• Background
• Mission
• Vision
• Values
• Issues

Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) has been providing opportunities for volunteers to make a positive difference to their local environment for over two decades.

KNZB is designated in the Litter Act 1979 as the organisation primarily responsible for the promotion of litter abatement activity and for provision of advice to Central Government on changes to the Act. It is the only New Zealand organisation with this role formally backed by statute.

The 'KNZB model' consists of a national organisation, the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Society Inc., and programmes throughout New Zealand that adopt the Keep Beautiful name (i.e. Keep Christchurch Beautiful, Keep Otaki Beautiful, Keep Kaiapoi Beautiful, etc). Many of the current KNZB programmes have been in place for at least 20 years and have earned strong support from their community over the years. These programmes are able to mobilise significant numbers of volunteers as they carry out environmental improvements and education activities in their communities throughout the year.

Although the KNZB programme was formed primarily to address issues of litter abatement and education, the programme has grown over the years to include a much broader brief of environmentally focused activities. While the majority of current KNZB programmes are still involved in the area of `litter', most programme sites are also involved in activities aimed at restoring, enhancing and protecting the natural and built environment.

Since its inception, the KNZB programme has enjoyed enormous success as a vehicle for grassroots environmental volunteerism and has played a key role in educating the New Zealand population on the importance of environmental protection. Activities undertaken by KNZB programmes throughout New Zealand include litter cleanups, tree planting, stream restoration projects, graffiti paint outs and environmental education programmes aimed at school children and at the broader community.

A key component of the `KNZB model' is the establishment of a partnership between Local Authorities and a local KNZB programme. In many communities, KNZB programmes act as the `community arm' for the local Councils. A Volunteer Management Committee', drawn from the local community, governs KNZB programmes and a number of programme sites have representatives from the Council and/or Community Board sitting on their Committees. Most KNZB programmes receive project funding in the form of a grant from their Council and/or Community Board.

On a national level, KNZB is governed by a Board of Management, comprised of Zone Representatives from four KNZB zones throughout New Zealand, a representative from the business community and a representative from Local Government New Zealand. The Zone Representatives are nominated each year by KNZB affiliate programmes and the nominations are ratified at the KNZB Annual General Meeting (AGM). The primary role of the Zone Representatives on the board is to represent the interests of the programmes sites within their particular zone. The Chairperson of KNZB is appointed by the newly elected Board following the AGM.