HB Airport Major Sponsor of Biodiversity Hawke's Bay

Photo, from Left:  Emeritus Professor Charles Daugherty – Chairman, Hawke’s Bay Biodiversity Foundation; Sam Jackman - Corporate Investor Relations and Sponsorship Manager, Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay; Stuart Ainslie - CEO, Hawke’s Bay Airport; and Tony Porter – Chairman, Hawke’s Bay Airport.

Biodiversity restoration in the region has had another significant boost thanks to a long-term sponsorship Memorandum of Understanding signed off between Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay and Hawke’s Bay Airport Ltd.

Hawke’s Bay Airport has committed to the role of sole Platinum Sponsor for the Hawke’s Bay Biodiversity Foundation for the next 5 years.  The Airport will provide around $450,000 in a commercial package over the 5-year period, including an annual financial contribution to the Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay Endowment Fund. 

Stuart Ainslie, Hawke’s Bay Airport CEO, says the airport prides itself on being a committed steward of the environment in which it operates. “We see our partnership with Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay as a tangible way of reinforcing this commitment and look forward to contributing towards some great biodiversity outcomes for the region.”

The primary objective of the Hawke’s Bay Biodiversity Foundation is to build a $10M endowment fund as soon as possible, so that funding can be provided to create a nature rich future for Hawke’s Bay.

“The support from Hawke’s Bay Airport will be invaluable in helping to build the Endowment Fund.  Proceeds from the Fund will be used to protect threatened priority habitats and rare species in Hawke’s Bay, as well as support ecological restoration programmes that benefit the people of the Bay,” says Charles Daugherty, Chairman of the Foundation.

The core elements of the sponsorship package include a host of multi-media promotional opportunities inside and outside the airport terminal that will significantly raise the profile of the Foundation and the work undertaken by Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay.

“Through a better future for indigenous biodiversity, we create a sustainable future for Hawke’s Bay. Also, overseas markets want to see that our biodiversity, especially our local flora and fauna, is protected. Having the Airport and other corporate sponsors partner with us, we will create a sustainable future for Hawke’s Bay,” says Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay’s Corporate Investor Manager, Sam Jackman.

“Biodiversity is good for Business. Business is good for Biodiversity.”

There is already an established working partnership between the Foundation and the Airport company because Airport planner, Stephanie Murphy, sits on the Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay Guardian’s management committee.

Mr Jackman says the partnership is a big step forward for Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay: “The airport is the Foundation’s first major commercial investor, this is a cornerstone partnership that we will continue to build on.”

Information on Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay is on www.biodiversityhb.org.

14 March 2019

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