Five Neighbourhoods get the green light

The Greener Neighbourhoods’ reboot has kicked off for 2025. The programme connects groups of households as they develop and implement a sustainability project, with Council staff on hand to provide support along the way. 

Previous Greener Neighbourhoods groups have conceived a range of initiatives, such as community bike libraries, local predator control, nature restoration, garden, composting and waste minimisation and even household energy efficiency projects.   

This year there are five groups participating across the district, with Greener Neighbourhoods projects taking place from Paekākāriki to Ōtaki. Each group comprises five or more households – all within walking distance so they can easily collaborate on their project.  

Waikanae Beach was the first to get started, with six households that will collectively be known as ‘Waikanae Be Green’ during the programme. They held their inaugural meeting on a chilly evening in May, where they met with Rob and Evalina from the Council’s Climate Action team and discussed the programme, timelines, and potential opportunities.   

The group is still considering what their specific sustainability project might be: they are keen to learn more about sustainable gardening and composting and have requested workshops to help build this knowledge. They’re also excited to hear from WREMO about community emergency preparedness in the upcoming months. 

While this was the first time they came together for the 2025 Greener Neighbourhoods, there were some old hands; two households were part of the Greener Neighbourhoods competition almost ten years ago, and some of the neighbours had first met through Council’s Over the Fence Cuppas programme.  

The programme will run through to November and as it unfolds, the participating households will share their collaborations, new skills and knowledge through regular updates. Previously, Greener Neighbourhoods has followed a competitive format, but it’s now focused on collective achievements because when we prioritise sustainability, everyone wins.  

If you are interested in sustainability and would like to help shape Council’s proposed Emissions Reduction Strategy, you can share your feedback at: haveyoursay.kapiticoast.govt.nz