Retirement villages across New Zealand selected as finalists in Sustainability Awards

16 July 2024

Environmental and community projects by retirement villages in Canterbury, Tasman, Pukekohe and New Plymouth have been announced as finalists in the Retirement Villages Association (RVA) Sustainability Awards. 

RVA executive director John Collyns said the awards recognised sustainability in building, design, landscaping, grounds and activities. 

“Many retirement village operators are working hard to create a sustainable future for their villages and the community around them,” said Mr Collyns. 

“We have three award categories, the APL Operator-led Sustainability Award, the Resene Resident-Led Sustainability Award and the Bunnings Trade Resident-Led Gardening and Landscaping Award. 

“The finalist projects cover a wide range of initiatives, from a waste reduction programme on a national scale to individual community initiatives. The standard of entries was very high and our judges had a difficult task to narrow them down to three per category.”

Finalists in the operator-led category are: the Arvida Park Lane in Christchurch for an electric vehicles and solar charging project; Summerset Group Holdings for the organisation’s waste-free construction projects; and Summerset Richmond Ranges in Tasman for its solar panels initiative. 

In the resident-led category, Oceania Healthcare’s Marina Cove in Picton has established a very successful worm farm programme to compost food waste. 

The Ryman Healthcare Kevin Hickman and Charles Upham villages have a thriving joint project to grow seedlings to plant in Christchurch’s red zone areas. Charles Upham is also a finalist for residents’  commitment to building nesting boxes, wētā hotels, and rat traps to support native species.

Park Lane residents are also finalists in the Gardening and Landscaping category for the transformation of the village’s gardens through innovative planting, composting and resource use.

The Pātaka Kai  project at Oceania’s Franklin Care Centre in Pukekohe has residents growing vegetables and herbs for a local community food pantry and has reconnected dementia unit patients with a passion for gardening. 

Residents at Arvida’s Molly Ryan village in New Plymouth have created a sensory garden, providing a therapeutic area while fostering a sense of community and belonging. 

Winners of the awards will be announced at RVA’s annual gala dinner at the organisation’s 2024 conference at Wellington’s Tākina Convention Centre on 27 August.

For further details on finalist projects, please contact, [email protected].