WELLINGTON, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government is helping eligible landowners in the Gisborne region in the northeastern part of the country to contain erosion and improve susceptible land, said the Ministry for Primary Industries on Monday.
Associate Minister Louise Upston said in a release that she welcomed the opening of the next round of funding from the Erosion Control Funding Programme (ECFP).
"Severe erosion causes long-term damage to the productivity of the rural land. It threatens communities and rural businesses and damages infrastructure," she said.
Improvements were recently made to the program, including providing upfront funding to reduce the financial burden for landowners and extending the land categories eligible for treatment, Upston said.
"We hope that these changes will enable more landowners to take up the funding opportunity," said Upston.
The ECFP was established in 1992 and the Ministry for Primary Industries works closely with Gisborne District Council and the local people to deliver the program. Last year 37 applications totaling 2.39 million NZ dollars (1.66 million U.S. dollars) covering 1,438 hectares were approved, Upston said.
Community groups, local tribes and other organizations are also now able to apply for funding for projects to reduce erosion in the region.
