Boffa Miskell

What Boffa Miskell does

Boffa Miskell Limited is an employee-owned environmental consulting firm headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, founded in 1972. The firm provides integrated professional services across landscape architecture, environmental planning, marine ecology, urban design, resource consenting, water sensitive design, CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design), seascape assessment, cemetery and heritage planning, and culturally-led playspace design (Māra Hūpara). It operates exclusively within New Zealand through nine regional offices spanning Whangārei to Dunedin, serving local and regional councils, central government agencies, mana whenua entities, port infrastructure operators, and private property developers.

The firm's proprietary technical contributions include the first-of-its-kind Waikato Regional Seascape Assessment Methodology (recognised with NZILA and RMLA awards in 2023–2024), artificial tide pool eco-engineering delivered at Lyttelton Port (taxa approximately doubled within two years of installation), and contributions to industry guidelines such as Landscape Assessment Guidelines, CPTED guidance, and Water Sensitive Design technical documents (GD_01, GD_04). Service delivery combines field-based ecological monitoring, landscape and visual simulation, planning evidence at council hearings, and culturally-informed design integrated with iwi partners including Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua, and Tūpuna Maunga Authority o Tāmaki Makaurau.

Boffa Miskell generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements on a fee-for-service basis, with no standardised pricing or publicly disclosed fee structure. Business development is sales-led and relationship-driven, secured through competitive tendering for government work, repeat engagements with established public-sector clients (e.g., Dunedin City Council embedded team since 2018), and strategic teaming with larger consultancies such as Jacobs and GHD on major infrastructure programmes. The employee-owned structure, with shareholding opportunities at senior levels, aligns long-term talent incentives with project outcomes and underpins the firm's 50-plus-year operating continuity.

Name

Boffa Miskell

Legal name

Boffa Miskell Limited

Website

https://boffamiskell.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Boffa Miskell is an employee-owned New Zealand environmental consulting firm founded in 1972, delivering integrated landscape architecture, planning, ecology, and urban design services to government councils, central agencies, iwi, and private developers across nine regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation Planning, Mitigation Banking & Offset Strategy (EUAHAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH), Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

Keywords

• Environmental consulting
• Landscape architecture
• Resource consent planning
• Marine eco-engineering
• Urban design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting Services: Project-based professional consulting services spanning landscape architecture, environmental planning, ecology assessments, urban design, and planning services for government and private sector clients. Revenue generated through fee-for-service engagements on specific projects.
2. Planning and Consenting Services: Resource consent applications, planning advice, visual and landscape assessments, and environmental impact assessments for development projects. Services include expert witness evidence at council hearings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Boffa Miskell is an employee-owned environmental planning and design consultancy providing integrated professional services across landscape architecture, urban design, environmental planning, resource consenting, marine ecology and eco-engineering, water sensitive design, CPTED-based safety design, cemetery and heritage landscape planning, waste futures planning, and culturally-led playspace design. Since 1972 the firm has delivered multidisciplinary projects for local and central government, iwi, and private developers across New Zealand through nine regional offices. Revenue is earned through project-based, fee-for-service consulting engagements rather than software or product sales.

Product overview

Boffa Miskell is an employee-owned environmental consulting firm established in 1972, providing integrated professional services through a multi-disciplinary team of designers, planners, scientists, and technical experts. The firm operates as a unified consultancy rather than a platform product, offering services across landscape architecture, urban design, environmental planning, marine ecology, CPTED, waste management planning, and resource consenting. The portfolio includes specialized offerings such as marine biodiversity eco-engineering, cemetery and heritage landscape planning, seascape assessment, water sensitive design, and culturally-led playspace design (Māra Hūpara). Services are delivered through direct client engagements across New Zealand, with no software-as-a-product or API offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Environmental Consulting Services Core integrated environmental consulting spanning landscape architecture, urban design, environmental planning and ecological assessments, delivered by a multidisciplinary team since 1972.
• Marine Biodiversity and Eco-Engineering Specialist marine ecology services providing artificial tide pool design, coastal habitat enhancement, biodiversity monitoring, and eco-engineering for ports and coastal developments.
• Cemetery Planning and Heritage Landscape Services Long-term cemetery planning including capacity analysis, heritage conservation, landscape design, and staged 100-year development plans for historic cemeteries serving local councils.
• Waste Management and Resource Recovery Services Comprehensive waste futures planning including kerbside collection redesign, landfill closure planning, resource recovery park development, and circular economy transition strategies for councils.
• Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) Safety-focused design assessments and strategies using environmental design principles to address surveillance, access management, territorial reinforcement, hostile vehicle mitigation, and quality environments.
• Seascape and Landscape Assessment Expert landscape and seascape character assessments including Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes identification, visual effects assessments, and mapping of coastal marine area values.
• Resource Consent and Planning Services Full range of planning services including resource consent applications, district plan appeal resolution, concept design input for consentable outcomes, fast-track consenting, and expert witness evidence at council hearings.
• Urban Design Services Landscape-led urban design for residential, commercial, and civic developments including masterplanning, streetscape design, public realm improvements, and visual simulation development.
• Water Sensitive Design and Ecological Restoration Integrated catchment and watercourse management including stream regeneration, wetland design, stormwater management through bio-filtration systems, and sustainable development practices, with contributions to industry guidelines GD_01 and GD_04.
• Māra Hūpara (Traditional Playspace) Design Culturally-led playspace design integrating traditional Māori play elements, cultural narratives, and contemporary recreation facilities for community spaces.

