Lottery Environment and Heritage

Lottery Environment and Heritage provides grants for plans, reports and one-off projects that will protect, conserve and promote New Zealand's natural, cultural and physical heritage. The fund supports projects that benefit the community, hapū and iwi through increasing access to New Zealand's cultural heritage, preserving and protecting the natural environment, and preserving New Zealand's history for future generations. This includes natural heritage projects that protect native plants and animal life including pest and predator control, physical heritage projects that restore and conserve historically important places and structures, and cultural heritage projects that protect and promote collections and stories important to cultural heritage and identity. The Committee makes grants for small projects under $250,000 (including feasibility studies and specialist reports) and large projects of $250,000 or more, with a preference for thorough planning and best practice standards. All projects must secure at least 1/3 of total costs as partnership funding prior to application, with some exceptions for natural heritage projects under $150,000 and planning studies. An additional $8 million has been allocated across 2024/27 for environmental wellbeing projects, particularly in natural heritage categories focusing on ecosystem preservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and Māori-led environmental protection initiatives.