Deadline: 17-Mar-23
The Ministry for the Environment is accepting applications for the Environmental Legal Assistance Fund.
The fund is for not-for-profit groups advocating for matters of environmental public interest. Funding enables applicants to participate more effectively and efficiently in matters or issues affecting the environment or processes regulating the environment.
Funding Information
- There is no minimum grant and the maximum grant is $50,000 (excluding GST) per group per application for any one case. The fund has a total annual budget of $600,000 (excluding GST).
- The Ministry enters into a deed of funding with the group to pay the costs (up to specified amounts) for the specified legal counsel and expert witnesses. Money is not provided directly to the applicant group.
What the fund covers
- Funding is available to cover the time and expenses of legal representatives and/or expert witnesses used in preparing for, resolving and/or presenting cases before the Environment Court, higher courts and for first instance hearings (for example, before decision-making panels) where the right of appeal is likely to be restricted to points of law only.
- As part of your application you must include a short resume about your legal representatives and expert witnesses which outlines their relevant qualifications and experience, including the experience of your legal counsel in resource management or environmental matters. There is no guarantee that any or all requested funding will be awarded. The applicant must be eligible for funding and only reasonable costs will be considered for funding.
- If insufficient information is provided, a request will be made for additional information. Your application will not be assessed until all the required information has been provided.
What the fund does not cover
- Assistance at council hearings where there is a right of appeal that is not restricted to points of law only
- Costs incurred before the funding application being lodged
- Costs of members of applicant groups in any event
- Sundry costs of non-incorporated groups
- Costs of establishing the group as a legal entity
- Ongoing costs of the group (eg,) capital costs and rent
- Costs awarded by the court against a group or individuals of the group
- Judicial review cases and higher court cases which have not gone through the Environment Court
- Costs of preparing submissions to the Minister for the Environment for the board of inquiry hearings under the call-in process. This is a prior stage to the board of inquiry hearing.
Eligibility Criteria
- Not-for-profit groups are eligible to apply for funding.
- Eligible groups include iwi and hapū groups, incorporated societies, and community groups. It is generally expected that groups are incorporated or a trust. The fund is not available to individuals.
- Before applying for funding the group must either:
- already be engaged in the proceedings by being a party to the case (eg, by having lodged a submission with the relevant authority, participated in court proceedings as initiator, respondent or as an interested party) or
- have demonstrated to a court that the group has standing to participate in the proceedings.
For more information, visit Environmental Legal Assistance Fund.