About
The ‘TEC Hub’ is a vibrant space for community connection, providing waste minimisation advice, recycling services, home to the EcoShop, an education space for all ages, a meeting space for community projects, a community garden, a trap library, and a community composting site.
Tairāwhiti Environment Centre has been located at 386 Palmerston Road, since 2017. We welcome visitors during opening hours, so come and see us to browse the EcoShop, enjoy the garden, or just to have a cuppa and a yarn with our staff.
Our Kaupapa
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Collaboration and Community Support
To act as a collaborative hub that connects, strengthens, and supports environmental groups, community organisations, mana whenua, and local initiatives, enabling shared capability, coordinated action, and community‑led environmental solutions.
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Action and Restoration
To support, facilitate, and lead practical community projects - such as ecological restoration, biodiversity protection, waste reduction, sustainable transport initiatives, and community food growing—that enhance environmental wellbeing and strengthen collective stewardship.
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Community Resilience and Regeneration
To support community resilience by enabling local responses to environmental, climate, and ecological challenges, and by promoting regenerative, inclusive, and sustainable approaches that enhance the long‑term wellbeing of people and place.
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Advocacy for Te Taiao
To serve as an independent and trusted voice for the environment, advocating for policies, systems, and decisions that promote regeneration, sustainability, and long‑term environmental wellbeing at local, regional, and national levels.
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Education
To provide environmental education, workshops, resources, and learning opportunities that expand environmental knowledge, inspire sustainable living, and encourage individuals, whānau, and organisations to take informed action to protect and restore te taiao
Our Story
The Tairāwhiti Environment Centre (TEC) was established in 1990 as a community-led response to growing environmental awareness and the need for local action in the Tairāwhiti region. From its beginnings, the centre has operated as a not-for-profit hub focused on connecting people with practical ways to care for te taiao (the natural environment).
Over the years, TEC has evolved into a key environmental advocate in Gisborne, supporting community education, sustainability initiatives, and conservation projects. It acts as a central “portal” for environmental information, delivering workshops, outreach programmes, and collaborative projects that empower locals to take action—from waste reduction and recycling to biodiversity protection.
Today, the centre continues to play an important role in fostering a more sustainable Tairāwhiti, bringing together community groups, schools, and organisations to build collective environmental impact.