Environmental Initiatives in Kaikoura

Green Globe
Kaikoura is the first community in New Zealand and second in the world to achieve Green Globe Benchmark status in 2002 and certification status in 2004. Green Globe is the world's only truly global tourism certification standard and arose from the principles of Agenda 21 (the United Nations action for climate change). It aspires to be a system that responds to the major environmental problems facing the planet as well as seeking to achieve environmental , social and cultural improvements at a global, national and international level.

Green globe is the "umbrella" under which our environment initiatives take place, the following are examples of initiatives occuring in Kaikoura. In some cases these have been taking place for a number of years, Green Globe providing a framework into which they can fit an independant auditing that identifies that Kaikoura's community cares about its environment and is taking steps to protect it.

• Zero Waste:  promotion of waste minimisation within the town.  Kaikoura becoming the second district in New Zealand to adopt zero waste to landfill in 1998. To assist this process the rubbish collection was stopped (people required to take their own rubbish to the landfill) and a free recycling pickup started.  By adopting new initiatives such as food waste collections, public place recycling, nappy disposal and finding markets for various re-used goods, diversion from landfill rate has reached 72% per annum and is continuing to rise. More information >>
   
• Energy efficiency initiatives: preventing energy from being wasted in the community, by looking at how small businesses could achieve greater energy efficiency. 
   
• Community for Climate Protection: Kaikoura District Council has adopted an action plan for the Community to help reduce carbon emissions. Initiative include energy efficient street lighting, solar street light trials, development of a District Walking and Cycling Strategy and reduction in vehicle usage. In 2009, three hundred homes were assessed for energy loss and insulated. Warm up Kaikoura is an energy efficiency prohect and those homes which have been insulated are warmer, drier, healthier and more comfortable, and they cost less to heat. 
   
• Trees for Travellers: Research has indicated that 2 million trees needed to be planted in Kaikoura to off set the greenhouse gas emissions produced. The Trees for Travellers project was developed in response. Native trees are grown, then sold to tourists and planted locally, the tourist monitoring their tree through a GPS link on the Internet. As a result tourists are offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, assisting zero waste and beautifying an area of Kaikoura.  More information >>  

• Lyell Creek Stream Care Group: Working with landowners along Kaikoura’s inland waterways, the Stream Care Group is aimed at protecting and improving waterways around Kaikoura through planting, fencing and bridging to improve the quality of the waterways and the increasing biodiversity of the district.

• Te Korowai o Te Tai o Marokura: We are a group of people standing for local leadership about the use and protection of our marine environment. Our group is made up of recreational and commercial fishers, those with an interest in environmental issues and members of Te Runanga o Kaikoura, with support and advice from relevant government departments and Ministries and Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu. We have come together to develop a management strategy for our coast. The strategy is a korowai (cloak) for Te Tai o Marokura and we are weaving that korowai.  For more information -

  Te Korowai o Te Tai o Marokura Adobe Acrobat Document: 371 KB, 54 seconds @ 56kbps

• Kaikoura Marine & Coastal Protection Society: A major concern for Kaikoura is the overfishing of marine life, not only to commercial and recreational fishermen but also to the wider community and local Maori. Working to reduce over fishing, a significant advancement came in 2002 when the first Rahui in Kaikoura was established. A Rahui is a traditional Maori management technique closing a proportion of the sea to the collection of any marine life within that area. It will be in place for two years and after this one section of the Rahui will reopen while another section is closed thereby meaning the Rahui moves around the coast ensuring that the area restocks itself once more.
   
• Biodiversity project: supporting the expansion of the indigenous biodiversity of the district through 1) A rates relief policy for those people with protected areas of land on their property 2) Employment of a Biodiversity Officer to work with private landowners advising them of ways in which they can manage and protect significant areas of indigenous biodiversity on their land and thereby increase the district’s biodiversity. 
   
• Working with business: Kaikoura's business community is committed to the concept of a sustainable future for Kaikoura and to achieve this are working together in several ways.
  1. Through the West End Business Discussion Group, businesses speak with one voice which has been instrumental in driving plans for the redevelopment of Kaikoura's West End shopping area.
  2. Membership by a number of local businesses of Green Globe and other environmental standards.
  
   
• Trash to Fashion Show: promoting the ideals of recycling and waste minimisation. In line with the district’s zero waste policy, a 'Trash to Fashion' show has been organised in Kaikoura for the past 12 years.  Local people design and create their own clothing from recycled material in categories such as Eveningwear, Man-O-Man, Bizarre Bra and Seaworld. Now Trash Fashion from past events can be viewed and revamped clothing purchased from the Trash Fashion Museum. See the display in the West End for opening hours.
   
• International conservation working holidays: International conservation holidays are organised to assist the Kaikoura District Council, Trees for Travellers, Te Runanga o Kaikoura and the Department of Conservation complete local conservation projects.  The volunteers spend a fortnight constructing a track through a council reserve, building bridges and planting trees. 
  
   
• Fantastic no Plastic: Say no to a plastic shopping bag. Kaikoura has a unique reusable shopping bag available for purchase to help our District be plastic bag free. You are helping to reduce waste and protecting our unique marine mammals from litter.
  
  Kaikoura District Council website www.kaikoura.govt.nz