2023 Awards
South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards
Sustainability and Environmental Award
Sponsored by Environment Canterbury.
2023 and 2024 Grants
Operational Grants
Mid & South Canterbury Community Trust and Ministry for the Environment
Biodiversity Facilitator pilot project, Timaru and Waimate Districts
2023 Grants
National Lottery Grant
Landscape design: the children’s play space and the BBQ/outdoor kitchen space
2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Grants
MfE Community Environment Fund, managed by Environment Hubs Aotearoa network (EHA)
Operational Grants employment Educator Activator part-time and overheads
2021, 2022, 2023 Grants
Environment Canterbury Waitaha Action to Impact fund towards Eco Centre operation
- Engagement of schools and community
- Coordinated by our Activator
Capital Funding and Donations
Conversion of donated former Highfield sports clubhouse, capital from Mid and South Canterbury Community Trust Timaru District Council, including:
- Support from Enviro NZ Council’s waste management contractor
- Legacy gifts and community donations.
Equipment gifted or permanently loaned for live demonstration of sustainability includes:
- A hot water heat pump from Warmth NZ.
https://www.warmth.nz/blog/roi-with-a-hot-water-heat-pump - Roofing material supplied by NZ Steel.
https://www.colorsteel.co.nz/products/usecases/roofing/ - Toilet-waste worm-based treatment system from Natural Flow NZ
https://www.waterflow.co.nz/products/wastewater-products/naturalflow-systems/ - Electric vehicle chargers installed onsite by Meridian Zero
https://zero.meridianenergy.co.nz/ - Rainwater storage tanks from RS Plastics
https://rxp.co.nz/tanks/water-tanks-max/
Purchases by the SSCT
- Solar PV panels and invertor (which generate more power than the building uses and put surplus back into the grid)
- Replacement double-glazed north-facing windows accompanied by insulated concrete floor as a sunshine heat store, to provide passive-solar space heating.
- Air to air heat pumps, controlled by thermostats.
- Excellent insulation featuring both wool and fiberglass batts.
- Sliding internal window shutters, for insulation and to control glare.
- Autex acoustic baffles to maintain sound comfort when the building is busy.
- Water-saving toilets.
- The project architects were Rushton Associates of Timaru.