Media Release 4 August 2008
Sustainable Living on the Increase - New Trust Established
Most of us want to do the right thing by the environment, but waver when it comes to knowing how to, and then having the motivation to stick with it.
But for the nearly 2000 New Zealanders who last year took part in a district council or regional council sponsored course with Sustainable Living Programme, living more-sustainably is becoming a habit.
Now a new trust established to develop the programme nationally, The Sustainable Living Education Trust plans to guide 3000 more Kiwis to a sustainable lifestyle in the next 12 months.
The not for profit trust, which is awaiting charity registration, is the brainchild of seven of the 25 local councils that make up the Sustainable Living Programme.
On 1st August the trust deed was signed and an official launch will occur before the end of the year, once the charity is registered. National Coordinator Rhys Taylor says the trust will provide a strategic backbone for the programme, with inaugural trustees drawn from staff at partner councils, including Auckland City, Greater Wellington Regional, Christchurch City, Waimakariri District, Dunedin City and Environment Southland. “All have extensive skills and a range of experiences to bring to the trust.”
“After six years of locally organised courses across New Zealand, it is positive that a national governance structure is coming together to take the programme to the next level.”
“The growing public popularity of the programme has meant servicing more and more council partners. The trust will be able to develop governance capacity beyond reliance on one Council as 'host'.” Since the outset, Marlborough District Council has coordinated and overseen the programme’s national delivery.
Six new partner councils joined the programme last financial year. These are Gisborne District Council, Kapiti Coast District, Palmerston North City, Waimakariri District, Greater Wellington Region and Auckland City. Councils planning to join in the next year include Wanganui, Far North and Waitaki Districts.
The programme focuses on practical tips and techniques to reduce your environmental footprint, such as house insulation, shopping choices to reduce waste, lower-carbon transport, and alternatives to toxic cleaning chemicals, plus practical composting techniques.
The Programme website is: www.sustainableliving.org.nz
For more information please contact:
Rhys Taylor
National Coordinator, Sustainable Living Programme
Ph 03 960 2656 or mobile 021 462 260 Email: rhys(at) sustainableliving.org.nz
Annie McDonald, Education Officer, Marlborough District Council. Ph. 03 578 5249
Media Release 11 May 2008
More New Zealand councils signing up for the Sustainable Living Programme
Auckland City Council signed up for the Sustainable Living Programme last week, the network’s latest recruit, while talks continue with six more councils keen to offer their residents affordable sustainability education.
National coordinator Rhys Taylor welcomes interest from other councils as “public demand for community education in sustainability is growing rapidly!”
Last Monday, an article on the programme in the New Zealand Herald drew many emails in response, including 55 people asking to be tutors, and the offer of three new venues for the programme in the wider Auckland area.
Courses have also begun this term in Christchurch, Swanson (Waitakere), Napier, Dunedin, Queenstown, Hamilton, and Havelock North.
More courses are planned for terms two and three in most of the 23 regions and cities throughout New Zealand that already offer Sustainable Living Programme (see: www.sustainableliving.org.nz)
Rhys says that with the support of local government and the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Living Programme courses are helping participants save on petrol, cut power bills, garden organically and reduce the amount of plastics and water they use in their homes, among other skills.
“With our local government backing, the Sustainable Living Programme can bring real environmental change to our communities, through people keen to learn and make a difference. They will even pay course fees to do it! We are keen to hear from councils who haven’t yet used the programme, to let them know of its benefits and how they can get involved.”
Hear Rhys talk about the Sustainable Living Programme to Rodney District Council staff and NGO guests in April 2008:
Presented by an independent filmmaker in five x 10 minute segments, posted on Youtube:
- Sustainable Living Part1 - Introduction to the speaker (Rhys Taylor, National Coordinator) and to this local government-led community education programme, in the context of Peak Oil and Climate Change. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF-4dLpop4A
- Sustainable Living Part 2 - The Sustainable Living Programme, its audience and content described, starting with the energy topic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-zz6LdOWQI
- Sustainable Living Part 3 - Programme content continued - waste topic, how learning happens in facilitated groups, shopping topic, gardening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYAaxCvKn3c
- Sustainable Living Part 4 - Programme continued - from water topic, to buildings and travel. What motivates action?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJGbr83SN8A
- Sustainable Living Part 5 - how these courses are delivered, their impact, who is running the Programme around NZ - councils, business, schools, UNDESD endorsed, compatible with TEC funding criteria, & how to contact:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1wGPVuHrHI
Case studies from Sustainable Living course participants are posted on MfE website
http://www.sustainability.govt.nz/news/2008/course-sustainable-living-great-success
, and in their new '25 steps' booklet:
http://www.sustainability.govt.nz/content/25-easy-steps-towards-sustainability
Media background at
http://www.sustainableliving.org.nz/sustainable-living-media-release.aspx
Information listing 23 partner regional and district councils
http://www.sustainablehouseholds.org.nz/about1.htm Auckland City so new it's yet to be added to that list!
Background Information for Media
The Sustainable Living Programme is innovative community education programme helping
Kiwis change their environmental habits at home and work. Managed by local government
the programme is delivered by a mix of high schools, environment centres and other
NGOs, in addition to information available anytime at this website and an associated longer-established one, sustainable households
Sample evening courses and workshops are
listed here. The programme has grown in coverage and experience since a 2001-2004 pilot project of 8 councils, to involve 23 regions, districts and cities now. The Ministry for the Environment is also backing the programme in 2008 as part of its drive for household sustainability and acknowledges the Programme in its Environment NZ 2007 publication (p72).
- Case studies are available, featuring typical class participants describing their experience and actions resulting.
- Media contacts: National Coordinator: Rhys Taylor Ph. 03 960 2656 or 021 462 260 Email: rhys(at)sustainableliving.org.nz (alternative email addresses available on request)
- Programme Manager: Annie McDonald, Environmental Education Officer at Marlborough District Council. 03 578 5249
- Contacts are available in all the partner councils, on request from Rhys or Annie.
- Logos are available for download here, for media publication alongside stories about the Programme. Note that these are being registered as trademarks, and protected from unauthorised use. Note that the Programme does not endorse products or services available from third parties or allow use of the logo by businesses, other than (at Feb 2008) specifically the Sustainable Business Company Ltd, which is a newly-licensed trial user of the education materials in workplace courses, in some regions of NZ.