Te Pae Christchurch secures gold certification for sustainable operations

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has achieved Toitū enviromark gold certification ahead of its December opening in recognition of the venue’s commitment to sustainable practices.

The Toitū enviromark programme has been tailored for New Zealand businesses so they can establish, implement, and maintain an effective environmental management system.

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is a crown-led major anchor project for the regeneration of Christchurch delivered by Ōtākaro Limited and managed by ASM Global. Te Pae Christchurch will have capacity to host up to 2,000 delegates for a variety of national and international events. It will feature world-class purpose-built facilities including a 1,400 seat auditorium, up to 2,800 square metres of exhibition space and 24 meeting rooms.

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre General Manager, Ross Steele said to receive Toitū enviromark gold was a huge achievement for the team and noted “from the outset the Te Pae Christchurch team has been committed to sustainable operations and taking positive environmental action. We are exceptionally proud to reach this milestone in our pre-opening phase, particularly given how challenging the past few months have been.”

Enviromark Programme Advisor Chris Bailey said at gold level, certified organisations have implemented controls for both regulatory obligations and significant opportunities to improve their performance. Impacts are measured so they can be properly managed on an ongoing basis.

Bailey advised “Te Pae Christchurch chose to proactively implement managing their environmental risks and opportunities. Well before the opening of the Centre, the team at Te Pae Christchurch mapped out their business activities and identified any significant impacts arising from those business partners they might influence.  By implementing control systems well in advance of opening, Te Pae Christchurch is managing their risks and opportunities from the start.”

Te Pae Christchurch has been working with Toitū since early 2020. Venue Presentation Manager Jason Stewart has led the programme internally.

Stewart shared “the process to certification has had many benefits. It’s helped us nail down the goals we want to achieve as a business and the improvements needed to be more sustainable and environmentally conscious. And by getting every department thinking about what they do and the impact it has, it has solidified our environmental mindset.”

Stewart said with New Zealand’s reputation as a clean green destination, and venue sustainability becoming more important to clients during the decision making process, it was important Te Pae Christchurch aligned with New Zealand’s strongest environmental programme adding “Toitū fits that bill with a wealth of experience providing a strong level of mentoring and guidance to support not only our team but also our clients.”

For more information visit tepae.co.nz 

From its Asia Pacific headquarters in Brisbane, Australia, ASM Global operates a network of venues that includes convention and exhibition centres in Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Newcastle, Sydney, Christchurch (opening 2021), Kuala Lumpur and Shenzhen; Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong (opening 2023). For more information, visit www.asmglobal.com

Image top: Te Pau Christchurch Convention Centre Artist impression Victoria Square view