New Stewart Island Initiative Targets Warmer, Healthier Homes

• Southland District Council and Awarua Synergy plan a Healthy Homes project on Stewart Island.
• The initiative aims to improve energy efficiency and access to insulation and heating subsidies.
• Workshops and property assessments will be held to support residents in creating warmer, healthier homes.

A potential Healthy Homes project on Stewart Island/Rakiura is being explored by Southland District Council, in partnership with Awarua Synergy. The initiative aims to address the strain on both the island’s residents and its limited electricity supply by offering solutions to improve the warmth and energy efficiency of homes.

Sumaria Beaton-Sikisini, Group Manager of Awarua Synergy, explained that the project would bring together the Southland Warm Homes Trust, the Southland District Council (SDC), the Stewart Island/Rakiura Community Board, and the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority’s (EECA) Warmer Kiwi Homes programme. This collaborative effort seeks to offer a wraparound service that will help residents make their homes warmer and healthier. The project also aims to identify those eligible for government subsidies and additional support, including working with banks.

To bring the plan into action, Awarua Synergy will visit Stewart Island/Rakiura for a week to scope the project, assess properties, and deliver workshops on maintaining Healthy Homes. Aaron Conner, Chair of the Stewart Island/Rakiura Community Board, supports the initiative, stating: “This is a good project for local residents who need assistance in keeping their homes warm and energy efficient.”

From September 23 to 27, island residents are invited to register their interest and participate in workshops. “Our Awarua Synergy team will be on the island assessing properties, hosting workshops, and we’ll have a pop-up stall so that people can come and ask questions about what we do and how we can help,” Beaton-Sikisini added.

Stewart Island faces unique challenges, sharing similar home heating difficulties with mainland residents but operating with a restricted electricity supply. The island’s electrical network runs on five diesel generators, delivering power through a combination of overhead lines, underground cables, and distribution transformers. Improving energy efficiency and insulation through this project could help ease these pressures.

Discussions to shape this initiative began during a meeting of the Southland Warm Home Trust and have since expanded to involve key stakeholders such as Awarua Synergy, Great South, and SDC.

Awarua Synergy has two decades of experience delivering insulation, heating subsidies, and workshops to support energy-efficient homes. “We believe everybody deserves to live in a warm, dry, and healthy home and we’re just thrilled to be able to expand our services to Stewart Island/Rakiura through this project,” said Beaton-Sikisini.