13 August 2025
OIAD-1685
Tania Te whenua
[FYI request #31617 email]
Tēnā koe Tania
Thank you for your email of 16 July 2025 to the Ministry for the Environment (the Ministry)
requesting the following under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
Please provide information on funding that was earmarked for the Maori climate platform
and climate resilience for Maori - particularly:
- what was the original size of the fund
- how has that changed to date
- details of how the fund has been distributed or otherwise spent since inception
- details on how Maori communities can access the fund.
The Ministry has provided a response to each of your questions below.
1. What was the original size of the fund?
In 2022, $19M of non-departmental funding was received for the Māori Climate
Platform for FY22/23 to FY25/26. Cabinet also approved $10M per annum of ‘out year’
funding from FY26/27 onwards.
2. How has that changed to date?
The Māori Climate Platform non-departmental funding has been reduced twice:
• In 2024, the out-year funding was removed to contribute to government-wide
baseline savings. This left $19M for the fund.
• In 2025, $5M was returned as part of the Budget FY25/26 process.
3. Details of how the fund has been distributed or otherwise spent since inception
The Ministry is taking a two-staged approach to the delivery of the Māori Climate
Platform:
• Stage 1 involves funding climate resilience pilot projects that are intended to deliver
on-the-ground results and test funding criteria and models.
• Stage 2 will involve implementing funding criteria and a model to allocate the
remaining funding for Māori climate action initiatives.
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
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Five pilot projects have been approved (see attached document titled ‘
OIAD-1685
MCP pilot projects’). A three-year joint work programme between the Ministry and Pou
Take Āhuarangi is also being funded using Māori Climate Platform funding.
The cost of the pilot projects and the joint work programme is being withheld in full
under section 9(2)(i) of the Act to enable a Minister of the Crown or any public service
agency or organisation holding the information to carry out, without prejudice or
disadvantage, commercial activities.
4. Details on how Māori communities can access the fund
Stage 2 of the fund has just been launched. $9M will be allocated to resilient
infrastructure and renewable energy / energy efficiency projects. The Ministry is taking
a targeted contestable allocation approach. The Ministry has invited Post Settlement
Governance Entities to apply, and Pou Take Āhuarangi have identified groups who
have been invited to apply. These groups have until 30 August 2025 to submit
applications. Approved projects will need to be completed between 1 October 2025
and 30 June 2026.
In terms of section 9(1) of the Act, I am satisfied that, in the circumstances, the withholding of
information in this request is not outweighed by other considerations that render it desirable
to make the information available in the public interest.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Office of the Ombudsman of my
decisions relating to this request, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. The relevant
details can be found
at: www.ombudsman.parliament.nz. Please note that due to the public interest in our work, the Ministry publishes responses to
requests for official information shortly after the response has been sent on our website at:
https://environment.govt.nz/about-us/official-information-act-requests/. If you have any
queries about this, please feel free to contact our Ministerial Services team at:
[email address]. Nāku noa, nā
Gina Rangi
Deputy Secretary • Tumatakokiri
Ministry for the Environment | Manatū Mō Te Taiao
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
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