This page highlights current and previous winners of Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Awards.
2010 winners
|
Business/Local Authority |
Agricultural |
Individual/School/Community Group |
| South Taranaki District Council | Lepper Trust | Frankleigh Park Kindergarten |
| Shell Exploration NZ Ltd | Lee-Anne Fox | Ahititi Primary School |
| Osflo Fertiliser Ltd |
Rohin and Donna Helms | St John Bosco Primary School |
| Egmont Refuse and Recycling | The Lovell family |
|
| Stratford Transfer Station |
Business/Local Authority
South Taranaki District Council - for Inaha water demand management and efficient use
The South Taranaki District Council made a commitment to reducing the demand for water in the Inaha Water Supply Scheme and therefore the amount of water taken from the Waingongoro catchment.
The Inaha Water Demand Project has had significant benefits for the environment, the 204 farmers connected to the scheme and the Council.
Over the past 18 months metering equipment has been replaced and improved to manage water demand on the reticulation system. Water metering has been introduced at seven pressure control stations and new water meters that can be read remotely have been installed at individual farm connections. All water entering and leaving the zones can be balanced to account for every drop of water abstracted and to identify any losses.
Flows to individual farms can be analysed to identify any major flows during the night and potential wastage or leaks. Identifying and fixing a problem can mean a significant saving for the farmer.
Shell Exploration New Zealand Ltd - for sustainable development and technical innovation.
The Pohokura gas field is New Zealand's largest oil and gas resource, producing around 40% of New Zealand's gas. Pohokura began production in 2006. It is operated by Shell Exploration NZ Limited and is owned by the Pohokura Joint Venture: Shell 48%, OMV NZ 26% and Todd Pohokura 26%.
The design, development and operation of Pohokura has involved consultation with the local community and a commitment throughout the project to reducing the impact on the environment. During development, horizontal directional drilling was used to insert the pipeline under the foreshore and avoid excavation in this sensitive coastal environment.
Stormwater systems and bunded areas are designed to manage and reduce discharges from the site. And stormwater from the production station is collected and treated by a system of ponds and a constructed wetland removes any residual hydrocarbons.
Extensive riparian planting has been done at the production station to protect and enhance water quality.
The production station and offshore platform are both unmanned and remotely operated, which reduces the impact on the environment. The use of energy saving variable-speed electric motors also reduces emissions from the site.
Osflo Fertiliser Ltd - for beneficial use of biowaste.
Each year Osflo Spreading Industries Limited uses around 25,000 tonnes of chicken litter from Tegel's poultry operations in Taranaki to produce agricultural fertiliser.
The fertiliser is either 100% chicken litter or blended with other ingredients. By using chicken litter as fertiliser it is diverted from the waste stream and reduces the pressure of disposal to landfill.
The application of the fertiliser to dairy farms, organic farms or cropping is beneficial to the land. And the use of these products is likely to reduce the amount of chemical fertilisers farmers and gardeners use, reduce the leaching of nutrients, improve soil structure and increase the accumulation of organic matter in soils.
Egmont Refuse and Recycling - for consistent and innovative waste recovery.
Raymond Buckland owns and operates Egmont Refuse and Recycling in Hawera. Raymond has an extensive knowledge of the recycling business and is very enterprising. He often goes the extra mile to find markets for materials that aren't handled by other recyclers in the region.
As well as commercial contracts throughout South Taranaki, Raymond offers a free 24-hour, seven day a week drop-off facility for household recycling. Each year, he handles around 900 tonnes of material, covering the whole region for some materials.
Material is collected, sorted to provide a quality product, and packaged to the required standard. Then buyers are found, and transport organised. Most material is reprocessed to other products within New Zealand; for example, one buyer produces plastic bags from plastic bottles.
Raymond's aim is to maximize the diversion of materials from landfill and he is always looking for new options to use or recycle waste materials.
Stratford Transfer Station - for commitment to effective reuse and recycling of resources.
Visitors to the Stratford Transfer Station can't help but notice the clean, tidy park-like environment that Collette Holgate has created. Collette is employed by Waste Management, a division of Transpacific Industries Group (NZ) Ltd, and has sole charge of the transfer station.
