The Environment

The Factory provides luxury accommodation on the Kaikoura coast, a remarkable coastline for its spectacular beauty and abundant wildlife. The people of Kaikoura care about their unique environment and have worked hard to protect it, with Kaikoura becoming the first community in New Zealand and second in the world to achieve Benchmark status in 2002 and certification status in 2004 through the EarthCheck program. Ngai Tahu has this to say about the Kaikoura coast, “Our natural environment, waters, coasts, oceans, flora and fauna and how we engage with them, is crucial to our identity, our sense of unique culture and our ongoing ability to keep our tikanga and mahinga kai practices alive.”

Kaikoura Council has many initiatives to ensure these standards are met:

• Zero Waste – with the promotion of waste minimisation within the town
• Energy efficient initiatives – preventing energy from being wasted in the community
• Community for Climate Protection – to help reduce carbon emissions
• Trees for Travellers – planting in Kaikoura to offset greenhouse gases
• Te Korowai o Te Tai o Marokura – local leadership about the use and protection of the marine environment
• Kaikoura Marine & Coastal Protection Society – working to reduce over-fishing
• Biodiversity project – supporting the expansion of the indigenous biodiversity of the district
• Work with business – to encourage the concept of a sustainable future
• Trash to Fashion Show – promoting the ideals of recycling and waste minimisation
• International conservation working holiday – organised to assist the completion of local conservation projects
• Fantastic no Plastic – trying to minimise the use of plastic shopping bags

All the marine activities operating along the Kaikoura coast are dedicated to protecting the environment and educating others about the need to do so, not just because their very business relies on protecting the wildlife in this area but because they wish to protect this amazing habitat for the future. They all work closely with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation and Whale Watch particularly, has set a global standard in eco-tourism.

People living along the Kaikoura coast have also initiated many projects to protect the environment with initiatives such as:

• Hutton’s Shearwater Trust – to promote the preservation, conservation and sustainable management of the endangered Hutton’s shearwater.
• Banded Dotterel Research and protection – educating people about the reasons for the decline in the population of these tiny birds and how to protect them.
• Kaikoura Wildlife Rescue – to help injured and ill native New Zealand birds in the Kaikoura coast area.

Staying at The Factory accommodation on the Kaikoura coast you will appreciate how beautiful the environment is but also take heart in the fact that it is not taken for granted, and locals and visitors alike are working hard to ensure a sustainable future for this unique environment.