Christchurch in as finalist for Best City 2010

Christchurch’s successful Kerbside Collection project has seen the city reach the finals of the Best City 2010 award given out by Keep New Zealand Beautiful.

Christchurch vies with Rotorua for the title of Best City 2010, which will be decided by public voting on KNZB’s website www.knzb.org.nz. Rotorua is the current holder of the Best City title.

Public voting starts today (4 November) and will continue through to 4 December. Winners, including winners of  the categories listed below, will be announced at the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards Ceremony at Parliament House in Wellington on the night of Thursday 9 December. 

The Council application for the KNZB award highlighted the successes of the Kerbside Collection project, including its contamination rates which is the lowest of any local authority in Australasia and a reduction of total waste to landfill from Council kerbside and transfer stations of approx 44,000 diverted tonnes.

Keep New Zealand Beautiful offers awards in the following categories:

• Towns and Cities,
• Most Community/Environmentally minded schools,
• Environmental/Community
• Young Legends and
• Best Community/Environmental Initiatives

The finalists for the five categories are as follows:

• Best City - Rotorua and Christchurch
• Best Town - Pukekohe and Motueka
• Young Legend - Roseanna Gamlen-Greene (Christchurch) and Sam Johnston (Christchurch)
• Best Community/Environmentally Minded School - Tatuanui School (Morrinsville) and Selwyn School (Rotorua)
• Best Community/Environmentally Minded Initiative - Schools Environmental Education Programme (Keep Christchurch Beautiful) and Nukuhou Restoration Project (Pride Whakatane)