Groundbreaking 6 Green Star care homes and retirement village resident projects win top honours in Sustainability Awards
18 June 2025
The country’s first 6 Green Star accredited care homes and environmental and community projects at retirement villages in Clyde and Kaiapoi are the winners of the Retirement Villages Association (RVA) Sustainability Awards.
Metlifecare won the APL Operator-led Sustainability Award for its ‘first in NZ’ programme to design care homes to achieve 6 Green Star accreditation.
The Arvida Glenbrae village in Rotorua won the Resene Resident-Led Sustainability Award for a resident group initiative, which upcycles old bikes and donates them to local children through community organisations.
The Sterling Kaiapoi village garden group won the Bunnings Trade Resident-Led Gardening and Landscaping Award for transforming a bare plot into a flourishing sustainable garden providing produce all villagers can benefit from.
RVA executive director Michelle Palmer said the awards recognised outstanding sustainability in building, design, landscaping, grounds and activities.
“It’s inspiring to see both operators and residents leading the way with practical, meaningful sustainability initiatives. They’re proving that environmental leadership and community wellbeing go hand in hand in our villages.
“What really stood out this year was the heart behind each project -- whether it was building some of the greenest care homes in the country or creating a community bike hub for local tamariki.
“We’re incredibly proud to shine a light on the incredible energy, creativity and care being poured into sustainability efforts across our villages.”
Metlifecare is the first retirement village operator in the country to build and achieve care homes to 6 Green Star accreditation. Three care homes, the Weiti Care-Gulf Rise Village at Red Beach on the Hibiscus Coast, Pōhutukawa Landing at Beachlands, Auckland, and Oakridge Care in Kerikeri, are already operational and occupied.
Three more in Clevedon, Botany and Hobsonville in Auckland are under construction or nearing completion.
The judges said: “Metlifecare’s Six x 6 Green Star Care Homes represent a visionary, sector-leading approach to sustainable construction in retirement living. As the sector-first of their kind to achieve formal Green Star and Toitū certification, these builds set new benchmarks for environmental performance, including embodied carbon and energy use. With strong resident feedback, community benefits, and ripple effects into further sustainability initiatives, this project exemplifies innovation, leadership, and measurable impact."
Refurbishing old bikes at Arvida Glenbrae has become a ‘real social activity’ with the upcycled bikes helping meet the needs of children in the Rotorua community. A total of 57 bikes were given away during 2024. Participation is growing steadily and the group has set a target of donating 100 bikes this year through organisations including Women’s Refuge.
The judges said: "Arvida Glenbrae’s initiative stood out as truly unique – a powerful blend of environmental action and social impact. By restoring and donating bikes to children through partnerships with Women’s Refuge and local schools, residents are not only reducing waste but also finding renewed purpose and connection. This project is incredibly practical, community-focused, and a testament to the value older people continue to bring at every stage of life."
Over three years, residents from the Sterling, Kaiapoi Garden Group have worked tirelessly to transform a bare plot of land into a flourishing, sustainable garden filled with fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers for the whole village. Fresh produce is made available in the village clubhouse for residents with a small gold coin donation requested to reinvest into purchasing seeds. Surplus produce is turned into preserves and sold at the clubhouse. Residents’ scraps go into a composting system and worm farm to supply the garden.
The judges said: “The garden project beautifully embodies the spirit of the Resident-Led Garden and Landscaping Award. From a bare patch of ground, residents have created a flourishing, multi-purpose garden that not only produces fresh vegetables, herbs, and flowers, but also fosters wellbeing, connection, and environmental care. With composting, worm farming, seasonal events, and gold-coin produce donations, this initiative is vibrant, inclusive, and deeply impactful – a shining example of sustainability in action."
For more information, please contact:
Sam Halstead
027 474 6065
[email protected]