The Buller District Council provides and/or administers a range of community grants for specific purposes. Some are Councils own grants, administered and disbursed at its own discretion. Others are administered on behalf of external organisations. These require the Council to meet the funding guidelines that have been laid down by these bodies.
Council has a Communities Grants Committee, which considers the various applications to the funds at scheduled meetings. In some circumstances, such as the the Creative New Zealand funding, additional community members are co-opted on to the committee.
Some of the grants provided and/or administered by Council include;
The community grants fund was set up to support the work of community groups and volunteer organisations who are providing community and social projects and services within the Buller district. This is Council's own grants fund, budgeted for each year within its Annual Plan. The funding pool is set annually, and the pool is contestable. Applications are called for twice a year, with funding decisions made in March and September. Applications for each round generally close at the end of February and August each year. Assistance is not available for individuals or commercial activities.
Generally, more funding requests are received than funds available, so not all applications can be assisted.
Application forms and further information are available from Council offices in Westport and Reefton, or by calling Community Services on 788 9111. An application pack can be downloaded below.
 | Community Grants application pack Adobe Acrobat Document: 1.10 MB, 2.7 minutes @ 56kbps |
The community grants committe annualy allocates a small funding pool to assist in subsidising hire costs of Council facilities for non-profit community events. This is part of Council's own community grants fund, budgeted for each year within its Annual Plan. Applications are taken throughout the year, dependent on funds remaining in the grant pool. The fund is deisgned to assist with one-off events, and is not available for commercial activities.
Further information is available from Council offices in Westport and Reefton. Applications should be made by calling Community Services on 788 9111.
The SPARC Rural Travel Fund is open to rural sports clubs and school teams who require subsidies to assist with transport expenses to local sporting competitions.
Applications and further information are available from Council offices in Westport and Reefton, or by calling Community Services on 788 9111.
Creative New Zealand provide Creative Communities funding to the Buller District Council for distribution within the Buller Community. Each year the Communities Grants Committee meets with representatives of the three arts councils (who are co-opted onto the committee) and the annual funding allocation is distributed amongst them.
The arts councils representing each of the districts wards on-distribute the funding within their respective area. In most cases the councils consider applications at their regular meetings. Accountability for expended funds is annually to the Buller District Council.
For further information on Creative Communities funding, check out the Creative New Zealand website - www.creativenz.govt.nz.
To access Creative Communities funding, please contact one of the three arts councils;
From time to time, other forms of financial assistance do become available. Keep an eye on the Buller District Council's community newsletter, or contact Community Services on 788 9111 for further information. For further information on national grants funds, check out the Department of Internal Affairs website http://www.cdgo.govt.nz/apply-for-funding/.
