Our Kaupapa
The foundation of how we show up on a daily basis, our kaupapa, is deeply ingrained into everything we do. Our approach to delivering industry-leading sustainable remediation services is underpinned by three key pillars:
Fostering a fertile working environment for our people to thrive
Properly valuing the role of Māori in resource management
Upholding the highest standards of professional integrity
Fostering a fertile working environment for our people to thrive
The structure of most consulting firms is designed to maximise billable outputs. This often results in overworked staff who don’t have enough time allocated to deliver excellent solutions, pursue professional development, and create the space to live their best lives.
From the outset, we wanted HAIL Environmental to operate differently, so we formed as a collective. This approach enables us to attract and retain some of the industry’s most experienced contaminated land specialists, have directors tend to every aspect of client relationships, continually invest in upskilling, and enable the flexibility for our people to thrive outside of work.
Our actions are underpinned by our core values:
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Environmental Responsibility
We take our commitment to preserving the environment seriously. All of our team operate from home offices to avoid commuting, and some of us have solar panels and electric vehicles. We use specialist field equipment that reduces repeat site visits, and we put local consultants on each job to minimise carbon emissions from travel. We’re constantly looking for ways to better implement sustainable solutions on client projects, and use data to drive our actions. We’re also a member of the Sustainable Business Network.
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Business Agility
Our collective business model is designed to be agile and solutions focused, and our culture is one of mutual support. We have a flat management structure, so that we can focus on getting client results instead of internal processes. We don’t sweat the small stuff. We look after each other. And we all have autonomy on projects with support from the wider team where necessary.
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Technical Excellence
We’re constantly investing in our people by funding opportunities to attend industry events and training. Every consultant is a senior expert in their own right, and we’re all Certified Environmental Practitioners (or applying to become certified). Collectively, we have more than 100 years of site contamination experience, which is evident in our proven track record, awards, and relevant industry governance commitments.
Properly valuing the role of Māori in resource management
HAIL Environmental is not a Māori business and we are certainly not fluent speakers. However, we are proud to acknowledge and support Māori aspirations around land and water, particularly where site contamination is involved.
The principles of manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga resonate with us and we acknowledge that few (if any) Māori-led activities have resulted in contamination. We believe that the contaminated land practice would lead to better outcomes if practitioners, regulators and industry took more Māori perspectives into account.
We have a long and successful track record working with Māori organisations on notable projects, such as:
The Kopeopeo Canal Remediation in Whakatāne, which aimed to render tuna (eel) in the canal safe to eat once again for Ngati Awa. This project incorporated a novel bioremediation approach to reflect local aspirations for “Papatūānuku to heal herself.”
Several remediations on Mt Ruapehu in accordance with Ngāti Rangi’s requirement that no soil be removed from their ancestral maunga.
Undertaking a risk assessment for the Pokuru 1B Block (the former Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital) - treaty settlement land being returned to Ngāti Maniapoto, where we acknowledged and sought to implement the Maniapoto Environmental Management Plan.
Advising a range of Māori-owned developments throughout Aotearoa - such as Te Rāhui Herenga Waka Whakatāne.
Upholding the highest standards of professional integrity
As Certified Environmental Practitioners (CEnvP), our behaviour is underpinned by a code of ethics that requires us to:
Promote environmental principles
Demonstrate integrity
Represent and promote the profession
Practice competently
But beyond that, we at HAIL Environmental feel that doing the right thing with professionalism and integrity isn’t just a requirement - it’s fundamental to everything we do.
Our kaupapa influences decisions made on a daily basis, how we decided to structure our organisation from the outset, and our approach to developing great relationships with all stakeholders.
We contribute towards furthering the industry through taking volunteer roles in our professional bodies (ALGA and WasteMINZ), delivering conference presentations and webinars, and constantly striving to improve.
Start the conversation
We can help you to better understand the potential contamination liabilities on your land and the best way to move forward.
If our kaupapa resonates with you and you’d like our help (or wish to join our team), please get in touch.
