Nomad Safaris power 6 more vehicles on biodiesel
The fleets of commercial vehicles using biodiesel in the Queenstown Lakes continues to grow. This month alone Nomad Safaris have added another six vehicles that are to be powered by the B20 blend of Biogold.
“Where possible we are opting to use biodiesel as our preferred fuel on more of our vehicle fleet” said Amanda Gatward-Ferguson from Nomad Safaris.
There is now a total of 75 vehicles in the area running on the B20 blend of Biogold with no reported problems.
The current range of vehicle brands successfully using the New Zealand made biodiesel include Toyota, Nissan, Land Rover, Holden, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Hino, Mazda and Ford.
The biodiesel is available to commercial operators who sign up to the Queenstown Lakes Biodiesel Consortium.
Bumper Biodiesel Use
Not only has it been winter that has taken Queenstown by storm this year, but the consumption of biodiesel in the district has quadrupled since the same season last year!
The current facility on Cemetery Road is now pumping over 22,000 litres per month of the fuel made from New Zealand grown rapeseed and used cooking oil. There are more than 70 vehicles in the district now running on the fuel with more in the pipeline. Plans are underway to relocate the facility to a much more accessible site – watch this space for updates.
Steve Henry opening Sustainable Practice Expo in Queenstown 5th Nov 2010
Steve Henry, Director of Otago Polytechnic Centre for Sustainable Practice, opens the inaugural Showcasing Sustainable Practice Expo at Queenstown’s Memorial (more…)
Gearing up for Sustainable Practice Expo
The inaugural ‘Showcasing Sustainable Practice Expo’ is taking place this Friday 5th November from 9am to 4pm at Queenstown Memorial Hall and its all hands on deck as we put the finishing touches to the planning.
The Centre is delighted to be hosting the Expo in collaboration with the partners of the Queenstown Lakes Sustainable Business Programmes and at a district level we are hoping to inspire yet more capability in sustainable practice.
The response has been terrific and with 25 exhibitors registered it’s a real opportunity for people to see the results being achieved by businesses and community groups in the region and the chance to learn more, share ideas and celebrate success.
To name but a few, Rilean Construction will launch a locally designed house that’s affordable and energy efficient, Ziptrek Ecotours will showcase their new ziplines, Interface New Zealand will show how they’ve redesigned carpeting so everything can be reused and recycled … There will be demonstrations of the Otago Polytechnic Solar Hot water trailer and a Ricoh Eco bike that people can ride to see just how much energy it takes to generate power to run an appliance.
We’re looking forward to the inspiration from our guest speakers – Paula McCallum the recently appointed General Manager of Qualmark; Rod Oram – International Business Journalist, Sunday Star Times and Good Magazine Columnist; Rachel Vaughan from the Green Globe Certified Kaikoura Community, and CEO of Envirocomp Ltd Karen Upston. In our efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the Expo, three out of the four guests will join the Expo via Skype video.
Brief presentations and a panel discussion from the Queenstown Lakes Sustainable Business Programmes steering committee (Destination Queenstown, QLDC, Lake Wanaka Tourism and Chamber of Commerce) will cover the importance of this work to our region.
Entry to the expo is free and people are encouraged to come along and see what people are doing to make their businesses and homes more sustainable. All visitors to the Expo go into a draw for a prize pack which includes a Ziptrek Ecotour for two, a Dart River Jet Safari, a bottle of local organic wine, a Mobil prize pack and a $50 voucher from Queenstown Office Supplies.
We hope to see you there!
Follow us on Twitter @csp_otago #cspexpo2010
