Sustainable Development

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The Department's sustainable development framework provides the structure for the reporting of the social, environmental and economic impacts of the Department's operations.

Strategy and Approach

The Department's strategy includes the identification of relevant social, environmental and economic indicators against which the Department's sustainable development performance can be measured on an ongoing basis. The Department's approach to sustainable development continues with the ongoing development and implementation of a customised sustainable development framework that contributes to the Department's decision-making and core processes.

The reporting guidelines, protocols and sector supplements prepared and issued by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), continue to be applied as the basis for the Department's sustainable development framework. The guidelines provide a list of core and additional social, environmental and economic aspects and indicators that, where relevant to the Department, are measured, monitored and reported on.

Summary of Achievements in 2005/06

Figure 23: Summary of Performance - Social Dimension

Summary of Performance within the Social Dimension
  • The Department maintaining primary level status in the ACC Partnership Programme
  • The Management at Corrections health and safety training workshop module was implemented
  • 1,627 prisoners undertook vocational training programmes provided by the Public Prisons Service and Corrections Inmate Employment
  • A total of 34,700 credits were achieved towards a recognised NZQA qualification
  • Females represented 37.5% of all of the Department's employees
  • Community Work projects involved over 2.1 million hours of work by offenders
  • 3,589 formal complaints were dealt with by the Inspectors during the year

Figure 24: Summary of Performance - Environmental Dimension

Summary of Performance within the Environmental Dimension
  • 36 solar hot water systems are planned for an accommodation unit at the new Spring Hill Corrections Facility
  • Infrastructure design/supply criteria has reduced planned water use from 650 to 450 litres per prisoner per day
  • CO2 emissions have been reduced by 37% ???per prisoner??? since 2002
  • Over 450 check meters (water, electricity and gas) have been installed in prison
  • Renewable energy sources have provided 3,360,000 kWh of energy
  • Energy, kWh used ???per prisoner??? reduced by 9.5% (up from 8.6% last year) between 2002-2006
  • The Department won the best government enterprise Energywise Award sponsored by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority for Environmental/Energy initiatives

Figure 25 - Summary of Performance - Economic Dimension

Summary of Performance within the Economic Dimension
  • The Regional Prisons Development Project and the findings of economic impact reports have assisted the Department to understand the effect corrections facilities have on communities located close to existing and proposed facilities
  • $322.6 million expenditure on personnel and a further $43.7 million on facilities maintenance, offender management and administering the Department's resources

The Department's full 2005/06 Sustainable Development Report is available on the Department's website.

Looking Forward

The Department's 2006/07 Sustainable Development Plan will describe the key sustainable development performance measures and will be published as a separate document in mid to late 2006. The Sustainable Development Plan will be available as a PDF document on the Department's website.