Your environment - What matters? May 2016

Report: TR 2016/14

Author: Versus Research Ltd

Waikato Regional Council’s Your Environment - What Matters? survey is conducted every three years and tracks residents’ perceptions about their local environment, areas of concern, and actions that have been taken to support environmental wellbeing. The overall aim of this project is to compare and contrast changes in public perception of the environment over time, specifically the changes in attitudes and priorities that residents hold about environmental issues in the Waikato region.

The information from this survey is used to:

• anticipate public response to environmental policies and programmes
• track trends associated with public views, attitudes, and priorities around environmental issues, and
  awareness of impacts and effects of people on the natural environment
• gather public opinion on environmental issues that contribute to policy development
• evaluate current policies and programmes and gather public opinion on issues that contribute to policy
  development
• help Waikato Regional Council to gain a better understanding of the views of residents regarding the environment
• provide supporting information for territorial authorities and other agencies to assist in decision
  making and policy development.

Full results including demographic and geographic breakdowns are included in the body of the report.