Horowhenua District Council has adopted the Foxton Beach Endowment Fund Policy, after a month-long consultation with the community.

The name of the fund has changed (previously the Foxton Beach Freeholding Account), and there is a greater focus on sustainability, inter-generational wellbeing and community-hapū relationship.

The focus will be on four values: heritage and culture, recreation and conservation, economic development, and wellbeing.

“With the last Foxton Beach Endowment Fund Policy adopted in 2009, there was a need for a more structured and inclusive framework to ensure the policy continued to deliver intergenerational benefit, aligned with modern governance expectations, and reflected the values and priorities of the community it served,” a council press release said.

After several workshops involving representatives of Te Awahou Foxton Community Board, Kere Kere Ward councillors, Horowhenua (Māori) Ward councillors, and descendants of Papangaio J Block a draft policy was developed.

During the consultation period, 23 formal submissions were received, and 60.8 percent of those expressed support for the proposed direction of the policy.

Community engagement revealed a generally strong level of support for the proposed policy, particularly around the goals of improving transparency, strengthening governance, and embedding cultural recognition.

“We now have a Foxton Beach Endowment Fund policy that establishes a strong foundation for transparent, modern fund governance which provides clarity on principles, priorities, and process for future grant making,” council chief executive Monique Davidson says.

During the consultation, a strong theme of safeguarding the fund emerged. Submitters supported mechanisms such as spending thresholds and retaining a “cap” as a buffer against depletion. This showed a clear expectation of long-term, intergenerational responsibility and the fund’s ongoing growth and sustainability remain a top priority.

The Foxton Beach Endowment Fund is a legacy account managed by Horowhenua District Council to benefit the Foxton Beach community, with deep historical ties to land ownership, endowment, and governance.

From 1819, iwi co-existed peacefully until Crown land acquisitions in the 1850s and 1860s disrupted this, particularly affecting Papangaio J Block owners.

The Foxton Harbour Board was established in 1876, acquiring significant land later vested under the 1956 Reserves and Other Lands Disposal (ROLD) Act. After the board’s abolition in 1955, the land was passed to Manawatū County Council, and the 1965 ROLD Act extinguished Māori rights to the land.

Legislative changes in 1968 enabled freeholding of leasehold land.

Horowhenua District Council inherited the land in the 1989 local government reforms. Income from land sales is ring-fenced under the ROLD Act to support Foxton Beach community projects, including infrastructure upgrades and cultural facilities.

The fund holds all revenue from lease payments and sales, reinvesting millions into the community.

In 2022, after allocation of funds, the fund dropped below its $5 million minimum, prompting a policy review.

The fund now has the ability to allocate 100 percent of funding – preciously that was only 50 percent of what was needed – while the cap of $5 millian has been removed. There will be two funding rounds to assess applications.

Within six months of the local body election a risk appetite statement will be lodged.

As of April 30, 2025, the balance in the account was $5,195,000.