Alexander Road North tops Greenest Street Competition

Alexander Road North in Raumati has won Kāpiti’s  ‘Greenest Street’ title for 2012.

The Alexander Road North team showed the biggest reduction in its environmental footprint and residents found greener ways of doing almost everything in their daily lives from growing their own food to reducing waste and buying fewer consumer goods.

 KCDC’s unique role

The Kāpiti Coast District Council, which organised the contest, is the only council in the country to run a Greenest Streets Competition (first year, 2010).

Three streets entered this round, which started in October. They are Alexander Rd North, Raumati Beach; Grange Park Ave, Raumati South; and Wellington Rd North, Paekākāriki.

The Judges — Mayor Jenny Rowan, Joy Darke, Robert Glensor, Professor Brenda Vale and Liana Stupples — visiting all three streets.

Alexander Road North revealed greatly expanded gardens (and reduced lawns) chooks, rain barrels, biodigestors, frog ponds and a recycled BBQ.  Judges heard how neighbours helped put on a ‘green’ wedding for residents Gwen and Jason Capp who got married during the competition.

The Trojan Horse composter

The tour of Wellington Rd North started at Paekākāriki Holiday Park and judges saw a community composting operation and the unveiling of Geoff Osgood’s incredible ‘Trojan Horse,’ a huge hand-operated compost screening drum.  Residents also boasted an effective rodent trapping operation with the captives benefiting the local eel population.

Grange Park Avenue was able to demonstrate how residents had helped each other create productive gardens and begin looking at resurrecting old concrete rain tanks.

Judges’ criteria

Judges based 40% of the final score on their assessment of the street’s achievements as a community. The remaining 60% was calculated on the average environmental foot print – both the size at the end of the competition and the percentage reduction over the course of the competition.

Prize giving took place at Raumati South Memorial Hall. As the winner, Alexander Road North receives $3000 to be split between, school(s), charity(s) and a street project

A variety of other prizes were also awarded.

Awards given:

Award	Winner	Presenter	Prize
Biggest reduction in an individual’s environmental footprint	Joint winners: Jason and Gwen Capp (29%)Alexander Rd.	Prof Brenda Vale	Interislander $250 voucher for travel
Smallest environmental footprint	Piripi Whaanga (1.6 Earths)	Prof Brenda Vale	Rainharvester kit from Falcon Plastics
Project with the Greatest Reach	Alexander Road, for their campaign to get recyclable meat trays at the local supermarket	Robert Glensor	$75 of seeds from Love Plant Life
No.8 Wire	Geoff Osgood for the ‘Trojan Horse’	Robert Glensor	Workshop Voucher from Rubbish Free
Daring to Share	Grange Park Ave	Liana Stupples	Wine from Yealands and seeds from Purebread
Single Best Initiative	Wellington Road for their pest trapping operation	Liana StupplesJudith Le Harivel (Tree Crops Association)	Heritage Fruit Tree from the Tree Crops Association and $75 seed voucher from Love Plant Life
Best Use of Chooks	Carolyn Tristam	Joy DarkeJudith Le Harivel	Heritage Fruit Tree from the Tree Crops Association
Best Loss of Lawn	Diane Turner	Joy DarkeJudith Le Harivel	Heritage Fruit Tree from the Tree Crops Association
Best Edible Landscaping	Barbara Chalmers	Joy Darke	Workshop Voucher from Edible Backyard

 

Footprint results:

Grange Park Ave went from 3.6 Earths average to 3.4

Wellington Road went from 3.3 Earths average to 3.0

Alexander Road went from 3.3 Earths average to 2.7 (18% improvement).

Average improvement across all participants was 12%

 

 

 

 

For more information and interesting individual stories call Stacey Gasson 027 6111939