Land / Whenua

The Waitaha/Canterbury region has many outstanding landscapes, natural features, and areas of historical and cultural importance. Many are unique to Aotearoa New Zealand in terms of cultural significance, aesthetic values, high indigenous biodiversity and as destinations for domestic and international visitors.

Healthy ecosystems also support climate resilience because they can capture more carbon and can be more resistant to the impacts of climate change.

Soils are a fundamental part of all land-based ecosystems and are vital for growing food and feed for livestock. They buffer and purify water, filter contaminants and regulate growing temperatures for plants that in turn support animal species.

Current issues and challenges facing our region

Waitaha/Canterbury has more than 20 per cent of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s highest quality soils. Approximately 2.6 million hectares are used to produce the food we eat and export and produce the wool, wood and other natural products we also export.

There is a growing tension between the need to retain high-quality soils for food production and the demand for land for urban development, and more broadly how different land uses merge and connect throughout the region.

Land can become contaminated by hazardous substances that are a product of human activity or natural processes. Water soaking through contaminated land can become degraded and impact the health of aquatic ecosystems in our lakes, rivers and wetlands – and ultimately, our coastal environment.

Climate change hazards exacerbate many of the issues facing our landscapes and need to be considered as part of how we respond to these issues.

To hear more about land issues watch these videos

Your vision for the future