Ecology
At Buckton Surveyors and Planners, we offer local expert ecological services that support sustainable land use, conservation, and development planning. Our highly qualified Ecology team is based in Warkworth, but service the Auckland, Kaipara, and Northland regions.
Our Ecology team works closely with local authorities, developers, landowners, and community groups to ensure that ecological values are integrated into every stage of the planning and development process. We also have a dedicated team of surveyors, planners, and engineers (based in Warkworth, Dargaville, and Whangārei) who support the process and ensure all your project needs are met.
Whether you’re considering a residential development project, seeking to restore native bush, or if you require ecological reporting for a consent application, our team is here to help.
Services we offer:
Ecological assessments & reporting to simplify the environmental management process
Develop Environmental Management Plans (EMP's) to meet council requirements
Ecological assessments and reporting at all stages of the planning process
Wildlife & species management
Weed and pest management strategies
Freshwater, wetland, & coastal ecology
Indigenous vegetation and habitat surveys
What is an ecological assessment?
An ecological assessment is an evaluation of a site to identify the ecological importance of the area, and to help identify any pest species and other threats that are present and may need managing.
The findings of these assessments are often used to inform biodiversity management plans, weed and pest control strategies, landscaping and planting plans, and restoration or enhancement projects. They can also provide valuable support when applying for resource consent, particularly where ecological effects need to be addressed.
At Buckton, we tailor our management plans to suit the needs of each client, whilst ensuring the environmental needs are met. For community groups and landowners, this may mean straightforward, easy-to-follow plans. For resource consent applications or larger restoration projects, we provide more detailed technical reports suitable for contractors and regulators. Our ecological mapping tools add further clarity and depth to the reporting process, ensuring plans are practical, evidence-based, and ready to guide action.
Relevant Ecology articles and news
Most regional councils require landowners to meet ongoing consent conditions regarding managing & protecting native bush, wetlands and dunelands. A big part of meeting these conditions can include the requirement for submitting regular Monitoring Reports, written and presented by a qualified ecologist
When our Ecologist Leane Makey is not providing expert ecology consulting services for Buckton Surveyors and Planners, she gets to put on her other hat as a Research Fellow in the School of Environment at University of Auckland, specialising in critical social environmental research. Read more about her work.
If you live in a Auckland 'rural production' or ‘rural coastal’ zone or in the Kaipara District which is currently zoned 'Rural' & you've been considering potential land subdivision/changing use options, & your land either contains or adjoins areas of indigenous bush, wetland or rivers/streams, you could protect such ecosystems to achieve subdivision.