In this episode, I sit down with Sam Rowland, General Manager of the Tairāwhiti Environment Centre, to talk about the future of the Coast — from forestry and erosion to food waste, recycling, and the big environmental opportunities sitting right in front of us.

We dig into the region’s bold plan to transition 100,000 hectares of highly erodible land into permanent vegetation, and the complex mix of partners involved: iwi, foresters, ecologists, council, and community groups.

Then we talk waste.
Tairāwhiti sends some of the most expensive rubbish in the country to landfill, nearly 40% of it is food waste that could become nutrient-rich compost instead of dead weight in a black rubbish bag.

We discuss about their plan to create community compost hubs, the push for a resource recovery centre, and how rethinking waste could save the region money while restoring the soil beneath our feet.

Music by Lenny Lawns

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Context

01:03 Plans for Permanent Vegetation

07:18 Funding and Financial Mechanisms

08:37 Understanding Carbon Credits

12:00 Tairawhiti Environment Centre Initiatives

12:34 Waste Minimization and Community Resilience

22:58 Recycling Challenges and Solutions

Keywords

environment, forestry, carbon credits, waste management, community initiatives, biodiversity, composting, sustainability, ecological restoration, resource recovery