Hon Amy Adams
Minister for the Environment
13 November 2012
Government supports environmental work
Twelve regional environment centres are to receive more than $1.4 million from the Government to provide practical ways
of caring for the environment, including courses on composting and growing vegetables, educating school children and
community planting days.
Environment Minister Amy Adams says environment centres play an important role in promoting environmental action in
communities.
“The Government recognises the important contribution that these centres make in New Zealand. This funding will help
them manage the environmental challenges faced by their regions, and help people to become more aware of environmental
issues.”
Examples of successful programmes developed by environment centres include the Sustainable Living Programme run by Hive
Taranaki, which teaches participants how to create healthier homes, save water, grow vegetables and make smarter
shopping choices.
The environment centre on the North Shore in Auckland, the Kaipatiki Project, grows about 20,000 new native plants each
year, and about 600 volunteers contribute more than 7000 hours to carry out urban restoration work.
The environment centre in Nelson runs a waste education service programme that delivers education to schools and early
education centres on reducing, reusing and recycling waste. The programme includes school audits, worm farming and
workshops about reducing lunch box waste.
The twelve environment centres receiving funding through the Community Environment Fund are:
Kaipatiki Project Incorporated (North Shore)
Ecomatters Environment Trust (New Lynn)
Whaingaroa Environment Centre (Raglan)
Waikato Environment Centre (Hamilton)
Tauranga Environment Centre
Tairawhiti Environment Centre (Gisborne)
Sustaining Hawkes Bay Trust (Hastings)
Hive Taranaki (New Plymouth)
Nelson Environment Centre
Sustainability Trust (Wellington)
South Coast Environment Centre (Riverton)
Invercargill Environment Centre
ENDS