February 8, 2008

Kia Ora Industry Partners,

The 2008 year has been kick-started with ongoing support for the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter through increased membership by Rotorua tourism businesses and partnerships with the wider business community.

Membership of the Charter group now stands at 62 after welcoming our newest Charter members: Agrojet, Clearwater Charters, and Keswick Christian Camp and Conference Centre and farewelling ICONZ Café after that business closed late last year. We also welcome our newest Charter preferred supplier - Spark Energy Ltd. A supplier of efficient biomass heating solutions Spark Energy has agreed to rebate 0.25% of boiler sales made to Charter member businesses or $500 per sale (whichever is higher).

The Charter will soon be recommencing Sustainability in Action functions over the shoulder and winter periods. These functions are hosted at Charter member businesses and are an opportunity for the host business to showcase their efforts towards increased sustainability, learn about new sustainable products from guest speakers and network with other likeminded individuals. All Charter member businesses will receive their invitation to attend the first function in due course, but for those non-Charter member businesses interested in attending please register your interest to receive an invitation by emailing

We invite you to read on to learn more about sustainable opportunities available to your business and as always value any feedback you would like to share with us.

Kind regards

Harvey James
Chairman, RSTC
Waimangu Volcanic Valley
Ph. (07) 366 6137

Eldad Collins
Sustainability Assessor
APR Consultants
DDI (07) 349 8325

Gina George
Research Co-ordinator
Destination Rotorua Marketing
DDI (07) 349 7289

In This Issue

Green Drinks

Green Drinks is a global organisation that promotes sustainability through networking. People with an interest in sustainability, the community and the environment get together over a drink and network.

The Rotorua chapter meets on the last Tuesday of every month. Register your interest in attending the next event by emailing

www.greendrinks.org

building for life

www.greenbuild.co.nz

Eco building just got a whole lot easier with the launch of GreenBuild - an online product database that addresses the growing demand for independent information on the environmental impact of building products. The long-term goal is to create a virtual library where architects and specifiers can quickly and easily compare products, choosing the one that is best for the environment given the context of their particular project.

GreenBuild in partnership with key research organisations and industry players has developed a product assessment framework that works alongside Environmental Choice New Zealand and the New Zealand Green Building Council’s Green Star rating system. The GreenBuild evaluation provides a useful first step towards full lifecycle assessment of building products. Each product’s environmental footprint is rated across five categories: energy use, human health, pollutions, resource efficiency, and natural habitats and land use.

Manufacturers are provided with a level playing field – they can contrast their products’ environmental performance with similar wares. It highlights manufacturers’ strengths and areas for potential improvement, ensuring continual improvement in the sustainability of products used in New Zealand buildings.

PLAY YOUR PART – check out www.greenbuild.co.nz when you’re next planning a project.

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keep your cool … with Resene Cool Colours

www.resene.co.nz

Ever thought a house or building would look great painted in a sleek, dark colour – then had to shelve plans for fear of the heat damaging the substrate or the building getting unbearably hot in summer? Well, forget all that. Resene Cool Colour technology, which can be used on almost all exterior materials, makes painting exterior surfaces in dark colours both easier and safer.

Resene’s Cool Colour pigment technology allows dark coatings to reflect heat away from the surface, reducing stress on the coating and substrate, and limiting subsequent heat related damage. The technology also minimises the build-up of unwanted heat in the building, keeping air conditioning and cooling costs down.

Although it’s hard to believe, these two colours behave the same in heat resistance tests. Thermocouples are affixed to the back of these colour panels to ensure a good thermal contact and then infra-red light is shone onto the painted panels with the temperature rise on the thermocouple panels being plotted. The grey panel is a standard coating. The black panel uses Resene Cool Colour pigments. The black Cool Colour panel has the same infra-red (heat) absorption as the standard paint finish on the grey panel, demonstrating the reflective benefits of Resene Cool Colour technology.

Colin Gooch, Technical Director for Resene Paints explains that in terms of technology, the Cool Colour effect can also be seen in plants. “Most plants have leaves of a very high chroma green. If those leaves reached the same temperature when exposed to solar radiation as those of a similarly coloured paint they would shrivel and die. They don’t because the chlorophyll pigment absorbs what light it needs from the visible range to photosynthesise but reflects the infra-red range, keeping the plant cool” says Colin.

When it comes to roofs, having a darker shade in winter will not make much difference to how hot your roof – and home or building will get, however during the higher temperatures of summer the Cool Colour coating will make a difference by reflecting the heat away from the building.

Bill Scapens, the owner of Treks Backpackers, has recently finished painting the exterior of his backpackers with Resene’s Cool Colours system.

According to Bill, in addition to saving energy in air conditioned buildings, the paint’s smooth texture means the building can be cleaned with less water and chemicals.

PLAY YOUR PART – choose Charter Preferred Suppliers

Resene Cool Colours are available in a range of paints and stains so check with your local Resene ColorShop consultant for the product you need.

