Eastern & Central Community Trust (ECCT) makes funding donations to community organisations in Poverty Bay, Hawke’s Bay, Tararua, Wairarapa, Manawatu & Horowhenua.
Wairarapa
$200,000 donation for Mount Bruce kiwi
The Eastern and Central Community Trust is donating $200,000 to Pukaha Mount Bruce for the redevelopment of the kiwi house at the national wildlife breeding and conservation centre.
The donation helps fast track work on the $1.5 million extension and upgrading of the nocturnal kiwi house, improving kiwi enclosures, adding new displays and improving the tuatara viewing area. New incubators and other equipment is being installed to enable visitors to view activities association with Operation Nest Egg, which removes eggs and chicks from the wild, rearing them in captivity until they are big enough to fend for themselves. A two-way intercom will enable visitors to interact with the rangers.
Theatre seating for up to 50 people will allow visitors to view a series of short films which draw the links between the Operation Nest Egg programme and the pest control and forest restoration work undertaken at Pukaha.
The $200,000 donation adds to the $300,000 announced by the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board earlier this year. The community trust donation also follows hard on the heels of the arrival at Pukaha Mount Bruce of 30 kiwi from Little Barrier Island in the single biggest ever translocation of kiwi.
The community trust is a strong supporter of the Pukaha work, having previously provided significant donations.
“This redevelopment programme will help provide an exceptional visitor experience for an attraction that is recognised internationally for its captive breeding programmes. It is a great asset for all New Zealanders and particularly people in Tararua and Wairarapa,” says community trust Donation’s Manager Bev Watkins.
Pukaha Mount Bruce Chairman Bob Francis says visitors repeatedly tell them that seeing a kiwi is a ‘must do’ during trips to Pukaha.
“We plan to make sure that a visit to our nocturnal house exceeds their expectations and the community trust grant will help make this happen,” he says.
The project is the second stage of an overall upgrade of Pukaha facilities. Eighteen months ago, the colours, sights and sounds of an ancient forest, inhabited by huia and moa, were recreated indoors as part of a double award-winning $1.4 million redevelopment of the visitor centre.
Funding help for remote marae
The Ngai Tumapuhia A Rangi Marae is inching its way closer to reality. A $30,000 donation from the Eastern and Central Community Trust will help the marae committee with its plans to complete facilities at Homewood.
Planning and fundraising has been ongoing for the past six years as the marae committee aims to see the $290,000 project to completion.
The community trust has also donated $20,000 to the Masterton Agricultural and Pastoral Association for upgrading the power supply at the Solway Showgrounds. There have been ongoing problems with the power supply, particularly during major events, caused by old and unreliable power lines and connections. The last A&P show was disrupted for more than three hours.
“Our $20,000 will enable the first part of the project to go ahead. The management has done considerable work at the showgrounds over the past couple of years and the facilities now look appealing but a reliable power supply is essential,” says community trust Donations Manager Bev Watkins.
Thanks again to the community trust, the lights will soon be shining on Gladstone Rugby players. A $16,000 donation will almost complete the club’s new flood lights. There are already two light towers and foundations for a further two towers. The old light poles are being relocated to the all weather courts for evening netball and tennis.
Wairarapa groups have received a total of $110,000 from the community trust this month, with money going to a mix of school, church and sporting groups.