11 March 2008
Christchurch’s Ellerslie appetiser earns Solid Energy support
Solid Energy’s commitment to sustainability and its target of having a net positive effect on the environment is behind
its support for the Ellerslie Experience, which runs from 12 to 25 March in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens.
The event aims to give Christchurch residents and visitors a taster ahead of next year’s first Ellerslie International
Flower Show to be held in the city. Mark Pizey, Solid Energy’s National Environmental Manager, says the award-winning
Earth Sharing Life display at the centre of the Ellerslie Experience examines people’s impact on their environment and
for Solid Energy that is an important topic.
“Solid Energy is very well known as a coal producer and there’s no question that mining has an impact on the land. What
is less well known is the huge amount of work and effort we put in to rehabilitating and planting our current and former
mines; our support for other positive environmental initiatives and for a range of events and community initiatives
across the country in our local communities,” Mr Pizey says.
“In the 2007 year alone we planted more than a quarter of a million native seedlings and successfully rehabilitated 157
hectares of land. This work helps support 18 plant nurseries and propagators around the country,” Mr Pizey says. “As a
result of our research, we are pioneering new erosion control techniques and developing better ways of ensuring plants
can get established and grow. Our off-site programmes include a commitment of $100,000 per annum for the Department of
Conservation’s blue duck (whio) recovery programme.
“The key theme of the Ellerslie Experience garden is sustainability, challenging us all to take responsibility in
restoring and preserving the environment for future generations and this is a core principle for Solid Energy. We have
recognised for some time that to be a sustainable business all our activities must be undertaken in an environmentally
responsible manner and that underlines our overall objectives of having a net positive effect on the New Zealand
environment.
“We’re also a company with a strong Canterbury presence, employing more than 150 people in Christchurch at our Corporate
Office, Biodiesel New Zealand Ltd and Nature’s Flame biomass business. We have an active programme of supporting our
local communities across the country and our support for the Ellerslie Experience builds on the relationship established
with the Christchurch City Council last year in our successful support of the city’s Heritage Week. We hope that as many
people as possible will make time to ‘experience Ellerslie’ in this taster event,” he says.
The Ellerslie Experience is a Christchurch City Council event, managed by Ellerslie International Flower Show with main
sponsors Solid Energy New Zealand Ltd and City Care. The Earth Sharing Life exhibition garden, designed by Julie Moore
(Planet Earth Ltd) and Lynn Cairney (Fusion Landscape Design Ltd) was a multi-award winner at the 2007 Ellerslie Flower
Show, winning a gold medal, the People’s Choice Award, a further gold medal for lighting and the supreme award for
lighting. The first Ellerslie International Flower Show will be held in Christchurch 11 – 15 March 2009.
ENDS