Mark Aschoff
Branch Manager Bay of Plenty

Phone: (07) 578 4169

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making an e-paper chain

www.tour-guide.co.nz

Elite Adventures has been a Charter member for three years and in that time company director Trent Neilson says “his company’s philosophy has fitted well with the Charter’s commitment to improved sustainability”. His business is involved in promoting social and environmental sustainability through such actions as well maintained vehicles, limiting group numbers, recycling waste, supporting the Ngongotaha Restoration Trust and being involved with ‘Save the Kiwi’.

As a guided tours business fuel consumption is a key sustainability concern and Trent is currently looking into purchasing a more fuel efficient vehicle. In the long term he is looking towards having Elite Adventures become carbon neutral. “We haven’t put too much thought into this issue in the past but it’s an issue that’s not going away and I believe we’ll have to address it at some stage”, says Trent.

However, it is in the area of administration that Trent is challenging the tourism industry to think outside the square. He says “his business is going through a surprisingly large amount of voucher paper and is sure the same is true for other similar businesses”. Trent believes a paperless system, or at least a system that uses less paper should be possible. While it would require a co-ordinated effort between various parties in the distribution chain, it does not have to be complicated and in the short-term might be something as simple as issuing reusable vouchers, while in the long-term perhaps an electronic ticketing system is possible.

So folks get your thinking caps on and start liaising with those in the distribution chain like Trent who are keen to implement a more sustainable voucher system.

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recycling hybrid car batteries

Major manufacturers of hybrid cars are going the extra mile to prevent hybrid car batteries finding their way to the landfill. Although hybrid batteries are not the same as conventional lead acid car batteries, which are filled with nasty, corrosive, carcinogenic ooze they still contain toxic levels of nickel metals.

While it would appear the challenge of recycling is some years away yet, given the only hybrid vehicles on the road are late models, the major car manufacturers are prepared. Already they have identified that every part of the battery, from the precious metals to the plastic, plates, steel case and the wiring, can be recycled.

Each hybrid vehicle battery carries a toll-free number to call for disposal advice. Toyota offers a $200 bounty for the return of their batteries to the company for recycling, while Honda will collect the battery and transfer it to a preferred recycler.

Click here >>> to check out the design tool that Toyota’s engineers use to measure impacts throughout a vehicle’s life cycle – during design and production, distribution, use and disposal.

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one small step brings its rewards

Do you think your business is below the radar when it comes to CO2 emissions? That your business is not one of the big polluters, such as power generators or transport providers and therefore addressing CO2 emissions is hardly worth the effort? Downtown Auckland law firm Lowndes Associates begs to disagree - they have become New Zealand’s first carbon neutral law firm.

They see New Zealand as being significantly behind other countries’ efforts in reducing emissions, and with government support for assertive emission-reduction programmes ebbing, businesses need to take responsibility for their own activity – both to preserve New Zealand’s environment and to remain globally competitive.

Lowndes Associates have found that going carbon neutral is not particularly difficult and there are some great spinoff benefits. Through their international work and network they have found substantial advantages for carbon neutral businesses, such as cost savings through more efficient energy use. Lowndes Associates foresee increased market share and brand loyalty for these businesses as consumers gravitate toward environmentally friendly products and services.

Click here >>> to read the full article about why Lowndes Associates chose carbon neutrality.

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looking at the big picture

www.photoarts.co.nz

PhotoArts is walking the talk when it comes to sustainability. Not only is PhotoArts a leader in supplying sustainable printing options, but they have gone the extra mile in integrating sustainability into the production of the jobs they undertake for their clients.

Rod Meharry, director of PhotoArts says “We are constantly looking at ways to build sustainability into our products through such actions as reusable eyelets for banners, printing directly onto card instead of vinyl onto acrylic for wall displays, and overlaying used coreflute with new jobs to increase the lifecycle of the material”.

When Rod had the opportunity to add new printing equipment to the business he looked at alternatives to solvent printers, because he was aware of the harmful impacts solvents can have on the environment. He chose a UV ink printer and has been so impressed with its performance that PhotoArts is increasingly using it for jobs that would have once only been considered suitable for a solvent printer.

PLAY YOUR PART – next time you’re considering signage check with PhotoArts first. They are suppliers of BIOflex – a quality banner material used by Universal Pictures and Nike. BIOflex contains no toxic chemicals and naturally biodegrades at the end of its lifecycle.

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NEW on the market

Crank it up
Here’s a nifty all in one flashlight, compass and USB device charger. Powered by the might of your arm the Torch Cellphone Charger makes losing your way, being without light and having flat batteries a thing of the past.
Available for sale in NZ - Click here >>> to find out more.

Hitting the deck
Bamboo flooring is not only eco friendly, but also extremely durable and great looking. It comes from self-regenerating plantations that are ready for harvest in just five years and unlike other timbers will re-grow to full maturity from the same root system once harvested. To find out more visit www.linellimports.com

Plug and play energy
The USBCELL is a NiMH AA battery that can be used like a normal battery, however unlike a normal battery it has its own built in intelligent USB charger. Easily charge USBCELL rechargeable batteries by simply plugging them into any USB device – your PC will do fine, but equally good is your game station.
Available worldwide from www.usbcell.com

PLAY YOUR PART … let others know about the innovative sustainable products you’re using in your business. Flick the details to and she’ll spread the word in future Charter newsletters.

