Media Release
Volunteering New Zealand

5 November 2012

Volunteering New Zealand launches Best Practice Guidelines

Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) launched New Zealand’s Best Practice Guidelines this morning (Monday 5 November) which will help volunteer-involving organisations profoundly.

The Guidelines were launched on International Volunteer Managers Day via national webinar. Vanisa Dhiru, Chief Executive of VNZ says, “Over 50 managers CEO’s, board members, academics and government agencies from the community sector tuned in to VNZ’s Programme Manager Claire Teal, who led the online launch and the development of these Guidelines”.

Biddy Harford, CEO of Te Omanga Hospice and Sonya Gale, Volunteer Manager at St John were two of 30 organisations who piloted the Guidelines. During the launch they provided examples of how the Guidelines have helped their organisations. Other pilot organisations came from a wide subset of organisations representing sport, cultural, youth, health and religious sectors.

Heidi Quinn, Volunteer Manager at Forest and Bird says, “It’s great to have these Guidelines out and ready to go - they have assisted in further managing our volunteers who are crucial to our organisation”.

Vanisa adds, “The webinar explained the benefits for volunteer-involving organisations and answered questions about implementation within organisations”. The Guidelines have been in development since early 2009 with the support of a volunteer Advisory group made up of VNZ member organisation representatives.

International Volunteer Managers Day is celebrated 5 November, annually. Those who manage, organise and motivate volunteers across the world are celebrated on this day.

To download the Guidelines and view the webinar online, visit our website – www.volunteeringnz.org.nz

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Scoop Business: Bathurst Gets Nod For DoC Access To Denniston Mine

Conservation Minister Nick Smith has approved access over conservation estate land for Bathurst Resources to develop an open cast coal mine on the Denniston Plateau, above Westport, to the dismay of environmental opponents.

The timing for Smith’s move avoids Bathurst having to resubmit applications for access agreements under the revised Crown Minerals Act, which comes into force tomorrow and would have required public consultation.

The announcement lands in the middle of delicate negotiations between the company, environmental groups and other interested parties that could pave the way to a broader agreement on the Escarpment proposal, whose resource consents are still subject to court appeals. More>>