Auckland, New Zealand Grows Native Forests Through Community Partnership

Auckland Council is advancing an ambitious restoration effort within its regional parks through two complementary projects designed to expand native forest and strengthen local partnerships. The initiatives support the growing of native restoration species in community and iwi (local Māori tribes) owned nurseries, while also guiding the restoration of 200 hectares of regional parkland that has been identified as unsuitable for long-term farming.

These projects ensure that locally sourced native plants are grown and then planted back into the landscape, helping to restore biodiversity while supporting community-led conservation. This collaborative approach connects ecological restoration with local stewardship, demonstrating how Auckland continues to invest in resilient urban forests and meaningful partnerships.

The restoration programme also supports Auckland Council’s broader carbon reduction goals. As livestock numbers are reduced on regional parklands, those areas are replanted with native forest and maintained for three years before becoming part of the wider forest estate. The newly established forests are registered in New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme, generating carbon credits that help offset council operations, creating a win-win outcome that advances climate action while strengthening partnerships with volunteer organizations supporting conservation on public land. 

^{Native plants grown for future planting at the Atui Creek Nursery.}