MEDIA RELEASE

Record entries for community environmental awards

Friday 13 October 2006

A Bay of Plenty award for community environmental work has received more entries than ever before.

Environment Bay of Plenty’s annual environmental awards received 37 entries this year, twice as many as last year.

“More and more people want to get involved and make a difference,” says the regional council’s operations committee chairman Bill Cleghorn. “We can see by the standard of the entries that many are totally dedicated to it, and are doing excellent work for the environment - most of it voluntary. These awards give us the opportunity to acknowledge them for their fantastic efforts.”

Awards coordinator Sheree Phillips says the steep rise in entries is partly due to the addition of the council’s environmental journalism awards, which are usually held at a different time of year.

“We’ve received entries from all over the Bay of Plenty, from individuals, community groups, schools and businesses. People seem very keen to work either on their own or as part of a team, where they can utilise everyone’s skills and knowledge to the best effect.”

The type of work ranged from pest control to re-vegetation to environmental education.

Entries for the Environmental Awards closed on Friday 6 October. An awards ceremony will be held in Environment Bay of Plenty’s Whakatane office later this year.

ENDS

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