Pest control system wins spatial excellence award

Ethos Environmental has taken out the Supreme Award at the New Zealand Spatial Excellence Awards tonight in Wellington for its use of location-based data to help control pest infestations on Great Barrier Island.

Ethos Environmental created an integrated Internet of Things (IoT) Geographic Information System (GIS) to record and analyse rat and feral cat intrusions, report when traps are triggered and monitor biodiversity gains. As a result, Ethos Environmental’s GIS provides a platform for the wider conservation sector to use.

“As technological innovation gathers pace, spatial - or location-based - information continues to prove its worth,” Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage said announcing the winner at the awards ceremony.

“People use spatial information every day, often without realising it. Whether it’s through ride-sharing services like Uber, or finding a local restaurant on Google Maps, spatial information tells people where something is relative to others, and how its position changes over time.

“This information is essential to helping us solve some of New Zealand’s most challenging issues, such as well-planned urban development increasing community resilience in responding to climate change, and improving freshwater quality,” Eugenie Sage said.

“The New Zealand Spatial Excellence Awards bring to life stories of cutting-edge research, public sector innovation and commercial success across key areas such earthquake recovery, conservation, transportation, and urban planning.”

The awards are a joint initiative by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), Survey and Spatial New Zealand (S+S NZ), and Spatial Industries Business Association (SIBA).

“They showcase the breadth of spatial innovation in New Zealand communities, businesses and government agencies and the quality, expertise and creativity of the people in the spatial industry.

“The awards celebrate the often unrecognised work being done to keep our economy going, help rebuild after disasters, and prepare us for the future.”

Video about winning project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdY-jv4kZao

Full list of winners:

Category

Winner

Environment & Sustainability

Ethos Environmental

Export & Innovation

Orbica

People & Community

University of Auckland

Spatial Enablement

Christchurch City Council

Technical Excellence

Orbica

Education & Professional Development

Robert Odolinski

Professional of the Year

Elaine McAlister

Student of the Year

Julian Thom

Women’s Leadership

Kat Salm

Young Professional of the Year

Claire Buxton

New Zealand Cartographic Society Award

Andrew Douglas-Clifford

Outstanding Contribution to Spatial

Geoff O’Malley

People’s Choice Award

Claire Buxton

Supreme Award

Ethos Environmental

Action

Protect Nature

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing Aotearoa. Volu...

Action

Save Auckland's Climate Budget

Sign the petition to stop Mayor Wayne Brown's proposal for dangerous cuts to climate and environmental programmes that protect us from extreme weat...

Action

No New Mines 2023

Action

Expand Voting

Now more than ever, young people in Aotearoa are impacted by Government decisions, and they deserve to have a say. We are calling on all Members of...

Action

End Intensive Winter Grazing

Sign the petition to Labour Ministers, to move faster in bringing regulations into force and end intensive winter grazing.

Action

Trains for Climate

Add your name to our open letter urging the Minister for Finance Grant Robertson to save our passenger trains between Wellington, the Wairarapa and...

Action

Healthy Oceans 2022

Join our Healthy Oceans Crew to help us keep the health and protection of our oceans high on the Labour Government’s political agenda.

Action

It's time: A Ministry for Rainbow Communities

Join our call asking the Prime Minister to establish a Ministry for Rainbow Communities that can champion Rainbow issues.

Action

No new mines on conservation land

Sign the open letter asking Labour Ministers to stick to their promise of banning new mining projects on conservation land.

Action

Allow community ownership of our buses

Public transport is an essential service and helps to tackle the climate crisis by reducing our carbon emissions. But there are barriers to communi...

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

Scrapping Significant Natural Areas shows significant neglect

The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife ...

Say hello to NZ’s most anti-environment government in decades

The Government is giving big industry a free pass to bulldoze New Zealand’s precious native wildlife.

Govt trashing nature for its industry mates

The Government’s repeal of the Natural and Built Environment Act is rushed, ideologically motivated, and will be hugely damaging to the health of o...

Green Party calls for stronger action by Auckland Council to protect urban trees and native forest

The Green Party is calling on Auckland Council to do more to protect urban trees and housing developer Aedifice Property Group to restore and repla...

You wood not believe it: Greens secure win for urban trees

The Green Party’s advocacy has secured an amendment to the Natural and Built Environment Bill at a crucial stage of the Parliamentary process to en...

Forestry sector must compensate for slash damage

The Green Party welcomes today’s release of the report of the Ministerial Inquiry into slash and sediment, and are clear that the forestry industry...

Story

Mackenzie drylands protection takes step forward

The legal protection of 11,800 hectares of land as new conservation land is a step towards protecting the fragile drylands of Te Manahuna/the Macke...

New legislation to end tenure review and improve management of Crown pastoral lands

Law changes to end tenure review and provide for better management of Crown pastoral lands in the South Island high country were considered by Parl...

Dual place names for Te Pātaka-o-Rākaihautū / Banks Peninsula features

The history of Rāpaki is being restored through the inclusion of te reo in thirteen official place names on Te Pātaka-o-Rākaihautū / Banks Peninsul...

New place names restore Maniapoto and Rereahu history

Māori place names have been restored to the small central North Island town of Benneydale, and a nearby stretch of the North Island Main Trunk rail...

Budget boost for weed control in iconic lakes

Several of New Zealand’s iconic lakes are getting a helping hand with a significant funding boost to help tackle the spread of aquatic weeds in the...

Investment in GPS technology will help save lives

Minister for Land Information, Eugenie Sage announced Budget 2019 funding for a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) which will help save liv...