Time is running out for owners of heritage properties in Tauranga to apply for grants through this year's National Heritage Preservation Incentive Fund.

Applications for the annual fund, which provides financial incentives to encourage the conservation of privately owned heritage places, are now open – though the June 24 deadline for applications is fast approaching.

Administered by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, the National Heritage Preservation Incentive Fund supports the conservation of significant and valued heritage places entered on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero.

The List includes wāhi tapu, wāhi tupuna, wāhi tapu areas, historic places and historic areas.

Potential applicants can apply for up to 50 per cent of the cost of conservation work in any particular case, to a maximum of $100,000.

Charitable Trusts, churches, schools etc are not eligible for funding from the National Heritage Preservation Incentive fund. Funding for these ownership structures is available through Lottery and other institutions.

The priorities for the National Heritage Preservation Incentive Fund funding grants are:

• Conservation and preservation of sites of significance to Māori; and/or
• Conservation work to heritage places to increase resilience and respond to the impacts of climate change, including repairs, and site stabilisation relating to land and/or archaeological sites; and/or
• Seismic strengthening and risk management planning; and all other eligible work.

'The Incentive Fund represents a great opportunity for owners of privately owned historic places to secure funding for a range of work,” says Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Lower Northern Manager Ben Pick.

'To learn more about funding priorities and eligibility criteria, or to apply for a grant, people can follow the link to: https://www.heritage.org.nz/resources/funding/national-heritage-preservation-incentive-fund.”

Applications close on June 24.