Save the date!

EIANZ and ANET are thrilled to bring you ANET 2023 which will be held at the Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre on 27 - 29 November 2023.

ANET is the premier event for ecologists, transport planners, regulators, construction and operation professionals, and the local community to engage on the interactions between transportation and ecology. The conference will include two days of technical presentations, posters, panels, workshops and trade displays, and a one-day field trip to Kaikoura.

Linear infrastructure and transportation networks – roads, railways, transmission lines, and pipelines – are integral to local economies and community health and well-being. While their construction, maintenance and operation can impact biodiversity and ecosystems in numerous ways, linear infrastructure corridors can also provide important ecological functions.

Both linear infrastructure and biodiversity are vulnerable to natural disasters and extreme weather events, which are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity in the years ahead. Impacts on natural ecosystems can be further exacerbated by emergency works after disasters, such as earthworks, drainage and vegetation clearing. Importantly, many of these impacts can be avoided or mitigated by enhancing landscape connectivity, reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, and minimising artificial light at night, among other measures.

Healthy and resilient ecosystems also play a vital role in disaster risk reduction and natural (or ‘green’) infrastructure can help provide communities and nature with resilience to these hazards. Conversely, poorly located and designed transport infrastructure can exacerbate ecological consequences and cost billions to repair or rebuild following natural disasters. The transport infrastructure we plan, design and build today must both support and promote resilient and functioning ecosystems, and ensure that it can withstand and recover from future shocks.

Important questions to be discussed at ANET 2023 include:

• How do linear infrastructure and transport networks affect the resilience of natural ecosystems to future shocks and stressors?
• How can existing and future infrastructure support and enhance ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation?
• How can transport planning, design, construction and operation assist in the recovery and restoration of endangered species, populations and ecosystems after natural disasters?
• What role does the community play in the planning and design of ecologically-sensitive linear infrastructure, as well as restoration and recovery after shocks and disasters?

View the event flyer →

Registrations opening shortly!