Winner of:
Excellence in Environmental Leadership Award
Supreme Award Winner

Waiaroha – Loving water

Waiaroha is home to a state-of-the-art water treatment plant, built right in the city centre, that supplies clean, safe drinking water to Hastings. But it is so much more than that…

The discovery centre and its landscaping are fully focused on helping people of all ages to understand all things water, maunga to moana, from a te ao Māori and a scientific perspective; helping us learn from the past to guide us through the future. 

All those involved in the project are passionate about sparking curiosity through hands-on learning, inspiring adults and children to explore, discuss new ideas, and be inspired to look after this precious taonga. 

Our purpose-built discovery centre, believed to be a first in the world, is premised on everyone understanding that water is critical to survival, that you cannot pull apart the three waters – to impact one is to impact all, the important part we all play in protecting water, and how we might do better in this space.

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Excellence in Organisation and People Development

Reimaginging Work

Whakatāne District Council
Whakatāne District Council has reimagined work. What began as a building refurbishment in response to required earthquake strengthening work resulted in a seismic shift in how we work. We realised
Award Year: 2024
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Excellence in Cost-Effectiveness

Climate Resilience versus Recovery Costs for Transport Networks

Auckland Transport
Auckland Transport analysed 215 landslides from 2023 storms, showing prevention is far more cost effective than recovery. Preventative works cost as little as 15–30% of recovery, aligning with global findings.
Award Year: 2026
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Excellence in Organisation and People Development

 Whangārei’s Organisational Strategy

Whangārei District Council
The Whangārei Organisational Strategy is a ground-up development to build a more inclusive, cohesive and effective organisation. The strategy had been driven (somewhat unusually) by the second and third tier
Award Year: 2021
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