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Tuesday, 8 April 2025, 3:22 pm
Press Release: Te Uru Kahika
Our Environment 2025, released today by the
Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ, documents the
scale and complexity of the environmental challenges facing
Aotearoa. From climate-related risks and degraded water
quality to pressures on biodiversity, the report provides a
reminder that robust environmental science to inform action
is needed now more than ever.
Regional and unitary
councils are central to that response.
“Our
Environment 2025 brings together information from many
sources to provide an overview of the complex and
interconnected environmental issues affecting New Zealand.
We know that addressing these issues requires concerted,
locally informed efforts,” said Dr Chris Daughney, Chief
Science Advisor for Te Uru Kahika – Regional and Unitary
Councils Aotearoa.
“There are 700 regional and
unitary council scientists across the country working every
day, gathering data, analysing trends, and sharing
information with their colleagues, decision-makers, and
communities, iwi/ hapū, and businesses to design practical,
place-based solutions.
“The Our Environment
2025 report draws heavily on regional council data,
local knowledge and scientific expertise, with councils
responsible for monitoring the quality and quantity of
rivers, lakes, groundwater and coastal waters, as well as
air quality, soil health, and biodiversity. This data is
made publicly available through the Land, Air, Water
Aotearoa (LAWA) website and individual council platforms to
help communities better understand the state of their
environment at a local level and how it is tracking over
time.
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“We’re pleased the report acknowledges key
knowledge gaps and areas where more investment is needed.
Councils are already working to fill many of these,
particularly around cumulative impacts of land use and the
effectiveness of interventions,” said Dr
Daughney.
The companion report also
released by central government today, Our Environment,
Our Lives, highlights real examples of solutions in
action. Many of these solutions are being led or supported
by regional councils in partnership with communities, iwi/
hapū, and landowners.
Doug Leeder, Chair
of New Zealand’s Regional Sector Group and Bay of Plenty
Regional Council Chair, said the work of regional government
science is critical to safeguarding both our environment and
the economic prosperity it supports.
“Councils’
environmental science programmes directly support
infrastructure decisions such as flood risk reduction and
land use planning.
“The report released today
highlights that councils have been instrumental in
implementing measures to improve air quality through
transparent monitoring, working alongside communities, and
promoting cleaner technologies. These initiatives have led
to noticeable improvements in air quality, demonstrating the
effectiveness of council-led interventions in environmental
management and saving the country millions of dollars
annually in health spend.
“Additionally, regional
and unitary councils have strong capability in managing
invasive species, like the scourge of wilding pines which
threatens farming and conservation land, and we stand ready
to do more alongside landowners. Councils have been actively
involved in controlling the spread of these species, thereby
protecting native biodiversity, ecosystems, and people from
greater wildfire risk.
“Science alone won’t fix
our environmental challenges. But without it, we can’t
make smart decisions or target investment where it
counts,” said Mr Leeder. “That’s why the work of
regional and unitary councils is so vital. Our scientists,
policy planners, and infrastructure experts are on the front
lines of environmental wellbeing and climate
adaptation.”
“We’re looking forward to being
able to achieve even more for our communities in the future
under a new resource management system,” said Mr
Leeder.
Our Environment
2025 report: environment.govt.nz/assets/publications/our-environment-2025
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