Award categories & criteria

The Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Awards recognise outstanding initiatives in our region to protect and enhance Taranaki's environment.

The annual awards are made in five categories to encourage environmental stewardship and sustainable development of our natural resources.

Categories 

Environmental leadership in business: Recognises businesses or local authorities, or their projects or individual staff, that demonstrate kaitiakitanga, innovation or efficiency, or an ongoing commitment to environmental best practice. Award sponsor – Daily News(external link)

Environmental leadership in dairy farming: Recognises farmers who are committed to environmental stewardship and sustainable farming practices, in all aspects of their dairy farming activity. Award sponsor – Fonterra(external link).

Environmental leadership in land management: Recognises land users who are committed to environmental stewardship and sustainability in their meat, fibre, forestry or other land operations. Award sponsor – Corteva Agriscience^TM(external link)

Environmental action in the community: Recognises not-for-profit organisations, groups, individuals, iwi, hapū or whānau that are taking action to protect or enhance the environment, or are increasing understanding of environmental issues. Award sponsor - Methanex.(external link)

Environmental action in education: Recognises actions in the education sector to protect or enhance the environment, or commitment to increasing understanding and bringing about change on environmental issues. Award sponsor - Contact Energy(external link).

Up to three awards are made in each category. 

Eligibility criteria

The project or activity must:

• Activity or project must be carried out in the Taranaki region
• Where applicable, applicants must have excellent compliance with consent conditions throughout the period of activity, or for the last three years.
• Activity or project must be current, ongoing or near completion
• Previous winners are eligible for nomination after a minimum of five years
• Recipients of other awards are eligible for nomination for these awards.

Assessment criteria

Judges will evaluate applications against the following criteria:

• Degree to which a practical contribution to the sustainable management of Taranaki’s natural resources has been made
• Degree to which a practical contribution to the sustainable management of Taranaki’s natural resources has been made
• Demonstrated success of the project in terms of mitigating potential environmental impacts and/or environmental protection efforts, including the significance and magnitude of such efforts
• The extent to which the project or individual has increased understanding of, or bought about change on, environmental issues
• Demonstrated innovation or collaboration.