Collette has used flowers, shrubs and sculptures from the waste that's dropped off, to beautify the site.
Collette's passion for her work and the wider environmental issues involved is obvious. She estimates that each week she diverts from the waste stream, about one third or 100 cubic metres of the material brought in.
Collette makes a huge effort to redirect items such as furniture, kitchen items and timber to those who can make good use of them. Other material like old whiteware and metal is recycled.
The Stratford Transfer Station is a model 'resource recovery centre', and demonstrates what can be done by one person being committed to doing much more than just their job.
Agricultural
Lepper Trust - for environmentally beneficial resource recovery.
Recent innovations at Lepper's Piggery have reduced waste odour and greenhouse gas emissions, produce electricity for the piggery and have improved effluent management.
The large-scale commercial piggery near Lepperton has been operated by the Lepper family for 40 years. But as neighbouring land was subdivided and developed, problems with odour increased.
So in 2009, Steve Lepper began consultation with NIWA and the New Zealand Pork Industry Board to develop a cost-effective solution. A 7200 cubic metre covered pond was constructed to treat the piggery waste. Each day around 200 cubic metres of biogas is collected from the pond and a cogeneration plant now produces about half of the piggery's electricity.
Solid waste is screened from the piggery effluent before it enters the covered pond. It is then composted and sold as soil conditioner.
After primary treatment in the covered anaerobic pond the waste is piped to the original oxidation pond system and stored for spray irrigation. There has been a significant reduction in odour from effluent irrigation since the upgrade.
Lee-Anne Fox - for outstanding commitment to pest plant control.
Lee-Anne has made a huge effort to successfully control pest plants on the Uruti property she has farmed for the last three years.
Sheep, calves and milking goats are grazed on the property and stock and pasture management has improved dramatically since Lee-Anne has brought pest plants under control.
In the past, gorse and ragwort had been a major problem on the farm. And rather than aiming to only meet the requirement to control these weeds within 25 metres of the boundary, Lee-Anne uses herbicides and biological control agents to control pest plants right across the property.
Lee-Anne has mainly used helicopter application of a herbicide and fertiliser mixture to control pest plants. But gorse mite, cinnabar caterpillars and goats have also had a big impact, particularly in the early years, and are still being used.
Rohin and Donna Helms - for riparian management and sustainable farming.
Rohin and Donna Helms demonstrate how riparian management can be achieved through sound planning and commitment to progressively carrying out the work.
They have almost completely fenced and planted the 10.7 kilometres of streambank on their 137-hectare dairy farm at Rahotu. In 1997 they prepared a riparian plan for their original 81-hectare property, and by June 2005 all of the riparian planting was established and now only 360 metres of fencing is still to be completed.
They purchased an additional 56 hectares in June 2006, prepared another riparian plan, and got straight on with fencing and planting streams and tributaries on the new area. The second plan is now 75% complete with only 500 metres of planting remaining.
Riparian management is an integral part of their farm management programme and since 1997 there has only been one season that they haven't done any riparian planting on their property. This winter they'll plant another 1000 riparian plants.
Both properties had very little natural riparian vegetation when they purchased them. But through their efforts, the sections of the Rautini and Waitaha Streams on their property are now protected by riparian buffers.
They aim to complete both riparian plans by 2012, well ahead of the Taranaki Regional Action plan target of 90% completion by 2015.
The Lovell family - for riparian management and sustainable farming.
Bruce and Maxine Lovell have always been aware that the estuaries and streambanks of the Tongaporutu River, the Hutiwai Stream and their tributaries are important whitebait habitat and spawning areas.
The Lovells prepared a riparian plan in 1999. And for the last 12 years they have been progressively fencing and planting the riparian margins on their dairy farm, to protect and restore the habitat, and to encourage whitebait to continue to spawn there.
In recent years Bruce and Maxine have worked with neighbours and the local community to extend protection through the Hutiwai Whitebait Habitat Protection Project.
The impact of the work is apparent as round 70% of the riparian work is now complete, with almost five kilometres of streambank protected and enhanced with fencing and appropriate planting.
