Environmental Sustainability
thl is committed to managing and developing its business in a sustainable manner and to minimising the environmental impact of its activities.
To become a sustainable business thl focusses on balancing three main principles: cost effectiveness, environmental responsibility and social responsibility.
Steps have been taken each year to deliver on this approach. This year has been no exception.
In Australia, thl partnered with the Leave No Trace Recreational Vehicle Code of Conduct programme and successfully completed the process to achieve Eco Tourism Australia’s Nature Tourism certification.
Similar to the Leave No Trace philosophy in Australia, thl in New Zealand has been a member of the Freedom Camping Forum since its inception. The forum is committed to educating visitors to New Zealand about Kaitiakitanga (guardianship), ensuring that customers camp responsibly.
In New Zealand, the thl rentals business achieved the Qualmark Enviro-Silver Award. The business partnered with the Tourism Energy Efficiency Programme (TEEP) to audit the Auckland branch and share learnings across the national branch network to improve energy consumption and cost savings.
This partnership extended to the design of the new maui Platinum motorhomes at Ci Munro. Prototype designs were tested for heat loss using infrared thermography, with results that allowed thl to make improvements that reduce heat loss by 15%.
Ci Munro will make further gains in sustainability through the Better by Design programme which thl has been accepted into. The engagement with Better By Design who are a specialist group within New Zealand Trade & Enterprise extends beyond thl’s manufacturing arm and sustainability. Design unlocks better thinking, better approaches and a better customer connection. The relationship with Better By Design and design philosophies will therefore be integrated throughout the business – from core product through to total customer experience.
Within its Tourism Operations, thl’s management of the Glowworm Caves is founded upon sustainable use and protection of the cave and its natural environment. Management of the cave is controlled by an environmental management plan developed in conjunction with an Environmental Advisory Group which includes the Department of Conservation (DoC) and local Hapu.
Waitomo Glowworm Caves Visitor Centre
The new Waitomo Glowworm Caves Visitor Centre illustrates how well sustainable design can work for tourism, the environment and the local community. Sustainability is expressed in the design through the unique architectural form and the relationship with the site’s topography and ecology, the minimisation of energy consumption, the protection and conservation of water, the use of environmentally friendly materials.
The predominant material used for the visitor centre is sustainably managed timber. This results in a low embodied energy structure which ‘locks in’ carbon. The roofing material which is made from teflon (ETFE) pillows covers the grid shell and is extremely durable, self-cleaning, recyclable and highly transparent to the full spectrum of sunlight.
Energy consumption is minimised by providing high levels of insulation to occupied areas and heat pumps for energy-efficient heating. The highly transparent canopy maximises the use of natural lighting, and ventilation is provided through a mixed mode, natural and mechanical system.
The visitor centre is self-sufficient in terms of water supply, with canopy rainwater being discharged via a landscaped swale, with peak overflow to the river and water supply being taken from the river after local filtration and treatment. The centre also uses water efficient sanitary fixtures.
The visitor centre represents a unique low carbon design response to the site. The building is semi enclosed and opens at both ends, and thus cannot be compared directly to the usual ratings of fully enclosed buildings. It would, however, sit comfortably with an equivalent 4 – 5 Green Star NZ or Silver – Gold LEED US rating.
thl have recently partnered with Conservation Volunteers in Australia and New Zealand. Our customers have the opportunity to deeply engage with environmental projects by connecting with Conservation Volunteers through our various websites. This opportunity has also been extended to the thl crew many of whom are active in this field and we are committed to raising money to support the projects.
thl currently contributes to a number of worthwhile local and broader community sponsorships.
thl a proud sponsor of The Foundation For Youth Development. The Foundation for Youth Development was founded by Graeme and Jo-anne Dingle and is a leading organisation managing proven youth development programmes aimed to inspire school aged children to reach their full potential. This sponsorship is led by our Britz brand and its involvement in ‘The Big Walk’ – this walk sees groups of kids traverse the length of New Zealand.
Maui has supported the Oxfam Trailwalker in New Zealand since 2006 and some of the thl crew have completed the 100km walk too. The Event is not only a lot of fun but raises profile and significant funds for Oxfam projects in our part of the world.
Explore More provided a campervan for the Stellar Trust to travel to schools and communities throughout the country to promote “A P Free NZ”. The key objective of the Stellar Trust is to raise money to fund programmes that will in time lead to a major reduction in the usage of methamphetamine or ‘P’, particularly by younger people.