July 2026: The Parliamentary Science Forum held in late June focused on how to design cities to promote safety and health. Dr Rebecca Kiddle, Co-Director of Spatial Justice Aotearoa, presented research on what Māori communities want in their neighbourhoods, and how to plan and build cities to promote social connection, green spaces, climate resilience, and shared decision-making.

"Streets are not usually framed as a health issue. The Māori Streets Project asked a simple question: what does a street that feels like home actually look like? We surveyed 288 Māori participants and ran co-design wānanga across the country. The headline finding was stark. Māori living in papakāinga rated their street ten out of ten for feeling like home, like a Māori street. Everyone else averaged two. That gap is not about decoration. In our data, the more your street feels like yours, the more connected you feel and the more your needs are met. We have been treating healthy cities as a problem of parks and cycleways. Māori told us it is a problem of belonging."

Dr Parmjeet Parmar MP, centre, with Prof Malcolm Campbell, University of Canterbury, and Dr Rebecca Kiddle, Spatial Justice Aotearoa, answering questions from Members of Parliament at the Parliamentary Science Forum held in late June. Photo: Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi.

July 2026: Cawthron Institute and the Department of Conservation have signed a new relationship agreement to collaborate on aquatic science, conservation, and innovation.

The agreement reflects the strong alignment between DOC's mission, "Te orango o te ao tūroa | Nature is thriving", and Cawthron's science mission to support thriving aquatic ecosystems. It sets out how the two organisations will work together on shared priorities, including research that improves outcomes for aquatic species and ecosystems, strengthens the management of conservation threats, and supports practical action.

Cawthron Chief Science Officer Dr Cath McLeod says the agreement provides a stronger foundation for collaboration.

"Cawthron and DOC share a strong commitment to protecting and enhancing Aotearoa New Zealand's aquatic environments. This agreement gives us a clearer framework for working together on the science needed to understand and manage threats to indigenous biodiversity, and to turn that knowledge into practical conservation outcomes."

DOC Director Marine and Freshwater Biodiversity Kirstie Knowles says the agreement will help both organisations work more efficiently on shared priorities.

Photo: Cristian Palmer, Unsplash.