Latest news with #CommunityDecarbonisationFund
NZ Herald
21-07-2025
- Climate
- NZ Herald
How a solar storage battery is helping Raglan Community House support those in need
When storms knock out power in Whāingaroa, locals know where to go for shelter, warmth, a hot drink and someone to talk to. It's not a civil defence base or a generator-fed hub. It's Raglan Community House. Now, thanks to a solar storage battery funded by Meridian Energy, it's more reliable than ever. Run by a charitable trust, Raglan Community House has quietly done the work of many services under one roof for nearly four decades. 'We just work our butts off to make sure we cover as many people as possible,' said House manager Mike Rarere. Services include a drop-in lounge, low-cost counselling, free digital device support, youth programmes, budgeting advice and a local radio show. 'We cover the whole spectrum of our community, from mums and bubbas through to youth, families, adults going through tough times, and our senior community,' Rarere said. 'In rural areas you don't have lots of organisations doing one specialised thing. So, we try to meet as many needs as we can. Raglan is one of those places that likes to find its own solutions for its own challenges – it's a place where the community steps up.' Last year, more than 2200 people visited the drop-in lounge. 'We've got a lovely east-facing lounge that catches the sun, and a heat pump that keeps it warm in winter,' Rarere said. 'People come in for a cup of tea and a chat. A lot of humour, a lot of laughter goes down.' Keeping a centre like this running through wild weather hasn't been easy. Solar panels were installed more than a decade ago, long before energy storage was common for small charities. Until recently, it had no way to store the power it generated. That changed with support from Meridian Energy's Community Decarbonisation Fund. 'Before the battery was added, any excess power just went back to the grid,' Rarere said. 'Now we can store it and use it, even when the grid goes down.' It's a crucial upgrade for a hub that now can stay open when others can't. 'We've had a few power outages in recent years. We're one of the only places that can support people when it's cold and the power goes out,' he said. 'People need help. If there's no one, they're just on their own. For seniors and those living in poverty, no power means no cooking, no warmth. We provide a space that hopefully helps with that.' Although the battery is new, the house is already seen as a reliable fallback. For Rarere, it's about more than power. It's about purpose. 'Community organisations run on the smell of an oily rag. We already do a lot, and we also have to respond to things that pop up, whether it's mental health, domestic violence or something else. We just do our very best.' 'You never know what will walk through the door. Someone might be talking about self-harm or living in a tent. You've got to respond with empathy and stay solutions-focused. We don't have all the answers. We just try our best.' He urged other grassroots groups to apply for Meridian's backing. 'If it meets the criteria and they can get Meridian's support, that would be fantastic. The more we can do to build stability in our communities, the better.' Meridian's Community Decarbonisation Fund helps organisations reduce carbon emissions and supports their sustainability goals. Nearly $3 million has already supported community-led projects across the country. For Rarere, it all goes back to his early days as a youth worker in South Auckland, running martial arts and hip-hop events in the 1990s and 2000s. 'Living a life of purpose is something I reflected on many years ago. I had a look at earning a lot of money, but I saw people who had it and weren't happy. I wanted to be able to look back and say I'd made a difference,' he said. 'Working on the front line gives me perspective. When I'm feeling down or facing challenges in my own life, there's always someone out there doing it tougher. It's a privilege to hear people's stories. And it reminds me to just get on with it.' With a full battery, a warm lounge and an open door, Raglan Community House keeps the lights on – in every sense.
NZ Herald
06-07-2025
- Science
- NZ Herald
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland's night sky
They don't screech or suck blood. But they do sing. Tiny and elusive, New Zealand's long-tailed bat is the country's only native land mammal, and it's critically endangered. 'Bats get a bad rap,' said Neil Henderson, a conservationist with Kaipātiki Project. 'People lump them in with pests like rats, but they're actually one of our most extraordinary native species.' He should know. Henderson used to frequently drive more than 100km just to check a battery in a bat recorder. That's changed thanks to solar power and support from Meridian's Community Decarbonisation Fund, an initiative helping local organisations cut emissions. 'We'd go all that way just to check a card or swap out batteries,' he said. 'Now with solar, I've had monitors out for four months straight. I just pop by, switch the card and leave them running.' The fund has helped Kaipātiki Project set up 10 solar-powered audio bat recorders across northwest Auckland, including sites in Riverhead, Paremoremo and the Upper Harbour area. The result is less travel, no single use batteries, and richer, longer-term data with a much smaller carbon footprint. 'We're a lean, resourceful NGO fueled by passion and purpose,' Henderson said. 'Saving time, petrol and batteries is huge for us.' Since 2022, Meridian's fund has invested nearly $3 million in community projects like this – from solar panels to EVs to creative, low-emission tech that supports biodiversity. But the Kaipātiki Project was an unusual one, Henderson said. 'They're used to putting solar on sheds. But I think they liked the novelty of it.' Despite rapid urban development, long-tailed bats or pekapeka are still gliding through pine forests, farm gullies and stream corridors. Some fly at speeds of 60km/h, covering several kilometres each night. Most people never notice them. 'They're incredible,' he said. 'Tiny things, not much bigger than a monarch butterfly. They live 28 years, eat everything from mosquitoes to mayflies, and they even sing.' He's recorded them gathering under a single tree, mid-hunt, 'like it's a bar,' all chattering away. They're also turning up in unexpected places. 'A 92-year-old farmer laughed when I asked to put a recorder on his land. He said, 'I've lived here my whole life. Never seen a bat.' Turned out he had plenty.' The project's long-term goal is to locate maternity roosts – old trees where pregnant female bats cluster together in summer to raise their young. 'These bats might only have one pup a year,' Henderson said. 'If we can find and protect those trees from rats, possums and feral cats, we're giving them a real chance.' And because the solar monitors require almost no maintenance, they make long-term tracking possible – not just for scientists, but for citizen volunteers too. Many start with no experience, just curiosity and a willingness to learn. But it's that steady commitment over time that helps build a clearer picture of where bats live, feed and breed. 'We've got so many older volunteers with time and energy. If I can say, 'Hang this up, check it now and then, no batteries needed,' it becomes something they can do. That's the buzz.' Kaipātiki Project is more than a bush group. Based at the edge of Eskdale Reserve in Auckland North, it's a thriving EcoHub where ecology meets mātauranga Māori. The group runs programmes in native plant propagation, food resilience, glowworm monitoring and zero-waste education. 'We want people to really see what's around them,' he said. 'COVID forced people into their local parks. For some, it was the first time they noticed the trees.' That reconnection is what Kaipātiki Project hopes to nurture. 'Our job is bringing nature back to people, and people back to nature.' For Henderson, the true win is when curiosity turns into care. 'When someone takes a recorder home and starts asking the right questions? That's when I know something's clicked.' To him, climate action isn't just about cutting emissions. It's about paying attention to what we're protecting. 'Don't just go out and kill a bunch of rats and call it conservation,' he said. 'Ask: are the birds coming back? Are the bats staying? If we measure it, we can protect it.' Solar-powered bat monitors might not sound revolutionary. But for Kaipātiki Project, and for the bats flying quietly through Auckland's twilight, they're helping light the way. To explore Kaipātiki Project's community work and environmental programmes, visit
