Trade Me listing a first for NZ local authority

By KATIE CHAPMAN & NZPA - Manawatu Standard | Saturday, 17 November 2007

Three sets of carbon credits being sold by the Palmerston North City Council on TradeMe have already reached a combinedtotal of $2920.

The sale is thought to be a New Zealand first for a local authority.

The credits come from the Awapuni landfill gas project and are being offered on auctionsite Trade Me on behalf of the council by Carbon Market Solutions Ltd, a New Zealand carbon trading company.

The credits are being offered in two parcels of 20 tonnes and one of 200 tonnes.

This week, the 20 tonne parcels were up to $420 and $500 respectively.

Both had reached the reserve price. The 200-tonne parcel was up to $2000, but had not reached the reserve.

City council water and waste service manager Chris Pepper said the surplus credits "representa high profile and valuablecommodity".

Twenty tonnes represents the average emissions of a typical New Zealand household and 200 tonnes represents the averageemissions for a typical small business with five to 10 employees.

Proceeds from the impending sale will go back into the Awapuniproject , Mr Pepper said.

The two 20-tonne auctions close at 10pm on Monday, and the 200-tonne one closes at 9pm on Tuesday.