New Zealand Association for Impact Assessment

NZAIA promotes the use of impact assessment methods in relevant areas of public and private sector decision-making, to protect social, cultural and environmental values. 
In 2027, NZAIA co-hosts the annual conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA).  Official IAIA27 website          
More conference information on this website here
NZAIA Webinar series 2026

He moana pukepuke e ekengia e te waka: 
A choppy sea can be navigated.
Navigating environmental, social, and cultural impact assessment during political and regulatory change

NZAIA Webinars are eligible for NZPI Category 1 CPD points
New issue of Impact Connector:
IC #17
Impact assessment and the marine environment

Edited by Nick Taylor and Richard Morgan
April 2026

Join NZAIA for 2026!

Alternatively, to sign up for periodic updates on NZAIA events, click here

What is Impact Assessment? 
Impact Assessment (IA) is the process of identifying the future consequences
of a current or proposed action.
The “impact” is the difference between what would happen with the action and what would happen without it. Impacts may be positive or negative and may affect the environment, communities, human health and well-being, desired sustainability objectives, or a combination of these.

Impact Assessment can help us design and implement better policies, plans, programs and projects that will face up to important challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, a growing population, urbanisation, conflicts over increasingly scarce resources, inequities, and new technological opportunities.

There are many different facets of impact assessment – including social, ecological, cumulative, cultural, landscape, health, economic, and strategic assessments. Impact assessments require technical expertise and skills. 

Impact assessment can be applied at the project level (eg a specific infrastructure proposal), the policy level (eg a proposed Plan Change) or the strategic level (eg a National or Regional Policy Statement). 
Download:
Impact assessment and Planning: A Discussion Paper

Prepared by the NZAIA Core Group to stimulate discussion among IA practitioners, both within the Planning community and beyond, about issues of common interest.

Members of the writing team
talked to this paper in the NZPI Talking Points lunchtime series, 22 July 2025.

Impact Connector

NZAIA's online publication:  a series of articles from academics and practitioners working in the field of impact assessment...these are some recent examples 
Impact assessment for infrastructure development
Edited by Nick Taylor
Economic methods and impact assessment
Edited by Sophal Chhun and Richard Morgan
Health Impact Assessment: practice issues
Edited by Nick Taylor
​and Richard Morgan

OUR PARTNERS

EIANZ is a professional association for environmental practitioners from across Australia and New Zealand.
​
We have a Memorandum of Understanding with EIANZ to work closely with the Special Interest Section on Impact Assessment in promoting and supporting the practice of impact assessment in New Zealand and Australia.

NZAIA members are eligible for discounted attendance at most EIANZ conferences and other events.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme has been charged by the governments of the Pacific region with the protection and sustainable development of the region's environment. We have a Memorandum of Understanding with SPREP to assist with the development of impact assessment capability in the Pacific. We work with colleagues in the Environmental Monitoring and Governance section, including the  Pacific Network for Environmental Assessment (PNEA)
NZAIA is an affiliate organisation of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 
NZAIA is an affiliate of the International Association for Impact Assessment. IAIA is the leading global network on impact assessment. We have a Memorandum of Understanding with IAIA. 

NZAIA members receive discounted attendance at international IAIA conferences and training symposia.