Natural Environment

A healthy natural environment with thriving native species is possible. 

Tāmaki Makaurau’s natural environment is taonga. It provides numerous benefits to the health and wellbeing of people and society. 

Ecosystems like forests and wetlands sequester carbon, reduce erosion and flooding, improve air and water quality, and protect us from extreme temperatures. 

Mātauranga Māori has a deep, reciprocal relationship between tangata (people) and the natural world. Kaitiakitanga is centered on a symbiotic whakapapa relationship with the natural environment and the responsibilities of maintaining a natural balance for tupuna, atua and mokopuna, and our most vulnerable in society. 

Aligning our behaviours today with our values and goals for tomorrow will help to ensure we have a flourishing natural environment. The way we treat and protect our beaches, harbours, bush, streams and maunga now will impact Aucklanders and precious indigenous species for generations to come.

Below are some of the key ways we’re working to regenerate, replenish, restore and protect our natural environment:

• Mayor Phil Goff’s priority to plant 1.5 million trees across the region by 2022

• Increase tree canopy cover to 30% across Auckland's urban area and ensure no local board area has less than 15% canopy coverage, targeting efforts to grow urban ngahere in areas where it is most scarce

• Implementing our Regional Pest Management Plan 2020-2030, empowering Aucklanders at home, and seeking to eradicate all pests by 2050

• Prioritising marine biosecurity 

• Recommending investing 13.3 million to grow our ngahere in our regional parks and road corridors; build capacity of marae and community nurseries; and improve our understanding of council’s planting survival rates and how our urban canopy is changing

• Introducing pilot research programmes to greater understand the changing science of our natural environment.

Find out more from Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan

Te wāhi ki a koe

Playing your part

• Remove pest plants from your garden

• Discover how you can encourage native manu (birds) to your backyard

• Adhere to and respect any restrictions or rāhui on natural environments

• Following pest control (such as kauri dieback) measures, like scrub, spray, and stay

• Support local regeneration projects.