

• Current list of Trustees, names and contact details
• Name and identified boundaries of Maori land parcel and/or land block

(Note: Land block must be located in Rotorua District Boundaries- see map attached)

• Bank account details – must be in the name of the Trust applying (include Statement of Accounts if applicable)
• Names and contact details of project administrator and/or manager
• Two letters of support from individuals/organisations not part of applying Ahu Whenua or Whenua Topu land Trust
• Completed funding application forms

7.0ASSESSMENT CRITERIASCORE

A) Fits within District and Regional Plans /20

B)Completed project plan/35

C)Is aligned with relevant Council’s policies /10

D)Benefits to Community /15

E)Environmental Effects /20

100

7.1ASSESSMENT OF APPLICATIONS

All applications will be assessed against the following

• Fits within District Plan( permitted, discretionary, controlled, prohibitive activity etc, appropriate zoning, resource consents required, Assessment of Environmental affects)
• Meets broad policy objectives of the Regional Plan
• Project Plan and budget includes
• Aims and objectives
• Communications/consultation strategies
• Contributions in kind (financial, personnel, physical, technical etc) from applying trusts. Contributions ‘in kind’ must be equal to 30 percent of the total funding requested (see project example)
• Funding is for Maori Land Trusts that do not have realisable assets to raise funds for sustainable land development plans
• Risk assessment (have adequate resources, support and expertise to undertake the project)
• timeframes and objectives (12 months maximum duration)

• Benefits to trust, land owners and their descendants and wider and regional community
• Assessment of environmental effects (no effects, minor, major, significant, cumulative)

7.2MAORI LAND TRUST APPLICATION INFORMATION

Information gathered from this funding policy will be used to:

 Update Council’s Maori land data eg land area, ownership and contact details of trustees. This information will be used for communication and/or consultation purposes

 Meet the aims of this funding policy as outlined in pages 1 & 2 of this document.

 Enable applying Maori land management and/or trustees to ask for any or all relative data gathered or compiled during this funding process to be returned. Reasonable costs relative to gathering and compiling information may be charged to the Maori Land Trust.

 All Maori land trust information gathered during the course of this funding policy, which is to be used for other purposes (not stated in this policy) will require written permission of the Maori land trust concerned.

8.0FUNDING MAY BE APPLIED TO THE FOLLOWING PROJECT ITEMS;

1. Research and or information gathering: trustee and shareholder planning/research hui, mapping data, surveys, electronic and hardcopy data, reports, other related project documents, models and/or systems, relevant training courses and or seminars for trustees and or specified project team members.

1. Consultants/business/legal/technical advice : business plans, concept plans, feasibility studies, infrastructural plans, landscape plans and/or assessments, environmental project plans, environmental assessments, engineering assessments legal advice etc

1. Related project operational or material costs - individual capital/operational costs eg tools, equipment, stationery, cannot exceed $200.00, hire or leased items are acceptable if for the short-term purposes of the project. Project purchases must not be those items outlined under item 9.0 further in this policy

Funding must be spread over two or more of the above (A, B,C,) components.

9.0FUNDING WILL NOT BE GRANTED FOR:

• Resource Consents
• Subdivision consents
• Building consents
• Council water and/or sewerage connections
• Development contribution levies
• Rates payments
• Projects that are already completed

10.0RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT 1991

Section 74 Resource Management Act 1991 [(2A)

A territorial authority, when preparing or changing a district plan, must—

(a) take into account any relevant planning document recognised by an iwi authority and lodged with the territorial authority, to the extent that its content has a bearing on resource management issues of the district.

Mana Whenua Plans will be lodged with Council upon their completion if so requested by applicants. The plans will be used as a reference document for Council regarding resource management/consultation and or other issues that may arise in the district. This is particularly important where a Mana Whenua plan is relevant to particular geographic area(s).

11.ASSESSMENT OF PROJECT PLANS

Assessment of all projects will be undertaken by council staff with varying expertise in economic development, planning, engineering and community development. Project plans will be assessed against council policies, bylaws and the district plan as well as the ‘in kind’ contributions and project plan of the Ahu Whenua Trust. Council’s staff assessment panel will make recommendations and final funding decisions.

Site visits by staff with applicant/owner consent prior to the funding decisions may be required and/or site visits may be undertaken with the applicant during the project term.

12.ACCOUNTABILITY

All successful applications will be reported through Council’s annual plan reporting process.

Successful applications will enter into a contract (enclosed) with Rotorua District Council identifying the purpose, project, objectives, monitoring/evaluation measures, funding level agreed and overall reporting. All reporting templates are included in the policy funding package.

If the project proposal is not completed to specified outcomes as set out in the funding contract and no report is provided to explain changes from mutually agreed outcomes then Council will require that portion of the funding to be returned. Or if the project cannot be started then a full refund of Mana Whenua projects funds is required.

13.FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE

Please contact Bella Tait, Policy Analyst/Maori Research Officer at Rotorua District Council on 3484199 ext 8170 or email

APPLICATION FORM

ROTORUA DISTRICT COUNCIL

MANA WHENUA PROJECTS FUND 2007

ALL APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON 4TH DECEMBER 2009

LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

ANNUAL FUND IS $40,000 (Funds will be allocated to more than one project per annum)

Please type or write in blue or black ink or type. Applications are photocopied and clarity is important.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Please provide names, addresses and contact details of ALL trustees - (please use another sheet if needed)

Please print clearly

1

PROJECT PROPOSAL- (Please use extra paper if needed)

1

MANA WHENUA FUNDING CONTRACT

We hereby declare that the information supplied on behalf of our organisation is correct. If the application is successful, our organisation agrees to:

1. Complete a progress report (reporting template enclosed)

2.Complete a final report which will include a financial report (reporting template enclosed)

3.Complete a project evaluation (template enclosed)

4.Acknowledge Rotorua District Council’s contribution towards the project in any promotional material

5.If the project cannot be started then a full refund of Mana Whenua projects funds is required.

6. If the project proposal is not completed as set out in the funding contract and no report is provided to explain changes from mutually agreed outcomes then Council will require that portion of the funding to be returned.

7.Allocation of funding will be 50% on the signing of contract and 40% on the completion of a progress report and final 10 % on the receipt of a final report and project evaluation. Funds will only be deposited into an account in the name of the trust applying.

We consent to the Rotorua District Council collecting the details provided in this funding application and using these details for the purposes of updating Council’s Maori Land data and to review the Rotorua District Council’s Mana Whenua Funding Policy. We acknowledge the Trusts right to have access to this information. This consent is given in accordance with the Privacy Act 1993.

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT: $…………………………………..

Contract Signed (50 percent of Funds allocated): $......

Date:

Progress Report (40 percent of Funds allocated) $......

Date:

Final Report (10 percent of Funds allocated) $......

Date

MANA WHENUA FUNDING CONTRACT

ON BEHALF OF:______AHU WHENUA MAORI LAND TRUST:

ON BEHALF OF ROTORUA DISTRICT COUNCIL:

1

APPLICATION CHECK LIST

MANA WHENUA FUNDING REPORTING TEMPLATES

1