Waikato residents' environmental perceptions survey 2025

The Waikato Regional Council (WRC) Waikato Residents' Environmental Perceptions Survey tracks how residents view and experience environmental change across the region, and how this relates to their wellbeing and quality of life. Carried out every three years for over 20 years, the survey builds a long time series of community perspectives on the state of the environment.

The 2025 survey shows continued concern about declining water quality and water security, alongside a sharp rise in concern about extreme weather and climate change. It also captures residents' views on biodiversity, soil health, and waste, and on the pressures that population growth and urban development are placing on the environment and on council rates.