Shopping centre excels at Sustainable Awards

Shopping centre excels at Sustainable Business Network Awards

Bayfair Shopping Centre was named the ‘Sustainable Business of the Year’ at the Bay of Plenty’s regional Sustainable Business Network awards last night.

Servicing over one million visitors a year through its 90 stores, the Bayfair Shopping Centre is committed to sustainable business practices.

The shopping centre won the ‘Large Business Trailblazer’ category before scooping the top prize at the awards presentation in Tauranga.

The judging panel was impressed with Bayfair Shopping Centre’s commitment to continuous improvement, ensuring high levels of resource efficiency as well as accountability for the impacts of their business practices across a triple bottom line.

As a supporter of the paper4trees programme, a sponsor of the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind and hosts of the Sustainable Information Expo for Earth Hour 2009, Bayfair Shopping Centre integrates sustainability into all aspects of the business.

“It is good to see a business, with a significant interface with the public, which is actively and publicly taking a sustainable approach.” says Chairman John Cronin of Environment Bay of Plenty, principal sponsors of the BOP Awards.

The Sustainable Business Network Awards recognise businesses that are demonstrating leadership by embracing innovation, sustainability and regenerative practices in their day-to-day operations.

Bay of Plenty region winners for the 2009 Sustainable Business Network Awards are:
Category/Winner /Sponsor
Not for Profit – Trailblazer /Energy Options Ltd
/Western Bay of Plenty District Council
Small Business – Emerging /BOP Apparelmaster /Ricoh
Small Business – Trailblazer /Landscape Design Company /Tauranga City Council
Large Business - Emerging /Judges commendation:
Sharp Tudhope Lawyers /BNZ Partners
Large Business – Trailblazer /Bayfair Shopping Centre /Rotorua District Council
Sustainable Design & Innovation/Devan Plastics Ltd /EECA
Productivity Award/Trevelyan’s Pack & Cool Ltd
/New Zealand Trade & Enterprise
Sustainable Business of the Year /Bayfair Shopping Centre /Environment Bay of Plenty

Bay of Plenty regional winners are now finalists in the national NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards, to be held in Auckland on Thursday, November 12.

Regional manager of the Sustainable Business Network’s Bay of Plenty office, Jo Wills, is delighted with the achievements of these businesses.

“Our winners have once again set the bar extremely high; not only do we have representation from across the BOP, we also have excellent examples of sustainable business development throughout many different service sectors”.

“The businesses we have acknowledged at this level are leaders, regardless of their industry, these are the businesses who have accepted responsibility for the active role they can play now to plan for the future,” says Ms Wills.

Bay of Plenty businesses Comvita and Design Mobel previously won the National Award two years running, placing the region on the sustainability development map.

Entering the annual SBN awards requires businesses to participate in one of the following:
- The SBN’s ‘Get Sustainable Challenge’, covering eight areas of sustainable business practice
- Entering the Sustainable Design and Innovation Award that covers products, services, and buildings.

Notes to editors

* Judges’comments are included in the attached background document

* The judging panel was made up of: Hendrik Metz (Fulton Hogan), Nick Gurr (Opus), Ulli Rose (KPMG), Karen Summerhays, (Environment Bay of Plenty Councillor), Gavin Cherrie (EcoEffect), Dave Macfarlane (Opco), Timothy Allan (Locus Research), Jake McLaren (Formway) and Warwick Downing (NZTE)

* High-resolution digital photographs of award winners will be available from Jo on Monday, September 14th. See contact details below.

ENDS

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