World-first electric jet boat revealed as Ngāi Tahu unveils climate change action plan
Shotover Jet has unveiled an electric jet boat it says is the first to be designed solely for tourism as owners Ngāi Tahu plans for a zero carbon future.
The iwi revealed its 88-point action plan to tackle the causes and effects of climate change and a host of other environmental issues at a ceremony in Queenstown on Wednesday.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Lisa Tumahai said the escalating effects of climate change across the Ngāi Tahu takiwā (tribal area) were having a profound impact on the iwi’s interests, activities and whānau.
“We need to rapidly evolve if we are to adapt and thrive in this brave new world.”
The iwi would take major steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions, embrace renewable energy, optimise resource use, and reduce water and ecosystem impacts over nine years.
One vital element was protecting whānau by powering marae with solar energy to make them more resilient and self-sufficient, as well as identifying jobs for Ngāi Tahu whānau in the green economy.
“We don’t claim to have all the answers, but our size and influence gives us the freedom to innovate.
“This jetboat prototype is an exciting expression of what that innovation can achieve,” Tumahai said.
Ngāi Tahu Tourism general manager Jolanda Cave said that once the jetboat prototype was put into service, the experience would be quieter and more environmentally sound, running on rechargeable electric batteries rather than fossil fuels.
The prototype project began in 2019 when Ngāi Tahu Tourism entered a co-founding agreement with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and was awarded up to $200,000 to convert one of their petrol-powered jet boats to run on electricity.
It would take several years to confirm the commercialisation of the electric prototype, Cave said.
The tourism arm of the company aimed to make all its operations carbon-neutral by 2050.
“We all have a role to play in ensuring our world is healthier for future generations and while there is a long road to travel, the electrification of our jet boat fleet is an incredible step,” Cave said.
Tumahai said that as mana whenua the iwi were putting into action the core principles of kaitiakitanga and rangatiratanga.
“We look after our whenua, we care for our whānau and we take ethical actions and decisions for the future of our mokopuna.”
Key targets:
- A 17% methane reduction from farm animals by 2035.
- By 2030, all marae and Papatipu Rūnanga facilities to be supported to upgrade to technologies that ensure long-term resilience in energy, water and resource optimisation.
- By 2030, agri-tech solutions to be in place in specific Ngāi Tahu Farming sites to reduce water use.
- From 2022, a year-on-year reduction in synthetic fertiliser with paddock by paddock soil testing.
- By 2030, Ngāi Tahu to be actively exercising rangatiratanga over freshwater.
- By 2030, all new developments to have ecosystem enhancement plans to protect wai and mahinga kai sites.
See all the targets here.
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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62.5% Summer
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36.1% Winter
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1.4% Other - I'll share below
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
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