Sustainable land management and animal welfare have also been a priority for them. 6.5 hectares of forestry have been planted on steeper land and other areas have been retired to revert to native bush. Shade and shelter plantings have also been established.
The whole family has been involved in this work, which is a legacy for future generations.
Individual/School/Community Group
Frankleigh Park Kindergarten - for involving students in caring for the environment.
Over the past two years staff and students at Frankleigh Park Kindergarten have reduced the amount of rubbish they disposed of by 75%, from 480 litres or more per week to between 80 and 120 litres.
Head teacher Jan Forsyth says that the success of the project is due to a team effort from all staff and students at all stages.
In March 2008 a waste audit revealed that 75% of the kindergarten's rubbish was paper that could be recycled plus a lot of food waste. So they developed a recycling plan and in June 2008 made a sustainability pledge, and began to recycle and compost their waste.
Their achievements include:
- Recycling two 240-litre bins of material each week.
- Producing compost to grow fruit and vegetables.
- Switching off all unnecessary electrical equipment, lights, heating etc. Electricity use has reduced by 10%.
- Changing the lunchbox policy to reduce the amount of cling film in their waste.
Ahititi Primary School - for environmental education and action.
Ahititi School has worked with the Enviroschools programme to learn about and take action for the environment.
Over the past three years the school and community have studied and worked on projects with environmental themes in the school grounds and surrounding landscapes. They have studied climate change, built a glasshouse, planted shelterbelts, vegetable and fruit gardens, and riparian planting.
A classroom extension was designed to harvest sun and light. Zero Waste is a goal for the school and rubbish tins have been removed to reduce the amount of rubbish and evapo-transpiration beds built for the septic tank system.
St John Bosco Primary School - for environmental education and action.
In 2008 St John Bosco School adopted the Peringa Park Wetland and has integrated the wetland into the school's environmental education programme to encourage students to learning about and taking action for the environment.
The school has helped the New Plymouth District Council to develop and maintain the area.
In 2009 the school helped clear the area for development and was involved in two planting days and the building of a walkway. This year, with the support of the Council's education officer, all classes have toured and studied the wetland, and had a classroom lesson and follow-up work.
Peringa Park Wetland is a major focus for St John Bosco School's environmental education programme. They are committed to developing the programme further with pond studies, pest plant and animal management, biodiversity and tree identification.
2009 winners
| Business/Local Authority | Agricultural | Individual/School/Community Group |
| The Links development | Nigel Megaw | Marfell Community Gardens |
| NP District Council | Selwyn O'Neill | Coastal Taranaki School |
| Okurukuru | David & Karen Peat | Omata School |
| La Nuova | Bruce Leckie | Waitoriki School |
| Fonterra Kapuni | Marco School | |
| Downer EDI Works | Matapu School | |
| Opunake High School | ||
| Kaimata School |
Business/Local Authority
The Links coastal development for environmental enhancement and stormwater treatment: Developers of the 164-lot subdivision are taking care to enhance a formerly degraded gully and farm drain/stream. The revitalised and revegetated lake habitat area supports rare fauna, including teal. The wetland system also detains and treats stormwater from the development before discharge from the site. The low-impact design of the project includes rain gardens in the road network to pre-treat stormwater before it enters the gully lake system. Future roads will feature rain gardens and the final stage will feature a 'dry river bed' to encourage percolation of stormwater to ground rather than piping.
New Plymouth District Council for excellent environmental management and performance of water supply schemes: The Council operates water supply schemes at New Plymouth, Waitara, Inglewood, Oakura and Okato, and for the past five years its environmental performance and consent compliance has been rated “high” at each. Any issues raised during environmental monitoring have always been dealt with promptly and effectively.
Okurukuru winery/restaurant for energy efficiency and waste minimization: Recycling and initiatives have included the collection of food waste for pig food, collection of cooking oil for re-use, separation of glass, plastic containers, tins, cans, cardboard and shrink wrap for collection and recycling, composting of coffee grounds and reduction and re-use of paper. The amount of waste sent to landfill has been reduced by 75%. Energy efficiency initiatives have included insulation of hot water pipes, better management of lighting and electrical and gas appliances, doing laundry once instead of twice a day and air drying instead of using a drier, and maintaining chiller seals.
