Community-Led Adaptation Funding initiative
Communities across the Bay of Plenty are already doing great mahi to prepare for a changing climate. This initiative supports community-led planning so local people, iwi, hapū and marae can understand climate risks, explore options, and decide what to do next.
What this fund is for
This fund enables communities to lead their own climate adaptation planning — supporting local people, iwi, hapū and marae to identify climate risks, consider possible responses, and shape their next steps.
Examples of what it can support
- Learning more about future climate hazards (e.g. flooding, drought, sea-level rise)
- Understanding what or who could be affected locally
- Exploring adaptation options and pathways
- Bringing people together for hui, workshops and planning conversations
What matters most is that the work is led by the community and grounded in the specific climate impacts they face locally.
What you need to know
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What can the funding be used for
What we can fund
Up to $20,000 per project per financial year is available for planning activities.
This could include:
- Facilitation and running workshops / hui
- Technical advice to understand hazards and exposure (e.g. mapping, assessments, scenarios)
- Community engagement, communications, and plan development
- Bringing together local knowledge and technical information into practical next steps
What we don’t fund
This fund is for planning and decision-making. It does not fund implementation or construction.
For example, the fund cannot be used for:
- Building works, construction, or physical infrastructure delivery
- Purchasing capital assets primarily for ongoing operations
- Works that are not linked to climate adaptation planning outcomes
- Retrospective costs (spent before approval)
Note: Projects within Tauranga City may receive financial and advisory support through Tauranga City Council.
Need technical help?
Some communities want to start planning but need extra support. For example, mapping, hazard assessments, facilitation, or turning technical advice into a practical plan. To increase our capacity to support communities, we partner with a panel of trusted providers who can help deliver this work.
How it works
- You apply (or talk to us first)
- If technical support is needed, we help scope what’s required
- We can connect you with a trusted provider — or discuss your preferred provider
Meet our Climate Adaptation Services Providers.
How to apply
- Read the guidelines to check your project fits.
- Check out the online application form.
- Optional (recommended): talk to us early — we can help you shape scope, outcomes, and budget (see below).
- Submit your signed application by email (see Contact section)
- We review and respond.
Download forms and templates
Click or download the relevant form to get an idea of what is involved and start shaping your project.
- Community-Led Adaptation Fund – Online Application Form
- Community-Led Adaptation Fund – Download Application Form
- Meet our Adaptation Services Providers
Need help?
If the forms feel overwhelming, we’re here to help. We can talk through your idea, help you frame outcomes, or set up a pre-application meeting — by email, phone or online.
Other funding
The Community-Led Adaptation Fund supports planning. Once you have a plan and you’re ready to implement actions, there may be other funding options:
What communities have done with this funding
Since 2022, communities across the Bay of Plenty have used this funding to understand local climate risks, bring people together, and plan practical next steps
Completed community adaptation projects
After the severe flooding of 2023, the Rotoehu and Rotomā communities came together to lead their own climate resilience journey.
Motuhoa Island is not only an environmental treasure, but also a place of significant cultural heritage. Faced with more intense storms, sea level rise and increasing coastal erosion threatening their land, urupa and sites of significance, the whānau connected to this whenua came together to learn about what was happening to their island.
The project aimed to empower communities in Ōpape and Maraenui by addressing the challenges of climate change through a series of wānanga focused on co-developing actionable strategies for resilience.
The lifeguard club is located in the heart of Waihī Beach and has been helping keep swimmers safe since 1936. It still plays a critical role in the community today as a base for summer patrols, base for Search & Rescue (SAR), training centre and community hub. Recent flood events and a report by GNS Science on sea-level rise and coastal flooding (inundation) has highlighted that the club is one of the most vulnerable to coastal inundation in the country.
The Maketū Iwi Collective are three Maektu entities who have come together to provide a focal point for their community to begin the process of planning for the impact of climate change. This includes Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whakaue ki Maketū, Ngāti Pikiao Environmental Society and Whakaue Marae Trustees.
Hapū Ngāi Tamawhāriua have long noticed deterioration of their environment and coastline, and are looking to understand what climate change impacts would mean for their marae which was constructed in 1969 and Papakāinga. We supported this hapū to contract technical experts to obtain this information and look for solutions.
