North Shore Community Earning Reputation As Environmental Leader
June 10, 2003

North Shore City's outstanding tally of regional and national environmental award winners is rapidly earning the city the reputation as an environmental leader.

The city's residents and organisations featured strongly in the line-up of award winners and finalists in the Ministry for the Environment's Green Ribbon Awards and the Auckland Regional Council's E-Awards, both recognising the efforts made to protect and improve the environment.

Mabel Pollock and Vauxhall Primary School both of Devonport, and the Kaipatiki Ecological Restoration Project of Glenfield, were Green Ribbon Award winners while Verran Primary School of Birkenhead, and Gull Petroleum and the Lake House Arts Centre both of Takapuna won E-Awards.

North Shore City Council's works and environment committee chairperson, Joel Cayford, says the enthusiasm, drive and willingness of these winners and many others like them, will leave a living legacy for future generations.

"There are people and organisations in our community who undertake an exceptional amount of work for the environment for the benefit of all and I am pleased they have been recognised at a regional and national level. These people are making a real difference, and it is the collective might of the whole community doing their bit will set us apart from the rest."

The environmental award winners are:

Green Ribbon Awards:
* Caring for the urban environment - Mabel Pollock for transforming seven and a half acres of an illegal dump on Navy-owned land into a native forest.
* Raising awareness of environmental issues (joint winners) - Kaipatiki Ecological Restoration Project for success in co-ordinating community involvement in the restoration of Kaipatiki Stream and its native forest.
* Kids who care - Vauxhall Primary School for the Travelwise to School programme, the first of its kind in New Zealand, which aims to address congestion at the school gate and encourage alternative transport systems.

E-Awards:
* Caring for our air - Gull Petroleum for its voluntary reduction in the sulphur content of diesel.
* Caring for our land and biodiversity - Verran Primary School for its multifaceted approach to environmental and sustainability issues eg. the use of organic gardens and waste reduction.
* Caring for our culture and historic heritage - Lake House Arts Centre for the community-driven project involving the restoration of one of the last 19th century buildings in Takapuna.
* Other finalists included: Guardians of the Upper Harbour in the 'Caring for our coasts' category, for their commitment to changing behaviour and influencing resource management decisions on key issues, and Birkenhead Primary School in the 'Caring for our water' category for the restoration of Le Roys Bush stream.

The regional and national awards were announced on World Environment Day (June 5) and follow hard on the heels of North Shore City's own community environmental awards that were announced during eco-fest at the beginning of the year.

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