La Nuova Apparelmaster for efficient use of energy and water: A number of successful initiatives have cut overall water use by 16% across the whole operation. The have also reduced energy use by 4% across the whole operation and by 68% in the linen ironing process. The business has also centralized its plant and switched to larger, more efficient vehicles, resulting in fewer vehicle trips and efficient routes. It promotes roller towels as an alternative to paper towels. Processing one 45-yard cloth towel 75 times replaces more than 30,000 single-fold paper towels, which reduces waste. Old roller towels are recycled as rags.
Fonterra Kapuni for advances in wastewater and stormwater treatment and environmental performance: Fonterra has extended the Kapuni lactose plant’s wastewater irrigation area by 41% from 120 ha to 169 ha, with no increase in the volume of wastewater, at a total of $2.4 million. The project has significantly reduced loadings on soil and groundwater, and greatly improved the management of the combined waste disposal and farming operation. The co-operative has also spent $500,000 containing and controlling stormwater discharge from the southern part of the site, with the water now released in batches after it has been tested. The upgrades, along with earlier projects such as riparian planting in the Kaupokonui catchment, have contributed to a consistently good level of environmental performance in recent years.
Downer EDI Works for advances in asphalt plant operation and environmental performance: The company has replaced its former asphalt plant in the Waiwhakaiho industrial area with a refurbished plant brought from Auckland. The refurbishment included fitting an entirely new wet scrubber to remove dust and to achieve maximum emission control. Settling ponds which were used to treat the recycled scrubber water were also upgraded to meet the increased loading of solids from the more efficient wet scrubber system. As a result, the plant now meets standards for dust emissions that are four times more stringent than previously. The roading and yard areas have also been paved and new crusher dust enclosures constructed to reduce dust from vehicle movements and the loading and unloading of aggregate. Taranaki Regional Council monitoring has shown that the upgrade has greatly improved the environmental performance of the asphalt plant.
Agricultural
Nigel Megaw for biodiversity protection and enhancement: The Megaws’ drystock block, Settlers Bush on the outskirts of New Plymouth, has 10 ha of native bush, including the Omata Bush Block which is recognised by the Taranaki Regional Council as a Key Native Ecosystem. Over the past three years about 2 ha of steeper land has been retired from production, fenced and planted with approximately 5,500 native plants, with a further 600 plants going in this season. The bush areas are fenced, and weeds animal pests are controlled.
Selwyn O’Neill for riparian management and sustainable farming (posthumous award): In 2003 the Taranaki Regional Council worked with Mr O’Neill to prepare a riparian plan for his 177 ha dairy farm on Mangawhero Road, Kaponga. With contractors carrying out the work, almost $30,000 has been spent so far and by the end of this season, 7.5 km of the Mangawheroiti Stream will be fenced and protected with 12,500 native plants. Since Mr O’Neill died in 2007, his daughter, June Cassar, has been committed to fulfilling his vision and 5.4 km of fencing and planting is planned for the next four years to fully protect the 24.5 km of waterways crossing the property.
David and Karen Peat for sustainable land management: Mangapapa Station in the upper Waitotara Valley has large areas of good, contoured very productive farmland which prone in part to slumping and erosion. The Peats started planting poplar poles some 20 years ago to reduce erosion and they are now largest pole planter in the region at an average of 400 to 500 poles annually. They have seen huge benefits, with erosion stopped or at least slowed, and tracks stabilized. The benefits were illustrated in the 2004 storm. The Peats also take huge pride in the property’s 900 ha of virgin native bush and have created access tracks which assist pest control.
Bruce Leckie for protecting biodiversity and agriculture through possum control: Since 1994, Mr Leckie has made an outstanding contribution to the Taranaki Regional Council’s self-help possum control programme. There would be few properties in coastal Taranaki that he has not worked on. His service has always been of a high standard, consistently reducing possum numbers to below the programme target of 10% residual trap catch. Mr Leckie has more than 60 years’ experience in pest management and in the early years of the self-help programme he was the mainstay of the pool of contractors that the Council relied upon. He has also trained new contractors.
