Hutt City Council recognised as an environmental leader

Hutt City Council is the first local council in New Zealand to obtain the international environmental management ISO 14001 accreditation for all areas of business.

The accreditation recognises Council’s proactive approach towards environmental sustainability and compliance with environmental laws and regulations.

Some of the council’s projects that demonstrate this leadership include: reducing energy by 50% at the Stokes Valley pool; maintaining a minimum fuel efficiency rating for vehicles; museums reusing timber for exhibition displays, and formation of a staff green team to champion sustainable thinking across the organisation.

Chief executive Tony Stallinger says the accreditation provides a framework for the Council’s approach to environmental policy and plans. It ensures we comply with all the relevant environmental laws and regulations.

“We regularly hear from residents that environmental sustainability is important so this accreditation reflects our commitment.

“ISO14001 enables the Council to consider the impact of what we do on the environment and ensure we’re always looking to reduce any adverse effects.

“The accreditation is another project in our 2009-2014 Environmental Sustainability Strategy.”

In 1996 Hutt City Council was the first local New Zealand council to get ISO9001 accreditation and the first council to receive the EnviromarkNZ Gold certification across all operational areas.