This page sets out how to apply for funding from the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund. It includes funding criteria and application documents.
How to apply for funding
If you wish to investigate and/or remediate a contaminated site on your land contact your regional council or unitary authority. CSRF applications are only accepted from regional councils and unitary authorities.
Your regional council will assist you with your application, inform you of the information required and submit an application for CSRF funding to the Ministry for the Environment on your behalf.
Funding criteria
To be eligible for funding a site must meet the following criteria.
- A completed application form has been submitted to the Ministry from a regional council/unitary authority.
- Activities likely to result in site contamination have been undertaken at one of the following points in time:
- before the Resource Management Act (RMA) was enacted in 1991
- after the RMA was enacted in 1991 but only if no enforcement could be undertaken by regional councils, unitary authorities or territorial authorities to investigate and/or remediate the contamination, and the activities that caused the contamination have since stopped.
- The application for funding is for one or more of the following phases of remediation:
- two – site investigation
- three – remediation planning
- four – site remediation.
Note that funding: is not available for phase one – desk top study.
- Funding is only requested for the years in which the site investigation, remediation planning and site remediation are undertaken.
- Funding may not be used for retrospective costs (ie, for work undertaken before the application form was received by the Ministry) or for works undertaken that are outside the scope of the funding deed.
In addition, the contributions by landowners, the regional council or unitary authority or any other party to each of the stages should reflect that party’s ability to pay and their responsibility for the site and/or contamination. If the application is approved, the Ministry will provide up to 50 per cent of the costs for phases 2–4: site assessment, remedial planning and remediation.
What the fund will not pay for
The Fund will not pay for:
- capital expenditure items
- costs incurred before the application being made
- investigations or remediation works on contaminated land or identified sites of concern on Crown land where the Crown has accepted responsibility for the contamination.
Key steps and dates of application process
| Key steps | Dates for April funding round | Dates for October funding round |
| Landowner(s) contact regional council or unitary authority to discuss funding requirement | Anytime | Anytime |
| Regional councils/unitary authorities submits funding applications to Ministry | By last working day of March | By last working day of September |
| Ministry checks eligibility and completeness of applications
Ministry notifies regional councils /unitary authorities of ineligible applications
| Early April | Early October |
| CSRF panel assesses applications and provides recommendations to the Minister | Late April | Late October |
| Minister approval given to projects. Ministry notifies regional council/unitary authorities of funding decisions | Early May | Early November |
| Ministry develops funding deeds for signing by relevant parties
Funding deeds signed
Project plans developed
| June | December |
| Start of approved projects | July | January |
Application documents
- Application form [DOC, 1.12 MB]
- Application form [PDF, 698 KB]
- Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund: Guide for applicants for project funding
Deed of funding template
Successful applicants enter into a deed of funding with the Ministry which sets out our standard terms and conditions for funding.
- Funding deed template [PDF, 612 KB]
Find out more
If you have questions regarding the application process, please contact the Ministry’s Remediation Projects Team on 0800 499 700 or email: CSRFapplication@mfe.govt.nz