Appropriate Tech, sustainable values

Bay local Peter Bromley has founded Appropriate Technology Golden Bay (ATGB) – born from his experience pursuing a “dream lifestyle in Golden Bay”.

Peter says that he is an advocate for resilient and sustainable communities and wishes to share his “knowledge and first-hand experience of setting up appropriate technology systems on our 1ha lifestyle block”.

The core business offering is built around Peter and his partner Malena’s DIY streak and values. “We have a strong belief in living sustainably and lightly on our land – and I am not afraid to experiment.”

On their lifestyle block, Peter has installed white and grey water systems, with irrigation using a RAM pump drawing from a local stream, in addition to solar powering one of his structures – all with appropriately scaled technology.

The business name is a nod to its practical purpose, but also an affectionate nickname he earned during his time studying permaculture under Robina McCurdy at the Sustainable Living Centre. Due to Peter’s DIY bent to create fit for purpose, wellscaled sustainable systems and solutions, he earned the name “Mr Appropriate Technology”.

ATGB has three core offerings: battery refurbishment, water management planning and implementation, and disaster resilience.

Battery refurbishment: Peter says that modern batterydriven power tools used by homeowners and tradespeople (eg, strimmer, drill, cordless vacuum, and eBike batteries) inevitably degrade in performance and capacity and can reach the point where they will no longer charge. Peter can extend the life of these battery packs through refurbishing and re-balancing the individual cells. This may include swapping out degraded cells or even upgrading to new, higher-capacity cells. This in turn reduces waste and replacement cost.

Water management planning and implementation: Peter observes that “increasingly, people are looking to grow their own food, and live a life in closer contact with nature. Lifestyle blocks, small farms, and tiny homes are part of a revolution in how we use natural resources – soil, water, sunlight, and wind – to live more simply and reduce our impact.” ATGB is available to assist in setting up systems that use these resources more sustainably and create resilience. Effective water harvesting, storage, and delivery is key to surviving dry summers and drought.

Natural disaster management: ATGB offers a service to help customers assess their properties and plan ahead for natural disasters. “Life in New Zealand brings with it the certainty of natural disasters, with earthquakes and flooding being the most likely, and the most costly. Recent storm [Gabrielle] events bring this sharply into focus.” The assessment takes the form of an on-site, in-depth discussion to identify issues and risks, followed by a detailed assessment, and follow up with an inperson meeting to go over recommendations.

Peter says, “Our offering is suitable for those in the Bay with a lifestyle block or small land holdings. My motto is resilience, simple and affordable. I enjoy creating things that enhance people’s lives in the way they can afford.”

To learn more, visit https://appropriatetech.co.nz/ or give Peter a call/text on ph 027 516 5196.

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ESSENTIAL TELEPHONE NUMBERS in Golden Bay

Golden Bay Community Health - 03 525 0060

Police - 111 or 03 525 9211

Golden Bay Community Mental Health 03 525 7647 or 0800 525 7647

Women’s Refuge - 0800 163 344

Mohua Social Services - 03 525 9728

Work and Income - 0800 559 009

LifeLine - 0800 543 354

'Need to Talk' helpline - (call or txt) 1737

Outline NZ - LGBTIQ+ support - 0800 688 5463

Hey Bro (for men) keeping whanau safe - 0800 439 276

Youthline - 0800 37 66 33