April 2023 - Bay of Plenty Business News

6 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS April 2023
COASTAL VISITOR SECTOR
Putting sustainability talk into action
– participants and supporters gather
to launch The Green Room in Ōhope.
Photo/Tourism Bay of Plenty
COMMITS TO GREENER PRACTICES
Tourism Bay of Plenty has launched the first Eastern Bay of Plenty intake of its free 12-week programme, The Green Room | Te Rūma Kākāriki,
in Ōhope. Eighteen businesses and organisations are taking part in the cohort.
The part-time programme takes
a holistic approach to sustainability,
incorporating economic,
visitor, community, and environmental
actions. It includes topics such as
carbon footprint measurements and
practical steps that can be taken to
reduce waste and carbon.
Whakatāne District Council deputy
mayor Lesley Immink, Tourism
Bay of Plenty general manager
Oscar Nathan, and Tourism Industry
Aotearoa sustainability advocate
Gisela Purcell were key speakers at
the March launch event, which was
followed by a workshop for programme
participants.
Tourism Bay of Plenty head of
strategy and insights, Stacey Linton,
says the launch was particularly
timely given the recent unseasonable
weather in the North Island, which
dramatically highlighted the realities
of climate change.
The Green Room was first
launched in Waihī Beach in May last
year, and 28 Coastal Bay of Plenty
visitor sector businesses and organisations
have since graduated from the
programme. Stacey says the aim is to
have 100 graduates from across the
region within two years.
“Consumer values are changing
as people become more conscious of
climate change and the impact of their
actions. Locals and visitors are wanting
to support businesses and destinations
that leave a light footprint
or, better yet, give back. This was an
emerging market pre-Covid, and it’s
growing,” she says.
“According to Expedia, 90 per
cent of consumers are looking for
sustainable options while travelling.
Half said they would pay more for
transportation, activities, and accommodation
if the option was more
sustainable.”
The Green Room is managed by
Tourism Bay of Plenty, delivered by
Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA),
and funded by Toi Moana Bay of
Plenty Regional Council. Whakatāne
District Council is also supporting
this particular cohort.
Further information about
The Green Room is available at:
bayofplentynz.com/sustainability-andregeneration/the-green-room-teruma-kakariki/
Whakatāne region participants
– cohort launch 15 March 2023
VMAC Rides, KG Kayaks, Motu
River Jet, Moutohorā: Island Sanctuary,
Ngāti Awa Tourism, Omataroa
Eco Trust, Mata Beer, Aotearoa
Breweries, Ōhope Beach Golf Links,
Air Chathams, Wild Food Challenge
(WDC), The Good Tonic, Ohope
Beach Top 10 Holiday Park, Ōhope
Beach Motel, ProSail, Whakatane
Golf Club, Whakatāne Holiday Park,
Awakeri Rail Adventures, Tasman
Holiday Parks, Ohiwa Beach.
ww
The mode shift
challenge
The reason is obvious to
almost all, the excep-
Proudly supporting the Bay of Plenty community tions since being the 1940. diminishing
number of naysayers
Proudly supporting the Bay of Plenty Specialising in:
who have yet to accept that
Proudly supporting community the Bay of Plenty since 1940. community since 1940. human-induced impacts on climate
represent a real threat to
s | surveyors | planners
Specialising in:
• Subdivision, Land Use & development • Freshwater our planet; and management those who simply
don’t care enough to take
consents
advice
& policy advice
Specialising in:
notice.
n, Land Use • Rural, & development
lifestyle & residential subdivision • Freshwater management • Culvert New consents
Zealand Design is committed & Applications
to being ‘carbon zero’ by 2050 future.
the Bay of • Plenty Boundary community adjustments since 1940. & policy advice • 3D Laser Scanning
and even with the offsets provided
by growing management forests, that’s advice
• Subdivision,
Drone Surveys
land use & development advice
style Specialising & residential in: subdivision
• Culvert Design & • Applications Nutrient
• Rural, lifestyle & residential subdivision
a big ask.
adjustments
• 3D Laser Scanning Tauranga City Council
• Boundary adjustments
rveys
• Nutrient management
is
advice
working on a number of
lopment • 1180 Drone Amohia • surveys Street, Freshwater Rotorua 3010management consents
• Ph: Freshwater +64 7 349 8470
& management policy advice consents & policy advice
vision • Culvert • design Culvert & applications Design & Applications
et, Rotorua 3010
0
• 3D laser • scanning 3D Laser Scanning
• Nutrient • management Nutrient management advice advice
1180 Amohia Street, Rotorua 3010
Ph: +64 7 349 8470
engineers | surveyors | planners
engineers | surveyors | planners
Government and local government agencies
and private sector organisations around the
world are working hard to reduce their carbon
emissions – well at least the responsible ones are.
By ANNE TOLLEY, Tauranga
Commission Chair
fronts to reduce its carbon
footprint, and that of the city.
As it stands, most of the city’s
carbon emissions come from
transport activities and most of
the transport emissions come
from private vehicles. In brief,
our major focuses are:
• We want to have a more
efficient transport network,
so people can get where
they need to go and spend as
little time as possible sitting
in queues with their engines
running;
• We want more people to use
public transport, so there are
less cars on the road;
• And we want to make it as
safe and easy as possible for
people to use active transport
modes like cycling,
scootering and walking.
In part, our parking strategy
also aims to contribute to mode
shift. We obviously want people
to be able to park in our key
commercial areas when they
need to, but the parking activity
also needs to be a good fit
for the low-carbon world of the
Businesses have a key role
to play too, both in addressing
the carbon emissions their
activities generate, and by
helping their employees to
shift away from using private
transport to get to and from
work. That might mean setting
up a ride-sharing arrangement;
or encouraging the use of public
transport or the take-up
of e-vehicles and e-bikes; or,
where it’s possible, encouraging
people to work at home at
least some of the time.
So here’s a challenge to shift
our mind-set about the way we
get around the city. Maybe
there are some financial incentives
a forward-thinking business
could use to encourage
change. For example, we may
Anne Tolley
need to provide facilities for
people to shower and change
after they’ve ridden, run or
walked to work. Or perhaps
we need to provide places for
people to lock-up and recharge
their bikes during the day.
Tauranga City Council is
investing in the latter two items
as part of the development of
our future leased administration
building at 90 Devonport
Road. The council has also
introduced loan schemes to
help staff who want to purchase
e-bikes get over the initial
financial barrier, and is providing
bus passes to staff for their
work commute, to encourage
the use of public transport.
Many of our staff work at home
for some of the week, which
also requires an investment in
connectivity and online meeting
capability.
All of these things are imminently
achievable and they
allow us to get ahead of the
carbon reduction game. Except
it’s not a game – it’s a necessity
and the sooner we start, the better
the outcomes will be for us
as individuals, organisations,
communities and countries.
Challenge issued!