Auckland's State of the Environment: small improvements but more work ahead
Auckland Council has released the latest State of the Environment Report, which draws on data from 11 technical reports to provide an environmental health check of the region's air, land and water.
The last State of the Environment report showed ongoing environmental decline due to population increases, expanding and changing land use and climate change. These issues continue to underpin the current report.
The main changes the council has made since the last synthesis report in 2015 include introducing targeted rates to support more focused conservation and rehabilitation work, as well as setting policy frameworks for action:
- The Water Quality Targeted Rate and Natural Environment Targeted Rate were introduced in 2018;
- Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan was finalised in 2020;
- the Auckland Plan has been refreshed and the Auckland Unitary Plan has been made operative, both setting direction for how the council plans for and considers environmental outcomes.