2024 Information for nominees

Congratulations on being a nominee in the Environment Southland Community Awards.

This year will be the 28th year of the Environment Southland Community Awards, which culminates in a gala dinner at the Ascot Park Hotel on Thursday 17 October.

The judging panel is made up of two Environment Southland councillors and one organisational representative. Two or three judges may be in attendance.

This year’s judges are:

• Councillor Alastair Gibson
• Councillor Lyndal Ludlow
• Craig Smith, Team leader catchment intergration

Format for judging

Once nominations close, the nominations will be collated and if there are more than 25, the judges will use their discretion to choose whether to visit more than this or to implement a two-tier judging system.

Each nominee is contacted and advised whether they will be visited or not. For those who will be visited a mutually agreeable time will be arranged.

There are usually seven to eight judging days during August. Each day is carefully coordinated to ensure travel and visits are completed with enough time, and are planned so that geographically there is little back-tracking across the region.

When you are called about your nomination, we’ll ask about what you want to show the judges. This will give us a good indication of how much time to allow and any health and safety requirements. The judges prefer to visit the site, but recognise that it’s not always practicable, so nominees may need to provide supporting material if this is the case (photos, etc.).

Once all visits have been completed, the judges spend some time deliberating and making the final decisions about the award recipients.

Some nominees may move categories at the judges’ discretion.

On the awards night, each nominee will only be presented in one category, but judges will have considered the nomination in all the categories that were selected on the form.

You are welcome to request a copy of your nomination form if you have been nominated by someone else and would like to see what has been submitted.

What to expect from a judges’ visit

Judges’ visits typically take around 30 minutes to one hour. Farm visits usually take 1½ – 2 hours. Two people from the Communications team will accompany the judges to take photos and a short video of you and your project. These will be used on social media, the Environment Southland website and the video will be played on the awards night if you are a finalist.

We ask each of the nominees to speak on camera about their work/project/business. The video will be edited into a short 30 second clip. Here's a rough outline of what we suggest you cover in your video:

1. Introduce yourself and your business/project
2. Give a brief outline of your project/business/work outcomes
3. Share one key point about your project and why it's unique/important/significant for the community

If it's your first time on camera or you're a bit rusty, we suggest writing down a few bullet points and practicing these with someone or looking in a mirror! Trust us - it really helps you come across well on the day. Also, consider your outfit - avoid white shirts, glasses if you can help it and clashing clothing if you're in a group.

To tell your story in the most engaging way, we like to shoot 'b-roll' which basically means we would like to film you doing what you do best! Whether it's hoping on the tractor or setting a rat trap, consider what we can easily film to accompany your video.

By accepting the nomination, you agree to have photos and the video taken of you, your project/ business/school. Please ensure permission is obtained from anyone appearing in photos and videos. In the case of children, this should be obtained from caregivers and we may ask you to sign a permission for minors.

Don’t worry about bad weather. The judges will come prepared for any eventuality.

What to show and tell the judges

The judges will have read the information in your nomination form and any supporting documentation prior to their visit.

They have a judging criteria that is specific to each category, this will determine the type of questions the judges may ask. Judges are looking for you to tell them about your project/ action. They want to hear about:

• Your strategy and objectives. Do you have measurable outcomes?
• The execution and effectiveness of your project.
• What makes your project/action unique? It is great if you can show the judges your project site. If this is not possible, photos or a video can be really helpful as well. The judging visit is a great opportunity to share your work and your passion for your project/action. Don’t be afraid to share all the wonderful things you are doing and be proud to share what you have done/are doing.
• Your levels of engagement with the project/action in the community, with Maori or in other ways.

After judging

Once all the visits have been completed, judges will deliberate to make the final decisions on award recipients.

There will be promotion prior to the awards night of all our nominees, and afterwards of the winners in newspapers and online. You are welcome to share the videos and photos from our Facebook page.

Each nominee will be invited to the awards gala dinner on Thursday 17 October at the Ascot Park Hotel. The awards gala dinner is designed to celebrate our nominees and their work. We will provide information regarding additional ticket availability for supporters that you may be interested in inviting. The dress code is business/informal.

Any questions?

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Lee on 0275 194185, email lee.harris@es.govt.nz