Waste audits were recently completed for some of our Auckland businesses. Results show that 50% of waste currently sent to the landfill is readily recyclable (food waste, paper, cardboard, plastic, PET bottles and cans), 30% is potentially recyclable (e-waste, metal and batteries), and only 20% (residual waste) should actually end up at the landfill. We conducted the audit with assistance from auditors at Reclaim. Audits are planned for other major branches and locations over the course of this year. Insights gained from these audits will be used to develop waste minimization strategies and plans for the Group.

Horizon Energy Group's, Horizon Networks Gains ISO55001 Asset Management CertificationHorizon Networks (www.horizonnetworks.nz) has become one of the few infrastructure organisations in the electricity distribution sector in New Zealand to accomplish certification to the ISO 55001 standard, regarded as the benchmark for asset management globally.

The certification was awarded by BSI (British Standards Institute) after an in-depth assessment and audit process, which started in March this year.

Horizon Energy Group Chief Executive, Ajay Anand said the company was delighted to join the small group of certified organisations in New Zealand that use a "best practice" approach to managing critical assets.

"We believed that achieving ISO55001 certification brings significant value for customers, shareholders and other stakeholders. This standard provides a strong framework for translating stakeholders' expectations into strategy, structured decision-making that balances performance, risk and cost, alignment among short- and long-term business objectives". "It's been a four-year journey to achieve certification for the Horizon Networks team, with an incredible amount of work being put in by all staff". said Mr Anand.

Mr Anand said the certification is just a beginning for the organization. "We are charged with managing critical assets for our communities - we want to keep the power on, become more carbon neutral and ensure that with changes in technology, we don’t end up with assets that aren’t fit for purpose or are too costly. As part of this we have established robust processes to identify opportunities for improvement in how we manage these intergenerational community assets, particularly with advances in data automation and analytics technology that will ultimately enhance performance and reliability for our customers," said Mr Anand.

Jim Riddle, Client Manager for BSI conducted the two assessments involved in the certification. He said "The linkage of the Asset Management System to Horizon Networks' processes documentation and management systems was noted to be strong and a robust asset management system was found during the audit. The alignment of Horizon Networks' strategic plan and the Regulated AMP was well demonstrated. This was also shown to align with the asset planning and associated maintenance activities."

Chris Meehan, BSI's Chief Operating Officer for Australia and New Zealand, said "Horizon Networks' recent ISO 55001 certification demonstrates their leadership and capability to optimize the asset lifecycle through a well-structured and robust asset management system. Congratulations to the team on this achievement."

Horizon's asset management system was evaluated on those that applied to the governance and management of its electricity distribution assets including lines, cables, transformers, substations, switchgear, and associated equipment. Horizon Networks NZ Networks NZ