The aim of Measuring up 2005 is to find out if we are achieving the objectives in the Regional Policy Statement. The objectives are at listed the start of each chapter of this report, followed by our assessment of where we are doing well, and where improvement is needed.

Promoting sustainable management of the natural and physical resources in the region is fundamental to our work as a regional council. Monitoring is essential to our effective management of these resources. We need to know the state of the environment, why it’s in that state, and whether it’s getting better, getting worse or staying the same. Finally – and this is absolutely essential – we need to know whether our management of the region’s resources needs to be done differently.

Greater Wellington produces a State of the Environment Report every six years. The last was in 1999. Measuring up 2005 is the beginning of a review of our Regional Policy Statement. The review process will give us the chance to propose any changes that might be needed.

Each chapter in this report - one for each chapter of the Regional Policy Statement - is based on an extensive background report that contains detailed analysis of all available data.

The chapters are:

Iwi environmental management systems 

Freshwater quality

Freshwater quantity

Soils 

The coastal environment

Air quality

Biodiversity and the state of our ecosystems

Landscape and heritage

Natural hazards

Energy

Waste management and hazardous substances

Built environment and transportation

Conclusion 

The full report can be downloaded from the documents sidebar at the right of this screen. Each chapter can be downloaded from the documents sidebar on the chapter screens.

For more information contact ser@gw.govt.nz