Community funding platform Love Wānaka has provided funding to six Upper Clutha organisations to restore nature, reduce waste, and protect biodiversity across Queenstown Lakes through this year’s Impact Grants.

Another six organisations from Queenstown received funding in the Love Queenstown round, which distributed a total of $85,505 across Queenstown Lakes.

Funded by donations from local businesses, industry partners, and visitors, the grants reflect a growing commitment to regenerative tourism and long-term environmental stewardship in the district, Love Wānaka and Love Queenstown community fund coordinator Ash Bickley said.

“These grants are about more than funding – they represent a community working together for the future of our rohe/region,” she said.

This year’s grants support initiatives led by Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust, Plastic Free Wānaka, WAI Wānaka, Upper Clutha Tracks Trust, Friends of Bullock Creek, and more. 

The grants will enable a mix of native habitat restoration, biodiversity monitoring, predator control, waste reduction, wetland protection, and community engagement projects across the district.

“Businesses, visitors, and locals are helping to fuel these everyday projects, while also building systems and partnerships that will deliver long-term impact,” Ash said.

“That’s what makes this mahi so powerful.”

The Love Wānaka and Love Queenstown Community Funds exist to support grassroots environmental action, providing an opportunity for visitors and industry operators to give back and protect the environment at the heart of our home.

Launched in 2023, Love Wānaka and Love Queenstown were the first initiatives from the region’s destination management plan. 

They are delivered in partnership with Destination Queenstown, Lake Wānaka Tourism and the 45South Community Foundation (formerly Wakatipu Community Foundation).

Ash said Love Wānaka and Love Queenstown thanked the donors, partners, and community members who made the mahi possible.

PHOTO: Dave Oakley