Christchurch City Council Parks switch on to electric

Christchurch City Council has played a leadership role in climate change for several years. In 2019, the Council declared a climate and ecological emergency, acknowledging the urgency in responding to the challenges of climate change. The Council has also set a target for the Christchurch district to be net carbon neutral by 2045, and will work with communities towards this goal.

Christchurch City Council Parks is the arm of the Council that's responsible for maintaining all of the Council's parks and gardens. And now, a 'mean green mowing machine' is part of their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The ride-on lawnmower is fully electric and is used to maintain the lawns in Hagley Park as well as in the Botanic Gardens and parts of the central city.

A few more of the Park's electric initiatives include the purchase of a battery electric van for central city parks maintenance, two battery electric off-road/on-road bikes instead of fossil-fueled quad bikes, side-by-side battery electric Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs) for park rangers, and the switch to battery electric power tools where possible.

Council Regional Parks Manager, Kay Holder, says they have more than 740 parks and gardens in Christchurch to maintain, from neighbourhood parks with family playgrounds to nature walks. Taking these initial steps to electrify Park’s operational equipment is a good step in the right direction on their pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their activities.

The electric bikes they’re now using can operate off-road and on-road and have a good range. One of the most obvious benefits of using the bikes is the lack of noise, so they don’t disrupt people who are enjoying cycling or walking.

"Instead of disturbing the peace with engine noise, Park's staff on these bikes are able to quietly go about their work maintaining our regional parks. They're also helping to preserve the clean air in our parks rather than creating exhaust pollution." - Kay Holder, Council Regional Parks Manager.

The bikes can carry tools for routine parks maintenance and can also be used to recharge tools in the field. In 2019, the Council Park’s team started transitioning from petrol-operated equipment towards zero exhaust emission options. The Council Park’s electric-powered toolkit now includes leaf blowers, line trimmers, hedge trimmers, lawnmowers, and chainsaws.

These greenhouse gas emission reduction initiatives are part of Council’s internal Resource Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Emission (REGGE) programme of work which focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing solid waste, and being energy and water efficient.

“I haven't got figures in terms of cost savings or reduction in emissions because it's too soon to do the maths, but our decision was based on it being the best thing to do for the environment, for our park users and for staff,” says Holder. “The move to reducing Park’s greenhouse gas emissions is well supported by our staff who are very aware of the environmental and sustainability benefits.”

Holder says they've adopted some battery electric gear, but the tool has to be right for the job. The battery electric chainsaws are very popular because they’re light.

“It's about introducing new technology, testing it, and learning what works for our tasks,” says Holder. “On the whole, it's been very positive.”

“Park users have given us some good feedback and they've given us the thumbs up for making the change. People come to our parks to have a quiet, restful break so they appreciate the fact that there's less noise and fumes. Our staff have also welcomed the change. They appreciate the reduced noise, no fumes, weight advantages, and fewer issues around fuel mixing and storage.”

Council Resource Efficiency Manager Kevin Crutchley says the zero exhaust emission mobility and equipment initiatives the Council Park’s team have implemented also demonstrate the benefits of battery electric technology for commercial use.

“It also demonstrates Council’s commitment to implement initiatives to meet the Council’s target to be net carbon neutral by 2030 for our activities,” he says.