Do you or your community group have an ecological restoration project that could do with a bit of a financial hand?

Applications are now being accepted for the Waikato Regional Council's Small Scale Community Initiative Fund and submissions must be made before February 20.

Applications are now open for the Waikato Regional Council's Small Scale Community Initiative Fund. Photo: supplied.

It's designed to support community and individual landowners by funding materials up to the value of $5,000 to be used in animal and plant pest control and in ecological restoration.

A total pool of $75,000 is available to groups and individuals via the fund.

The regional council says this year they have also changed the criteria and now applications can be made for up to $1,000 to be spent on contracted labour.

This recognises the need for a particular skill set that members of a group or an individual may not have.

The fund is open to groups working on public and private land, landowners with QEII covenants and those wanting to undertake work in areas identified as Significant Natural Areas.

Applications for the fund have traditionally been opened in June and allocated in July each year.

In the past the fund has been consistently oversubscribed so the regional council has agreed to double the funds made available.

For more information and an application form call Dave Byers on: 07 859 0767.

Applications close on February 20.