Our Services

We work for and alongside a host of people to improve ecological outcomes; including district and regional councils, local iwi, DOC, Fish and Game, engineering and planning consultancies, land developers, and other industry experts.

Ecological Assessment

A range of activities can trigger the need for a resource consent, which must include an assessment of environmental effects (AEE). Instream has undertaken a wide range of assessments including the following activities:

  • Agricultural and urban intensification: how this affects water quality, flows, and ecology.

  • Infrastructure upgrades: impacts of roads and bridges on habitat, water quality, and fish passage.

  • Flow regulation: the impact of dams and water abstraction on water quality and ecology. 

  • Wastewater and stormwater discharges:  impacts of these discharges on land and water.

  • Mining, quarrying and excavating:  examination of construction and operational effects, in terms of both the development ‘footprint’ and water quality.

Technical Expertise

We draw upon a multidisciplinary set of skills and technologies to understand, monitor, and manage freshwater environments. Some of our key areas of expertise include:

  • Fieldwork: involving rivers, lakes and wetlands.

  • Sampling: including water quality, habitat, algae, invertebrates and fish.

  • Analysis: statistics, modelling effects and environmental flow analysis.

  • Catchment planning: including identifying areas for protection and enhancement.

Waterway Restoration

Waterway restoration requires a multi-faceted approach that aims to balance human activities with the preservation and restoration of our country's valuable aquatic ecosystems. Instream has been involved with a range of initiatives which seek to:

  • Improve habitats: restore waterways to improve aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

  • Diversify: increase the diversity and abundance of native plants and animals.

  • Prioritise waterways for restoration, recognising that not everything can be fixed all at once.

  • ‘Open doors’ - to new fish habitat by removing physical barriers to fish migration.

Environmental Monitoring

We're here to ensure that you make informed decisions about our environment. To do this you need ‘good data’ - by collecting the right samples, in the right way, from the right places, often enough,  analysed the correct way.  Here’s how we can help you:

  • Monitoring programmes: designed by us to suit your particular needs.

  • Field-based sampling: conducting a variety of field surveys, from one-off ecological assessments to monthly water quality monitoring.

  • Design and use of field apps: facilitating data entry to ensure quality and compliance with national standards.

  • Utilizing specialist software: providing solid, defensible answers through advanced data analysis.

Expert Witness + Advice

Often our clients need an expert to help answer a technical question, provide general advice, or to represent them as an expert witness. We have particular expertise in the following areas:

  • Working closely with a range of parties: including stakeholders, iwi and regulatory authorities.

  • Providing expert evidence: at hearings for the private sector, iwi, regional councils, government agencies, and state-owned enterprises.

  • Effective communication: ‘translating’ complex information - such as environmental regulations and consent conditions - for non-technical audiences.

  • Project Management: ecology input to resource consent applications, conservation orders, regional plans, and private plan changes.

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Our services in action.