Towards Healthy Waterways – Playing our Part

Volunteers have planted more than 25,000 trees along New Zealand waterways this year as part of Sustainable Coastlines and ANZ’s Love Your Water Tour.

Despite COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions on gatherings, 550 volunteers gave over 3,000 hours of their time towards planting trees to support Sustainable Coastlines and their environmental goals.

Stuart McKinnon, ANZ’s Managing Director for Institutional, said cleaning up New Zealand’s waterways was a big challenge and an issue that effects everyone.

“Whether it’s in a leadership role across the community, our commitment to sustainable financing, or taking part in volunteer planting days, we’re keen to play our part in helping shape a more sustainable future,” Mr. McKinnon said.

“All the large corporates in New Zealand are thinking about climate change and our impact on the environment. Many of our customers are well underway with their plans to transition to more sustainable business practices.”

Mr. McKinnon said financial institutions like ANZ play a key role in the transition to a more sustainable economy.

“It is important we take a long term view. We have to balance the needs of our customer's right now with how we invest and grow a sustainable business community for the future.”

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Sustainable Coastlines CEO Josh Borthwick said getting tens of thousands of trees planted this year despite COVID-19 was an incredible achievement.

“Planting native trees around our waterways helps restore biodiversity, reduce sediment runoff into our awa (rivers) and ultimately reduce pollution in our moana (oceans).

“Equally important is the community connectedness and mental wellbeing that volunteering and planting has for our people. This year alone Sustainable Coastlines engaged 19,521 kiwis across Aotearoa through our Love Your Water, Love Your Coast and Litter Intelligence programmes,” Mr Borthwick said.

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ANZ said staff around the country love being involved in initiatives like this where they can get out and volunteer in their own communities.

“On a more personal level, it means everyone can contribute to addressing climate change and creating a more sustainable future,” Mr. McKinnon said.

In the last two years, volunteers have planted more than 75,000 trees along New Zealand waterways as part of Sustainable Coastlines and ANZ’s Love Your Water campaign.