Northland marina, administrator win national marina operators awards

Tutukaka Marina's Roger Stephenson and Dylan Lease are stoked with their environmental initiative award. Photo/John Stone

Tutukaka Marina's plans to install the first Seabin in New Zealand have seen them recognised nationally among other marinas.

Three inaugural awards were handed out at the New Zealand Marina Operators Association conference in Tauranga and Taupo earlier this month.

Tutukaka Marina won the Environmental Initiative of the Year Award, while Chris Galbraith from Bay of Islands Marina and general manager of Far North Holdings won the Outstanding Individual Contribution award.

Auckland's Westhaven Marina won Marina of the year.

Tutukaka Marina manager Dylan Lease said he, assistant Roger Stephenson and the Tutukaka Marina Management Trust are "stoked about it".

The Seabin initiative is a combined effort with Ocean Spirit, Huanui College and Whangārei City Rotary.

Lease said the Seabin will be located in the northwest corner of the marina and will filter waste and particles from the water.

"This location will be easily seen by the general public and should help raise awareness of plastics and pollution in an area that is generally considered clean and pristine."

Lease said the Seabin has to come from overseas and they hope to have it installed before Christmas.

He also plans to get Ngunguru School involved to study what is collected from the Seabin.

The marina's entry for the awards covered their other environmental initiatives as well, but the judges focused on the Seabin when giving them this award.

Lease said the marina has a recycling hub that not only deals with standard recyclables but waste oil, boat oil filters and plastic oil containers as well.

"We're really stoked about our overall environmental plan because we're the gateway to the Poor Knights and it's a big responsibility."

Galbraith has been involved in the marine industry for 12 years with Far North Holdings.

He has been on the executive committee of the New Zealand Marina Operators Association for 10 years and chairman for the past year.

He has been involved in the development of the Bay of Islands marina and boatyard, and manages the more than 60 maritime recreation facilities in the Far North.

Galbraith said he was "very pleasantly surprised" to receive his award.

"I'm extremely proud particularly given it's the inaugural one and it's from peers in the industry."

He said getting two awards was fantastic for Northland "because it's a very important industry up here for us".