Welcome to the Environment Action Awards web pages.
The Environment Action Awards are a special event every 2 years to celebrate people and organisations who care for our environment and take action on sustainable homes and properties. The awards are jointly supported by Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Napier City Council, and Hastings District Council (as in the past) and now we are proud to include the Department of Conservation and Wairoa and Central Hawke's Bay District Councils as supporters.
We encourage everyone involved in take environmental action to apply for an award and show Hawke's Bay just how much you have done to benefit our environment and more sustainable living in the Bay!
On this page
News!
The Environment Action Awards will next be held in 2013. Applying for an award, or nominating someone you think has done a great job, is simple! Just download the PDF form, complete the form and provide additional material and photos as described.
The categories in the new Environment Action Awards provide something for everyone caring for our environment or creating sustainable living environments in the Hawke's Bay Region or DOC Hawke's Bay conservancy. Note that these categories may change closer to the awards in 2013.
- Outstanding Contribution to the Environment Award for a high level of environmental or conservation leadership, a ‘lifetime achievement award’.
- Local Environment Action Fund (LEAF) Project Excellence Award for an individual or group who has applied for funding through the Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) and progressed or completed their goal to a high level.
- Sus’d Programme Excellence Award for a family, group or marae who have made significant progress in running a sustainable home/s and property including people in Hastings Sus’d programme.
- DOC Catherine Tiffen Volunteer Award for individuals and groups who have demonstrated a significant contribution to conservation and the environment through their voluntary efforts. Open to all volunteers not just DOC volunteers.
- DOC Natural History, Heritage Conservation Award for individuals and groups who have demonstrated a significant commitment in encouraging the protection and cultivation of the natural fauna, flora and/or historic values within Hawke’s Bay.
- Community Environment Award for a high level of development of environmental projects in urban and rural areas, covering wetlands, bush regeneration, water quality etc.
Nomination advice
If you are nominating someone or a group in the community that you think has done a great environmental job, please be courteous and discuss it with them before sending in the form. They might like to highlight particular aspects you aren't aware of, or prefer to wait until the project has reached another stage! So please ask.
- Entering the environment action awards is easy!
- We announce the awards early in the year they are held and set a closing date.
- Just fill out the application form and write a short summary – one page is enough. But additional material can be attached if you think it will assist the judges to get a good impression. We need photos (2MB) for all entries as this really helps us get a good idea of your work and who’s involved. Photos will also be shown at the Awards ceremony.
- Send your entry to Hawke's Bay Regional Council by the closing date (details on form).
- We'll consider all the entries! Then we select finalists. We will keep both finalists and other entrants informed so you know what happens next. If you are not in the finals this year, we will let you know why. All entrants can enter again in following years. Past entrants in the Hawke’s Bay Environment Awards (up to 2009) can enter these new awards, while past winners can enter only with new projects.
- Finalists will be notified to arrange a visit by a judging panel made up of city, district and regional councillors and, for the DOC categories, a DOC officer. The planned dates for the visits to finalists are during the last week of October and the first week of November.
- The Environment Action Awards 2011 award presentation is a free public event and all are welcome! Dates are publicised on websites and in local newspapers.
- Category winners will be announced at the ceremony. Finalists will be acknowledged and everyone who entered will be highlighted at the event – so everyone will know what you have been working on.
- Winners will receive an art certificate plus $500 value in services/advice from councils or DOC. The "Outstanding Contribution" winner will also receive an art award to mark their lifetime achievement.
- Councils and DOC will organise media coverage of the event and the winners, so be prepared to put your best foot forward!
- We enter all winners in the national Green Ribbon Awards run annually by the Minister for the Environment, where there are suitable categories (as the Minister changes categories each year to reflect current government concerns).
For advice or more information, please contact the award coordinator at your local district or city council, or call the Regional Council 0800 108 838 or 835 9200 or the Department of Conservation (particularly on their award categories) on 06 834 3111.
If you want help with your project – to get it underway or move it onto the next stage – consider applying to our LEAF for funding to assist you achieve even more!