Bay of Plenty tourism operators awarded for work in sustainability

The team from the Cosy Corner Holiday Park with their award. Photo / Supplied

Two Bay of Plenty tourism operators have been nationally recognised for their hard work in tourism sustainability innovation.

Mount Maunganui's Cosy Corner Holiday Park and the Ohope Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park were both highly commended at the recent Tourism Industry Aotearoa Sustainability Innovation Awards.

Cosy Corner Holiday Park was acknowledged for undertaking significant efforts to reduce waste and carbon emissions.

To reduce carbon emissions, the park replaced its diesel water heating system with solar power.

Co-manager Greg Davidson said they hoped this would result in a cost-neutral heating system and more importantly, zero-emissions from water heating.

Park staff and guests also helped to sew re-usable fabric shopping bags for guests to use and packaging-free guest soaps were used to eliminate plastic.

The park had also eliminated plastic rubbish bin liners and a worm farm had been established for food waste.

Ohope Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park undertook energy and water saving, recycling and environmental programmes.

General manager Mark Inman said they aimed to preserve the natural beauty of the holiday park and the wider Ōhope Beach area so that future generations may enjoy it.

Measures that the park had undertaken included removing paper from its operations, waste reduction through recycling, worm farms and donating food scraps to local pigs.

Scrap paper was also shredded for local farmers' chickens' coops.

The park worked with local schools to help plant and educate on the importance of dune restoration for coastal communities.

The park utilised solar panels, bore water usage over town supply, greywater-safe cleaning products, electric golf carts and a kitchen garden for guest use.