Scope of our report
This is both our Annual Report and our Sustainability Report. The report reviews the significant issues and our performance in 2004/05, and looks forward as we progress along the sustainability path. Performance indicators are summarised, with more detailed information elsewhere in the report and on our website. We have endeavoured to present a complete picture of Manaaki Whenua’s performance covering the most material issues for us and our readers.
We produce this report for our owners, clients and external stakeholders, and our staff. Another group of readers, who are becoming increasingly material to the scope of our reports, are those who are as passionate about sustainability performance and reporting as we are.
In response to feedback from annual and sustainability reporting stakeholders, we have considerably expanded our reporting of governance issues and business strategies. We have also included a statement of responsibility for management of non-financial performance, and more explanation of accounting policies and materiality criteria for non-financial indicators.
Our report has been verified by external financial and non-financial auditors (see Tonkin & Taylor audit letter and Audit NZ audit report).
About us
Manaaki Whenua is an environmental science and technology business with approximately 400 staff at nine locations in New Zealand. Our research is focused on sustainable development of terrestrial resources in New Zealand’s natural, primary producing and urban environments. Many of New Zealand’s environmental issues are also global issues.
Manaaki Whenua is one of nine independent Crown Research Institutes (CRIs), established in 1992, as government-owned, tax-paying companies.
Sirtrack Ltd, which produces telemetry equipment for tracking wildlife, is a fully-owned subsidiary company. During the year, we formed a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Landcare Research US Limited, and joint venture, Staron LLC, with Genesis Labs LLC in Colorado, to facilitate the commercialisation of pest control technologies in North America. Our US subsidiary and Staron are registered in Delaware, USA. Manaaki Whenua owns the majority share of Fertility Control Ltd, a subsidiary that owns intellectual property developed by the Marsupial Cooperative Research Centre for possum fertility control.