Skip to content

Local & regional councils

Councils are charged with the stewardship of the natural environment in their region, often providing the linkage between national policy, landowners and communities. Regional Councils monitor the state of the environment and produce significant science and data on water quality, soil health, biodiversity and conservation which is relevant at a national as well as local level.

Working together with councils

Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research works at a landscape scale, well suited to the needs of regional government and pertinent to their communities. Our integrated research supports councils in taking an ecosystem-wide approach to the unique questions they face in monitoring, managing and restoring the environment. Our work in climate change adaptation is highly relevant for council planning across all domains - bringing together environmental, economic, social and cultural research to inform land use planning, policy and regulation.  

We work closely with the national special interest groups of the regional councils - such as the Land Monitoring Forum and the Biomanagers Group - to share scientific expertise and data, harness new technologies and build national research strategies.     

We bring science to the conversation with local communities to inform decision-making at catchment and farm-scale.   

Our research also covers urban concerns – green infrastructure for urban stormwater, and how to manage trees, enhance biodiversity and protect native species in an urban environment for instance.

Enquiries