Nine retirement village sustainability projects named finalists for 2026 awards

9 June 2026

Recycling, repurposing and carbon-reduction initiatives, community growing and composting programmes and a fairy garden are among the finalists in the 2026 Retirement Villages Association (RVA) Sustainability Awards.

The awards recognise outstanding efforts in building, design, landscaping, grounds and village activities that support more sustainable retirement living across New Zealand.

This year’s awards cover three categories: resident-led gardening and landscaping projects, operator-led sustainability initiatives, and resident-led sustainability initiatives.

At Arvida Lauriston Park in Cambridge, residents turned the stump of a large elm removed from the village entrance into a fairy house and garden, earning a finalist place in the Bunnings Trade Resident-led Garden and Landscaping Award.

Completed with upcycled materials and lit with twinkling lights at night, the project is now enjoyed by residents, visiting grandchildren and other local families.

Residents at Qestral’s Banbury Park in Christchurch are finalists for establishing a plant nursery that rescues unwanted plants and propagates native species for donation to the local park, iwi and other Qestral villages.

The Sterling in Kaiapoi is also a finalist for a scheme that sees residents working with a local community garden group, sharing resources such as compost bins and a worm farm, while also establishing a village-led recycling hub.

Heritage Lifecare is a finalist in the APL Window Solutions Operator-led Sustainability Award for the development of Marion Court at St Joseph’s Lifecare in Upper Hutt.

After acquiring St Joseph’s Home of Compassion in 2022, the company chose to retain and revitalise the existing buildings rather than redevelop the site entirely, preserving its cultural and architectural significance while creating a retirement village.

The home, originally established by the Sisters of Compassion and inspired by the work of Suzanne Aubert, remains valued by the community.

Bupa New Zealand has two finalist projects in the category.

Its Electrification, Renewable Energy & High-Performance Design project is a multi-year programme to decarbonise Bupa retirement villages and care homes by replacing ageing infrastructure, including gas hot water boilers, with high-efficiency electric heat pump systems.

Healthy Cities is Bupa New Zealand’s flagship wellbeing and sustainability initiative, linking residents, staff and local communities through projects that promote personal health and wellbeing while also supporting environmental regeneration.

Three recycling, repair and repurposing programmes are finalists in the Resene Paints Resident-led Sustainability Award.

At Summerset Mountain View in New Plymouth, residents led the Workshop Wonders: Making, Mending and Mates programme, which both diverts useful items from landfill and creates a valuable social activity for the village.

Residents repair donated surplus items and materials or transform them into furniture, decorations, signage, frames and practical items now used throughout the village.

At Ryman’s William Sanders Village in Devonport, Auckland, a highly organised resident recycling initiative has transformed the rubbish room in an apartment building into a carefully managed recycling hub.

Alongside standard bins for glass, plastic, paper and cans, additional shelves, boxes and buckets now collect a wide range of materials including prescription spectacles, batteries, milk and wine bottle tops, coffee pods, paper bags, glass jars, ice-cream containers and newspapers.

Each item has a reuse pathway, including through organisations such as the Fred Hollows Foundation, KidsCan and a local community pantry.

Residents at Summerset at Monterey Park in Hobsonville have also developed a highly effective recycling and repurposing system.

The initiative began when residents saw families clearing loved ones’ homes disposing of useful items because there were few local alternatives.

A committed group of residents researched available recycling pathways and created a network of accessible, clearly marked collection points within the village to support a wide range of recycling and repurposing streams.

Many items are donated to local op shops, while materials not suitable for reuse are diverted into specialist recycling streams.

Textiles, for example, are shredded and repurposed into products such as mattress and cushion filling or rigid board, extending material life and reducing landfill waste. Other materials are channelled through community, supermarket, charity and specialist recycling partners.

RVA executive director Michelle Palmer said sustainability is an increasingly important part of retirement village life, shaping everything from daily resident activity to long-term investment decisions by operators. “Across the country, retirement village operators and residents are finding practical, creative ways to reduce waste, improve efficiency and make a positive difference in their communities,” she said. “These awards recognise the innovation, commitment and collaboration behind those efforts. They show sustainability is not just about large-scale infrastructure or investment - it is also about local ideas, resident leadership and projects that create lasting value for both villages and the wider community.”

Winners will be announced at the RVA’s Conference Gala Dinner in Auckland on Tuesday 4 August 2026.

ENDS

For more information, please contact:
Sam Halstead
027 474 6065
[email protected]