Govett Quilliam is incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to sponsor the Environmental Leadership in Business Award at the 2019 Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Awards. The awards feature 5 main categories which each encourage environmental stewardship and sustainable development of natural resources.
Those categories are:
- Environmental leadership in business
- Environmental leadership in dairy farming
- Environmental leadership in land management
- Environmental leadership in the community
- Environmental action in education
In order to meet the criteria for the awards an entrant's project or activity must:
- Make a practical contribution to the sustainable management of Taranaki's natural resources, or increase understanding and bring about change on environmental issues.
- Be sustainable over time and not require ongoing subsidy which is larger than the benefit to the community.
- Be current, ongoing or near completion.
- Where applicable, have 100% resource consent compliance throughout the period of activity, or for a minimum of five years.
- Be carried out in the Taranaki region.
*Lauren Wallace presenting the award
Lauren Wallace, a partner in Govett Quilliam's Environment and Planning Team, was at the ceremony to present the award to the winners of the Environmental Leadership in Business category. The category specifically recognises business or local authorities, or their projects or individual staff, that demonstrate kaitiakitanga, innovation or efficiency, or an ongoing commitment to environmental best practice.
The winners of the Environmental Leadership in Business category were:
Vickers Quarries Ltd
For proactively minimising environmental risk and maintaining high environmental performance.
The 36-hectare Vickers quarry at the top of York Road is one of the region’s largest. It is also the strongest environmental performer. It takes meticulous care to prevent waterways being choked with sediment-laden stormwater, which is one of the biggest environmental risks of quarrying. The well-maintained Vickers quarry has good bunding to redirect stormwater to a well-designed treatment system that includes several large settling ponds. Shut-off valves at the discharge points offer a further layer of protection. Vegetated riparian margins also act as sediment buffer zones, filtering sediment and further reducing the impact on waterways. The outcome is impressively clean wastewater discharges that maintain the water quality and integrity of the aquatic ecosystems of the Waitara catchment. The company sets the bar for environmentally sound quarrying in Taranaki.
Drone Technologies NZ
For developing innovative monitoring technology and inspiring students to connect with their environment and community.
Ben Plummer, of Drone Technologies NZ, is involved in a wide range of environmental and educational activities in Taranaki. These include predator detection, freshwater-quality monitoring, pest-plant monitoring and coastal environmental mapping. Ben goes above and beyond his brief, providing quality drone footage, adapting methods to suit requirements and teaching TRC staff and school students how to use the technology. The environment and education in the region have benefited greatly from Ben’s knowledge and input. Examples include equipping a drone with infrared camera and spotlight to detect possums in the Kaitake Ranges, teaching Ngamatapouri students to use a drone to monitor water clarity, working with Waitara High School students to map seagrass meadows on Orapa Reef, and surveying pest plants along the Waingongoro River. Ben is a talented educator and enthusiastic environmental supporter.
Corteva Agriscience
For environmental stewardship above consent compliance and engaging with local community and hapū to protect the local environment.
Corteva Agriscience has built on an already excellent record of ensuring no stormwater leaves its Paritūtū site without careful checks to ensure it is good enough for the Lower Herekawe Stream and coastal waters. It has introduced extra safeguards to add strength to its environmental management system. Formerly known as Dow AgroSciences, the company proactively sought out views of Ngāti Te Whiti hapū and consulted neighbours before starting on the latest improvements. The project included boosting the capacity of the site’s stormwater holding area. This required excavation near a wāhi tapu site. At the hapū’s suggestion, the soil was used in landscaping and gardens on-site. Corteva Agriscience also helped to establish the Herekawe walkway, and staff take part in clean-ups of Herekawe Stream and Back Beach.
Govett Quilliam's sponsorship of the Environmental Leadership in Business stems from the firm's passion for the region and its environment. As part of our work, we have the privilege of providing legal solutions to businesses and organisations who are pushing the envelope in terms of what it means to be sustainable, both in business and in our day to day lives.
We think it is important to acknowledge the fantastic work that is being done and to recognise the innovations and environmental solutions that are not only being developed, but also implemented around our region. Such successes are inspirational and they provide benchmarks for us all to strive towards.
We wish to congratulate all the winners for their success and recognise those projects that did not leave with an award but still provided valuable contributions to improving our local environment through their ongoing work. We are very excited to see these projects progress over the coming years and cannot wait to see what new and exciting initiatives are showcased at next year's awards.
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