This report brings together a large body of work undertaken on landscape management. It includes the findings of four case studies focusing on landscape management in Te Manahuna Mackenzie Basin, Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula, the Waitākere Ranges and the Hauraki Gulf Islands. A fifth case study investigated potential linkages between tourism and landscape protection. The report also includes an in-depth review of the case law and landscape assessment practices in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Key recommendations:

1. Require regional spatial strategies to address landscape matters, including identifying ‘landscapes of national importance’ and providing for their protection and restoration
2. Ensure the national priorities statement addresses landscape protection including criteria for the identification and protection of ‘landscapes of national significance’
3. Retain the proposed reference to the protection and enhancement of outstanding natural features and outstanding natural landscapes
4. Include reference to heritage landscapes and amenity in the new legislation
5. Provide greater recognition for iwi planning documents in the management of Māori cultural landscapes and support for the co-design of policy and planning provisions to protect their values.