A central city high school, a mixed lifestyle development on the city’s fringe and the late Bernie Hansen are this year’s winners of the City of Christchurch Environmental Awards.

Sumner environmental advocate, former school principal and community leader Bernard Robert (Bernie) Hansen, who died in May aged 82, has won the award for Services to the Environment.

He was a strong and persuasive advocate for the seaside suburb and the environment who loved nature and was a keen tramper. Over the years he served on many committees, boards and working parties and was a longstanding contributor to the Sumner Residents' Association. He was instrumental in turning the former Sumner Borough Council building into a community centre.

The Port Hills and Estuary were particular concerns, and over many years Mr Hansen used his influence and intellect on their behalf, speaking at meetings and writing many letters to newspapers and councillors and making submissions on resource issues.

Also honoured in this category was Environment Canterbury. The regional council was awarded a certificate for its work on the Living Canterbury Pavilion at Canterbury Museum.

Christ’s College has repeated its 1998 success by winning the Built Environment category, this time for its Arts and Technology Centre. In 1998 the school won for its ongoing use of heritage buildings and for integrating a range of building designs in a place of learning. Over the years the college’s boards and its architects have built a collection of significant buildings — High Victorian Gothic, Arts and Crafts, Georgian and Gothic.

Although it is tall at four stories, the new Arts and Technology Centre sits comfortably among five Historic Places Trust-listed buildings. It was designed by architects Sir Miles Warren and Alec Bruce and opened in June. It has also won a local NZ Institute of Architects- Resene Architectural Award in the community and cultural category.

The Clearwater lifestyle resort off Johns Road in the city’s north west won the Natural Environment category.

The $100 million resort development has about 190ha of land. It includes an international standard golf course woven around natural waterways and spring-fed lakes, equestrian trails, jogging tracks, walkways and fishing streams.

Judges say it is a successful mix of land uses with great linkages to the Groynes, Peacock Springs and surrounding features to create a recreation corridor.

The City of Christchurch Environmental Awards have been running since 1998. They were set up by the City Council as a significant and practical way of promoting achievement of the city’s environmental policies and are presented for outstanding contributions by individuals, groups, organisations or companies.

Past winners have included the New Brighton Pier Library and clock tower, the Christchurch Beautifying Association, Broadoaks subdivision, Riccarton Bush and the Summit Road Society.