ANZ Grow & BFEA Harvest Award & More...

ANZ Grow & BFEA Harvest Award - Palliser Estate Winery

The Palliser Estate Winery is a finalist in both the Harvest and Grow sections of the awards.

Award judges commended the Martinborough company's commitment to producing profitably within an environmentally aware structure (Harvest Award) while at the same time maintaining excellent staff and community relationships (Grow Award). "We commend the balanced approach to business and the environment taken by Palliser Estate Winery", the judges said.

Both the judges and Palliser's specially appointed environmental manager Sharon Goldsworthy point to the company's operating with a "triple bottom line"; a collective commitment to profit, environment and social aspects.

Palliser Estate Winery comprises 70 ha of flat land in five blocks on the outskirts of Martinborough. The company is part of the Living Wine NZ group who were the first wineries in the world to be certified to the environmental standard ISO 14001.

The award judges noted: This commitment has led to the development of a wide range of policies that have been well thought through and carefully implemented."

An example of this is the innovative irrigation system used on the property's trees, lawns and some rootstock grape vines. The water used is all filtered and recycled from that used in the winery.

Efforts are also made to recycle solid waste. The company is commited to achieving Zero Waste and has been part of the pilot project for that run by the NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Vineyard waste from pruning is mulched and left to break down between the grapevine rows. Under vine areas are mowen rather than sprayed and most spraying done is "preventative rather than curative".

"We are organic in style as much as possible" says Sharon Goldsworthy, "but we must reserve the right to go in with a spray if there is no other option and we may lose our crop. The reality is sometimes different from the theory."

Other things the judges liked:

Strong community leadership Ongoing support of trust set up to support local school At forefront of instigating Toast Martinborough Educating staff to reduce waste Very successful policy in place to reduce energy consumption Seaweed fertilisers used in trial blocks Manuka planted to host wasps which kill caterpillars on vines Founding members Sustainable Winegrowing NZ group Strong involvement with groups seeking to improve the industry Seek out other vineyards to form discussion groups Member of the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development SBN Breakfast: Practical Triple Bottom Line Reporting

Date: 13 May 2003
Time: 7.30 am
Venue: Level 2, Auckland Town Hall, Entrance on Queen St
City: Auckland

The Triple Bottom Line reporting model says that economic performance is not limited to financial information. It spans environmental, social as well as financial indicators encompassing wages and benefits, productivity, job creation, outsourcing expenditures, R&D investments, and investments in training and other forms of human capital. For those embracing or considering the Triple Bottom Line there are new challenges and rewards associated with the reporting process, as tools and metrics to measure social and environmental performance continue to evolve.

At this special breakfast seminar Richard Gordon of Landcare Research will describe how a TBLR can drive performance improvements across your business. Drawing from case examples, he will illustrate the importance, challenges and benefits of maintaining buy-in and the momentum to continue embedding environmental and social performance improvement initiatives into your organisation.

Gael Ogilvie, Senior Principal, URS New Zealand will provide an overview of some of the challenges that organisations face in developing TBLRs and integrating environmental and social performance initiatives into day to day business activities. She will discuss the benefits but also the risks associated with increased accountability to, and transparency with, stakeholders. Gael will also provide an overview of report verification what to look for and how to ensure that it will provide assurance on your TBLR.

An update on the MfE/SBN TBLR guide for SME's will also be given.

Please contact Christine Takiwa on 9202400 or email office@sustainable.org.nz to register.

Costs: $35 SBN Members, $60 non-members Richard Gordon (Landcare Research) appointed to GRI Stakeholder Council

Dr Richard Gordon of Landcare Research Ltd is among 22 people newly appointed to the Stakeholder Council of the Global Reporting Initiative in a GRI announcement of 31 March 2003. Richard advises there are two representatives from Australia and one from NZ and they will be working towards regional promotion and support of the GRI. Richard intends to get closer to ICANZ, MfE, and NZBCSD groups to see where GRI can best add value to what NZ is doing. Once two people in the labour category are confirmed these appointments will bring the number of new members to 24, and the number of the complete Stakeholder Council to 60.

The new appointees are from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Fiji, France, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Philippines, Spain, Taiwan, UK and USA.

Source: News and Views, email Ray Skinner at rayskinner@clear.net.nz to subscribe

Launch of the MFE/ARC reduce your rubbish campaign

The REDUCE YOUR RUBBISH campaign was successfully launched on April 11.

The campaign is led by MfE (Ministry for the Environment) and ARC (Auckland Regional Council).

Look out for the television ads and other promotions. WasteMINZ Workshops

27 & 28 May, War Memorial Centre, 48 Marine Parade, Napier

Don’t miss these workshops:

great opportunities to top up your knowledge share and exchange information on your special interest fees are ridiculously reasonable for WasteMINZ members site tours to the Omarunui Landfill and Pan Pac Forest Products in Whirinaki. New Zealand’s first Negotiated Greenhouse Agreement

The $180 million Future Fuels Project investment announced on 24 April by the New Zealand Refining Company (NZRC) is supported by the first successful Negotiated Greenhouse Agreement (NGA) to be put in place. An Economy of Connection - some thoughts after the Knowledge Wave by vivian Hutchinson

"Economics is good — but it is not enough." - Australian High Court Justice Michael Kirby, speaking to the Knowledge Wave Leadership Forum.

