Black Cat Cruises awarded Enviro-Gold status

Banks Peninsula tourism operator Black Cat Cruises has lived up to its clean green image by achieving Qualmark Enviro-Gold status.

The company recently received the award which highlights outstanding performance in environmental management such as waste management, energy efficiency and conservation activities.

Black Cat Cruises Managing Director Paul Bingham said the award was recognition for the company’s efforts to reduce their environmental impacts and make a real tangible difference to local conservation.

“You have to really perform to achieve this status. We have 47 separate initiatives all with the aim of being an environmentally responsible operator.”

Out of the thousands of tourism operators in New Zealand Bingham said there were only 100 that were recognised as having Qualmark Enviro-Gold status.

“As the largest tourism operator in Banks Peninsula and one with a reliance on our natural environment we seek to be a leader in environment management programmes.”

“We recognise that we have a unique and special responsibility to the marine environment that we operate in and especially to one of the world's rarest dolphins - the Hector's Dolphins. We operate with minimal impact on the environment and our interaction with the wildlife is on a 'partnership' basis where the benefits flow both ways.”

The company will celebrate 25 years in business later this year.

The Qualmark awards, which also include Enviro-Silver and Enviro-Bronze, were introduced in 2008 by the Ministry of Tourism to assess the environmental performance of businesses.

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For more information see http://www.blackcat.co.nz
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For more information please contact:
Paul Bingham
Black Cat Cruises Managing Director
0274 951 110
www.blackcat.co.nz

John McKenzie
enthuse ltd
021 384 730
03 384 7338