About us
Nelson Environment Centre is a not for profit, charitable incorporated society.
NEC (Nelson Environment Centre) has been demonstrating leadership within the community on sustainability issues in Nelson for 30 years. Our role has always been one of information provider and promoter of all things environmental.
We are a rapidly growing organisation with skilled professional staff overseeing each project.
We are an umbrella organisation actively supporting a large number of projects.
But what does “Sustainable” really mean?
Well, here at NEC this really got us talking...
Sustainability commonly refers to three aspects – environmental, social and cultural, and economic – and requires that the current generation does not live in such a way that it compromises the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
But here at NEC we wanted to aim higher than just to “meet our needs” (and everyone has a different idea about what their needs are!), we want to improve our quality of life. We also wanted to consider all the life forms sharing this planet.
So this is what we came up with:
“Living within the means of the planet to regenerate itself, so that future generations of all species may flourish.”
NEC’s History
The Nelson Environment Centre was NZ’s second environment centre to open and is one of NZ’s longest running, beginning over 30 years ago in 1976.
Its role has always been one of information provider and promoter of all things environmental. In the 1980s it linked up with the Ministry for the Environment and took on the role of administering grants.
A First: Recycling Services for Nelson
In 1992 the NEC offered Nelson its first Recycle Centre, with the Nelson Council providing land. It took the honour of being voted NZ’s best Recycling operation. The focus has always been on waste re-use where possible, and waste reuse shops in Tahunanui since 1994. We have operated we have also previously been involved in recycling glass, plastic, card, and paper.
Changing Behaviours: Waste Education begins
Since 2005 Tasman District Council has contracted NEC to provide free consultations to schools, business and the community on how to minimise their waste. NEC has provided the same service to Nelson City Council since 2006. Businesses are advised how to save resources (and money!), and school children recycle their waste, became worm farmers and organic gardeners, composting their lunch scraps. Today 12 out of 20 schools in the region have their own vegetable gardens making good use of the compost they have made from lunch “waste”.
Recent History
Times have changed and there has been a huge shift in awareness and interest in the environment: all that work over the NEC’s 30 years has paid off! |
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Here we are at our Akerston Street opening, with Helen in 2008.
