E Award winners
The 12 winners of this year’s Auckland Regional Council’s Environmental Awards (E Awards) were announced this evening,
on World Environment Day, at a ceremony in the Council Chamber.
Cr. Brian Smith, Chair of the ARC’s Environmental Management Committee, was delighted with the range and calibre of
entries. “We had a large number of entries this year,” said Councillor Smith, “and the ARC is proud to recognise and
celebrate the considerable success of all the volunteers and groups who put such a huge effort into so many wonderful
environmental projects.”
The 2003 E Award Winners are:
Caring for our Air
Winner: Gull Petroleum (NZ) Ltd
Gull Petroleum won the Caring for our Air awards for its voluntary reduction, from 2350ppm down to 1000ppm, in the
sulphur content of diesel, in response to growing concern about the quality of the air in the Auckland region. This move
is estimated to have reduced the amount of toxic particulate pollution going into Auckland’s air by 1000kg per day.
Finalist:
New Zealand Refining Company Ltd
Caring for our Water
Winner: Waitakere Rivercare Group
The Waitakere Rivercare group is working towards the revegetation of the riparian margins of the Waitakere river, in
order to improve water quality. They group has a very community focus and operates initiatives such as a native plant
nursery and regular working bees.
Finalist:
Birkenhead Primary School - Le Roy's Bush Stream Project
Caring for our Land & Biodiversity
Winner (school):
Verran Primary School
Verran Primary School won a Caring for our Land award for its Verran’s Vision project, a multifaceted approach to
environmental and sustainability issues. Projects such as the organic garden and the waste reduction programme are run
with a high level of community participation and are often led by the children.
Winner (business):
AA Environmental Volunteer
AA Environmental takes a holistic approach to environmental management to the extent that participation in environmental
initiatives is built into employees’ KPIs. Each month the company identifies an environmental volunteer project and
arranges for employees, families, friends and clients to donate their time.
Winner (community):
Windy Hill - Rosalie Bay Catchment Trust
The Windy Hill - Rosalie Bay Catchment Trust was established in 2001 to manage the ecological restoration and enhance
the biodiversity of the Windy Hill - Rosalie Bay Catchment area of Great Barrier. It works in partnership with
organisations such as the Department of Conservation, the Auckland Regional Council, Work and Income New Zealand,
Auckland War Memorial Museum and Auckland City Council, to create a sanctuary where species lost to Great Barrier or
threatened elsewhere in New Zealand can be re-introduced. A major part of this project is pest eradication. The Trust
has two successful on-going programmes which have seen pest numbers drop significantly.
Finalists:
Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society - Matuku Reserve Pest Control
Pohutukawa Trust New Zealand Programme
Puhoi Landcare Group - Possum Control Project
Horseshoe Bush Wildlife Habitat Group
Friends of St Johns Bush - Survival Project
Rangitoto Inorganic Cleanup
Caring for our Coasts
Winner: Guardians of the Upper Harbour
Whenuapai based, Guardians of the Upper Harbour have been in existence for 19 years. This very effective community group
has demonstrated its ability to change behaviour and to influence resource management decisions on key issues.
Finalists:
Mike Percy
Guides Manukau Camp - Rutherford Wetland
Golden Heights Coastal Walk (Rakino Island)
Caring for our Cultural and Historic Heritage
Winner: Lake House Arts Centre
Lake House Arts Centre won the Caring for our Culture and Historical Heritage category for the community-driven project,
which involved the restoration of one of the last pre-1900 buildings in Takapuna into what is now a thriving Arts
Centre.
Special Awards
Bees On-Line
Bees Online is a venture which over a period of four years has grown from one hive to a successful exporting company. It
produces organically certified, GE-free top quality honey products. The company is a member of the Sustainable Business
Network, which focuses on the triple bottom line of economic growth balanced with social equity and environmental
responsibility, and incorporates an environmental ethic into its business practises and premises.
Dianne McLeod & South Kaipara Landcare group
Dianne McLeod rallied together local residents to form South Kaipara Landcare in 2000. Since its inception, the group
has instigated a number of key projects, such as improving local water quality, increasing biodiversity and increasing
environmental awareness within the local community.
The Chinese Conservation Education Trust (CCET)
The CCET was established in the Auckland region in 2000 and came out of an initiative where the Department of
Conservation begun working with communities new to the concept of conservation. The emphasis was to show, rather than
tell, why places such as the Hauraki Gulf are special and worth preserving. This model is very successful and there have
been requests from other regions within New Zealand for similar initiatives.
John Staniland
John Staniland has been active in the conservation movement for over 20 years, both in a hands-on capacity and in a
political and advocacy role. His considerable achievements are the result of his versatile and collaborative approach to
environmental issues.
Watercare Services Ltd
Watercare’s “Project Manukau” involved the development of a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility at Mangere
together with the return of 500 hectares of oxidation ponds and 13 kilometres of coastline to a natural harbour
environment.