A federated system to improve environmental information

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has written to Ministers recommending they start work on developing a federated system for environmental information.

Addressing deficiencies in the current information system now while the Government is reforming the resource management system, the science system, water services and the Environmental Reporting Act will help ensure the success of those policies. Environmental information is also critical to the effectiveness of actions to address natural hazards and climate adaptation.

He puts forward the case for investment in a federated environmental information system for New Zealand. “Given the way in which environmental data are collected and how organisations interact in New Zealand’s environmental data ecosystem, a federated data system presents the best way to organise environmental data. It could address many of the existing shortcomings in the way environmental information is currently gathered and used.”