THESE ARE GOOD TIMES to be working on employment issues. The New Zealand economy has done very well in the last four and a half years … and continues to do well in the face of a growing world-wide recession.

Our economy has created 165,000 jobs since June 1998 (when the recovery in employment levels started to take off). We’ve just broken the 5% barrier and are now down to a 4.9% official unemployment rate. We’ve also broken the 100,000 barrier and are down to 98,000 people officially out-of-work.

This is all good news to a Labour-led government that has set its sights on jobs.

Last month, The Jobs Letter took a look at who has been getting the jobs in the latest economic recovery. We compared the figures for who were in work in June 1998, with the figures for December 2002. They wanted to find out how the recovery is working out for different age groups, regions and sectors ... and they wanted to help answer the question: Are the benefits of our growing economy being shared fairly?

Well ... there’s some good news and also some major concerns....

Changes to the Sustainable Management Fund funding rounds

The Ministry for the Environment is working to encourage community action for the environment. One way the Ministry supports such activities is by providing funding through the Sustainable Management Fund.

Some changes have been made to the Fund to better reflect the Ministry’s priorities. The changes are:

A greater emphasis on community level initiatives Funded projects will align with the Ministry’s priorities Priority will be given to one year projects (rather than multi-year funding) There will be one funding round per year.

This means that there will be no minor funding round (previously advertised as closing on May 1).

The Chief Executive may consider exceptional projects that need urgent funding outside of this timeframe on a case-by-case basis. Event: "Creating a New New Zealand" Has "Growth" Made Us Better Off? (GDP vs GPI)

Dr. Ron Colman says, "no, not when you include crime, pollution, wars and sickness as positive contributors to our society - as the popular measure of progress does in the GDP." Our economic well being is presently misguided by using the GDP. It is an artificial, fictitious measure of growth.

Dr. Colman, international leader in the development of the GPI (the Genuine Progress Indicator) is constructing an index of prosperity and well being for Nova Scotia as a pilot for Canada. This represents a quantum leap improvement over the currently used GDP - and enables us to create a more sustainable society.

Dr. Colman is being hosted in Auckland by Anew NZ and Massey University. The Ministry of Social Development and Local government NZ are subsequently hosting him in Wellington. There is in increasing interest in the wisdom of his work.

The evening includes a delivery by Dr. Colman, Q's and A's, group discussions and refreshments.

Have Your Say!

Wednesday, 7 May 2003, 6:15 - 9:15 PM
Venue: AT2, Atrium Building, Massey University, Albany
$20 per person (inc. GST) - concessions for Anew NZ Associates, students and seniors - $15;
Register by sending a cheque made to Anew NZ, Box 32 Albany.

Contact Greg Liggins at 358-5790 or telephone 413-9146. Invitation - Dr Rajendra K Pachauri, Chair of the IPCC

"How close is a Kyoto Protocol world? Issues still remaining and progress made"

EFNZ & IPENZ are pleased to combine to present Dr Rajendra K Pachauri, Chair of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)

Dr Rajendra K Pachauri is Director-General of the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI), New Delhi. The Institute's activities cover the fields of energy, environment, forestry, biotechnology, and resource conservation and it provides professional support to governments, institutions, and corporates worldwide. On April 19, 2002, Dr Pachauri was elected Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which he served as Vice Chair from October 1997 to April 2002. He is the first developing-country expert to head this global body and will do so for six years.

Friday 9 May 2003, 12.00 - 2.00pm
Renouf Foyer, Michael Fowler Center, Wellington
$25 (plus GST) per person (cancellations after 7 May and non-attendance will be invoiced)
Register NOW

RSVP energy.fed@xtra.co.nz NZ Landscape Conference: 25-26 July 2003, Sheraton Hotel, Auckland

The purpose of the conference is to debate the importance of landscape to New Zealanders, explore the reasons for the loss of our outstanding landscapes, examine overseas models of landscape protection and to identify ways of more effectively protecting our landscapes.

For perhaps the first time in New Zealand, EDS intends to bring together people from a wide range of perspectives with a strong interest in landscape. They will include landscape painters, photographers, writers, tourism operators, conservationists, resource management professionals, cultural heritage professionals, the judiciary and Maori.

They will explore the multifaceted ways in which landscape forms part of our New Zealand heritage and our sense of identity. Economic study into GM published

A report on the economic risks and opportunities from releasing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in New Zealand was released by Environment Minister Marian Hobbs on 17 April 2003.

The report includes interesting market research and economic analysis on the risks and opportunities around the release of GMOs in NZ.

Marian Hobbs noted that "The research shows that the most likely economic impact from the careful and considered release of GMOs would be a small increase in GDP over 10 years, compared to a small decrease from forgoing GMO releases". Ministry for the Environment's report - Towards a Triple Bottom Line

In March the Ministry for the Environment launched "Towards a Triple Bottom Line: A report on our environmental, economic and social performance".

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