Individual/School/Community Group
The eight awards 2009 include five for schools in the regional Enviroschools Programme, which focuses on sustainability and environmental education. This year’s awards bring the total in this category to 67 since 1993.
Marfell Community Gardens for promoting and facilitating community sustainability: This grassroots initiative has resulted in the development of an attractive garden behind the Marfell Combined Culture Centre, supported by funding from the Taranaki District Health Board and generous community donations. The garden is now the focal point for workshops on food waste recycling, composting, organic gardening, permaculture, and cooking and preserving. Many locals have now developed the skills and confidence to start their own gardens.
Coastal Taranaki School Student Extension Programme for the book Shades of Green: Twelve Year 7-10 pupils researched and wrote the 114-page book, which discusses environmental issues and offers ways for people to address them. Issues covered include climate change, transport, power, food, clothing and waste management. The book is well researched and produced, and sales are progressing well.
Omata School for environmental education in the bush classroom: The school has an extensive environmental education programme which uses a native bush area as an outdoor classroom. The area is used daily as part of the school programme.
Waitoriki School for environmental education (Enviroschools): Students applied their studies of native flora and fauna to the school grounds and surrounding area, designing a mixed native shelter belt to shelter the “out the back” area and to provide a year-round “bush supermarket” of food for native birds and insects. A community planting day was attended by 90% of parents, with some families looking to extend the project to their own back yards.
Kaimata School for environmental education (Enviroschools): Environmental projects and studies in the past year have covered earthworms, water quality and water conservation and sustainable farming. In the latter, community working bees helped divide the school farm into smaller paddocks to improve stock rotation, using fresh poplar posts rather than tanalised posts. Students have also studied soil health and designed fertiliser trials. They will also design the shelter, shade, and fodder plantings for the farm. A solar water heater was constructed for the school swimming pool.
Marco School for environmental education (Enviroschools): Students have investigated, designed, and created a worm farm and a compost bin to reduce school waste. They explored biodegradability, and non-degradable lunch rubbish is now taken home. Pupils from Years 6, 7 and 8 also created an action plan for sustainability, including development of a food forest, vegetable garden and brick oven. The community donated fruit trees for the forest and students developed vegetable gardens, with surplus produce given to the local community.
Matapu School for environmental education (Enviroschools):After junior pupils studied wind, tree insects and shelterbelts, a shelterbelt of native plants was created and students helped with riparian planting beside a local river. Senior students created an action plan to reduce waste by recycling. They also designed and made a worm farm, whose output is is used on the school gardens. In 2008, Matapu School hosted a very successful Regional Enviroschools Event.
Opunake High School for environmental education (Enviroschools): Produce from the junior students’ fruit and vegetable garden is used in the tuck shop to make soup for students and teachers. Over the years, students also have been involved in planting at Sandy Bay. Junior students have studied the health of the Waiaua and Stony rivers and the benefits of riparian planting. They have also assisted with riparian fencing and planting projects. The school has an active environmental committee which has facilitated the reintroduction of a recycling programme and the rejuvenation of the worm farm. The school also plans to introduce a Level 2 NCEA course in education for sustainability achievement standards.
2008 winners
Business/Local Authority
Furlong Motor Inn
Pukekura Park Tearooms
Ugly Duck Restuaurant
Bella Vita Restaurant
Vector Kapuni
Agricultural
John and Barbara Sextus
Cam and Sarah Collier
Howe Family Trust
Morrison Family Farm
Murray and Zoe Barrett
Individual/School/Community Group
Taranaki Arts Festival Trust and volunteers
Lynda Sutherland
Taranaki Environmental Education Trust
Gavin Shoebridge
Enviropower Inglewood High School
Midhirst School
St Josephs Primary School, Hawera
2007 winners
Business/Local Authority
Environmental Products NZ Ltd
EcoInnovation
Firth Industries Hawera
Agricultural
Mark and Leigh Caskey
Stephen and Helen Newton
George and Bobbie Oliver
Individual/School/Community Group
East Taranaki Environment Trust
The joint Herekawe Stream Walkway Project
Vogeltown School