Auckland Council’s Dr Megan Carbines, RIMU Principal Scientist, says the findings are similar to the last synthesis report in 2015 and continue to show mixed results – along with a few promising signs.
“We are seeing some small improvements and these show that in the places we concentrate our efforts, we’re seeing results for our natural environment.
“Air quality is generally good and improving, there has been some minor improvements in water quality in some places and our pest free islands and parks are safe havens for native birds and plants.
“But there's more work to do and the challenges for the natural environment in Tāmaki Makaurau remain large, with continued population growth and the impacts of climate change adding extra pressure,” she explains.
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.
See the recent news item about the report at Our Auckland.