A pilot project launched by Auckland Council last year is already addressing issues raised by Waiheke Island residents in a recent household survey.
The three-year pilot started in December to trial ways of giving the Waiheke Local Board and community more influence over decision-making.
The council’s Research and Evaluation Unit sent 4734 households letters, with 477 responding, as part of the project to provide a baseline of where concerns rest.
Read MoreThree Waiheke Vineyards have more to be proud of this summer than their award-winning food and wine. Casita Miro, Batch Winery and Passage Rock have been working with the Waiheke Resources Trust to incorporate large scale Bokashi composting with the aim of reducing organic waste to landfill and instead turning it into nutrient dense soils to grow vegetables for their restaurants.
Read MoreA surge in technology-fueled travel is pushing European governments to consider the effects of “overtourism" and how to curb it. According to the U.N. World Tourism Organization, international trips rose 6% in the first half of the year, aided by such innovations as the rise of low-cost airlines; bigger cruise ships; internet sites, including online booking, local reviews, smartphone mapping, and ride-hailing and home-sharing; and social media and its emphasis on personal-brand building through photos.
Read MoreGlobal tourism has grown exponentially over recent decades. The cost of travel has come down. It's easy to research and organise a weekend away with a few clicks, and more people have the income to travel.
We shouldn't expect global tourism to slow. Travel is becoming cheaper and easier. In our selfie world of cheap consumer goods, travel offers a great way to break the boredom of daily life.
In New Zealand, we now get nearly 4 million visitors a year, up four-fold since 1990. Kiwis took nearly 4 million trips offshore, also up four-fold since 1990. Sometimes it's cheaper to go on a overseas trip than a local holiday.
Read MoreCarbon Neutral NZ - a project driven by long-time Waiheke residents of Lynda and Lindsay Jeffs - has launched an online calculator where people can measure their carbon footprint, including the footprint of the guests who stay in the homes or other spaces that Waihekeans rent out to visitors.
The calculator is live at https://www.carbonneutraltrust.org.nz/enter-your-carbon-data.
Read MoreThe Government this morning has launched a draft Aotearoa-New Zealand Government Tourism Strategy which it says is an important step in ensuring that all New Zealanders benefit from "productive, sustainable and inclusive" tourism growth.
Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said the strategy proposed a more co-ordinated and active role for government in tourism.
A passionate new citizen-driven group is aiming to make Waiheke the first carbon-neutral populated island in the country.
This local carbon-neutral initiative comes at an incredibly important time, with the world’s leading climate scientists calling for immediate carbon-eliminating measures in the race against disastrous climate change.
Read MoreConservation Minister Eugenie Sage stated that if Waiheke is predator free by its 2025 goal, “it will be the largest populated island in the world to be predator free. With 9000 people here on Waiheke, it’s a world first that you are aiming for.”
Read MoreNational, local and area politicians united last Wednesday to denounce increased council rates imposed on holiday accommodation providers. A future shortage of overnight accommodation is predicted, leading to more day trippers and a lower spend per visitor.
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A community-led initiative committed to developing sustainable community and tourism strategy for Waiheke Island, and to monitoring tourism impacts.