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charter sponsors

Charter sponsors are organisations that are committed to improving sustainability within the local community and have agreed to financially assist the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter group. Sponsors choose to either make a fixed sum contribution towards Charter group operating costs or to sponsor the cost of a specific Charter group project

GOLD sponsors - $10,000+ donation

Environment Bay of Plenty 's work guides and supports the sustainable development of the Bay of Plenty .  It makes sure the Bay of Plenty region grows and develops in a way that keeps its values safe for future generations.
www.ebop.govt.nz

Destination Rotorua Tourism Mark eting has prioritised the sustainable development of tourism in Rotorua as a key driver of its growth strategy in the Rotorua Visitor Industry Strategic Plan 2007-2015.
www.rotoruaNZ.com

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charter preferred suppliers

Charter preferred suppliers are local businesses that have a variety of sustainable products for sale and have agreed to financially assist the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter. Suppliers choose to either contribute a fixed sum annually to the Charter group or rebate back to the Charter group a percentage of sales made to Charter member businesses. By choosing Charter preferred suppliers you are making your supply chain more sustainable and contributing towards the long term viability of the Charter group.

When it comes to office supplies, OfficeMax means more... More savings, bigger range and better service, so you get maximum value for your business. Get the advantage with OfficeMax!
www.officemax.co.nz

Resene products extend through a full range of paint and specialist coatings for residential and commercial buildings, marine, heavy industrial, road marking, automotive and agricultural use.
www.resene.co.nz



Rotorua Drycleaners and Apparelmaster offers a professional drycleaning and laundry service. It is a total workwear service (including uniforms, towels, mats and dispensers) that can be tailored to exactly meet your specific business needs.
www.apparelmaster.co.nz
www.rotoruadrycleaners.co.nz

Spark Energy Limited has partnered with a number of parties that bring the required capabilities to deliver a dependable and efficient biomass heating solution to the commercial market.

www.sparkenergy.co.nz

Waveline Pacific Limited is a family run import and distribution business, operating from a central base in Matamata. It specialises in finding sustainable product choices for common business consumables.
www.waveline.co.nz

Play your part by supporting these businesses that have agreed to provide a sustainable revenue stream for the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter

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charter marketing benefits

Click here >>> to check out the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter collective marketing benefits pitched at that segment of the visitor market interested in participating in a sustainable visit to Rotorua.

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charter assessment process status

Interested in becoming a member of the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter? There are four key actions all members complete as part of their sustainability assessment. These are:

  1. Complete a Preliminary Sustainability Assessment (PSA).
  2. Receive a site visit from the Sustainability Assessor.
  3. Receive an Assessment Report.
  4. Provide an annual Statement of Action (SOA).

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charter membership – February 2008

Attractions & Activities

Agrodome
Agrojet
Air Discovery Ltd
Aroha New Zealand Tours
Buried Village
Careem Wellness Spa
Elite Adventures
Freefall Xtreme
Hell's Gate & Wai Ora Spa
Kaitiaki Adventures
Kawarau Jet Rotorua
Mamaku Blue Blueberry Experience
Mana Adventures
Mitai Cultural Experiences
Multi-Day Adventures
NZONE The Ultimate Jump
Off Road NZ
Paradise Valley Ventures
Polynesian Spa
Raftabout
Rainbow Springs Ltd
River Rats Rafting & Adventures
Rotoiti Tours
Rotorua Bungy & Swoop
Rotorua Duck Tours
Rotorua Museum of Art and History
Skyline Skyrides
Tamaki Heritage Experiences
Te Puia
Te Urewera Treks
Volcanic Air Safaris
Waikite Valley Thermal Pools

Waimangu Volcanic Valley
Walking Legends
Wet ‘n' Wild Rafting Company Ltd
Whakarewarewa – The Thermal Village
Zorb Rotorua

Accommodation

Alpin Motel and Conference Centre
East West Homesay
Essence of New Zealand - Pukeko Landing
Heritage Rotorua
Kingsgate Hotel Rotorua
Lyons Lakestay
Millennium Hotel Rotorua
Peppers on the Point - Lake Rotorua
Novotel Lakeside Rotorua
Rydges Rotorua
Solitaire Lodge
Sport of Kings Motel
Treks Rotorua
Tresco B&B
Waimarama International

Supporting Businesses

APR Consultants
Destination Rotorua Marketing
PhotoArts NZ Limited
Rotorua Regional Airport
Simply New Zealand - Rotorua
Tourism Rotorua Travel & Information Centre
Triple 1 Five … on Tutanekai
Waiariki Institute of Technology

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Recipient Details

We have collected your contact details.  This information is collected to enable us to keep you up to date with tourism news pertinent to the Rotorua tourism market and keep you informed of the activities of the Destination Rotorua Marketing office.  We will not disclose your contact details to third parties.

Sender Details

Gina George
Destination Rotorua Marketing
Private Bag 3007, Rotorua
Phone +64 7 349 7289
Fax +64 7 349 4133

www.sustainableNZ.com