Quantifiable outcome

• Number of taxa in artificial tide pools approximately doubled relative to adjacent rock surfaces within two years of installation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JacobscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2026Jacobs appointed by Christchurch City Council to deliver the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor (OARC) scheme design for stormwater and park assets. Boffa Miskell collaborating with Jacobs to establish long-term approach to flood and water quality management spanning next 100 years over 602-hectare post-earthquake regeneration site.
• GHDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2026Boffa Miskell collaborating with Jacobs and GHD on the OARC project for Christchurch City Council, contributing to comprehensive stormwater and park asset design approach.
• Lyttelton Port CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Partnership to design, deliver, and monitor artificial tide pools retrofitted into existing rock revetment at Lyttelton Port. Boffa Miskell led eco-engineering trial with two-year monitoring programme, successfully demonstrating marine biodiversity enhancement.
• Tūpuna Maunga Authority o Tāmaki MakauraucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Boffa Miskell previously worked with Authority preparing Integrated Management Plan and Strategies. Led landscape architecture, cultural design integration, and facilitation for Whānau Ātea Māra Hupara and Māra Hūpara Ōtāhuhu projects.
• Te Rūnanga o ArowhenuacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Cultural partnership for Balmoral Station Solar Array project, working with Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua to identify site values and manage ecological and landscape effects.
• Dunedin City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Since 2018, Boffa Miskell embedded within Dunedin City Council's Waste and Environmental Solutions team, leading landscape architecture, environmental planning, consenting, and engagement workstreams for Dunedin Waste Futures Programme.
• Te Rūnanga o ŌtākoucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Ongoing engagement with mana whenua through Aukaha Mana Taiao as part of Waste Futures programme. Cultural input has shaped planting, restoration approaches, and long-term stewardship aspirations for Green Island Resource Recovery Park.
• Kotahi StudiominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal structural engineering firm collaborated with Boffa Miskell marine ecologists and landscape architects on artificial tide pool design development.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BECA: NZ-headquartered multidisciplinary engineering and advisory firm with environmental, planning, and water practices that overlap with Boffa Miskell's scope and compete for the same major NZ infrastructure and consenting engagements.
• WSP: Global professional services firm with established NZ environmental, planning, and landscape practices that compete directly with Boffa Miskell for council and central-government environmental planning mandates.
• GHD: Global employee-owned engineering and environmental consultancy with significant NZ presence; partnering with Jacobs and Boffa Miskell on Christchurch's Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor and competing on broader environmental and planning engagements.
• SLR Consulting: Global environmental and advisory consultancy with NZ operations covering environmental impact assessment, ecology, and planning services comparable to Boffa Miskell's core offerings.
• Stantec: Global design and environmental firm with NZ offices (incorporating former Cardno) offering environmental planning, water, and ecology services competing for the same client base as Boffa Miskell.
• Jacobs: Global environmental and infrastructure consultancy operating in NZ; currently partnering with Boffa Miskell on the OARC scheme, indicating overlapping capability in stormwater, planning, and environmental design for large public-sector clients.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consultancy with environmental planning and design services in NZ; competes on large multidisciplinary projects and brings scale advantages against a mid-size NZ specialist.

Emerging players

• Landlab: Christchurch-based landscape architecture practice with overlapping capability in environmental design, masterplanning, and urban regeneration — emerges as a more boutique competitor on South Island projects.

Direct peers

• Isthmus Group: Auckland-based design studio specialising in landscape architecture, urban design, and environmental planning. Directly comparable to Boffa Miskell on multi-disciplinary design, urban design, and planning mandate profile for NZ councils and developers.
• Tonkin + Taylor: NZ environmental and engineering consultancy with strong overlap in environmental assessment, coastal, water, and waste management consulting for councils and central government — directly competing on the same engagement profiles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BoffaMiskell
• Facebookfacebook.com/BoffaMiskell
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boffamiskell
• Instagraminstagram.com/BoffaMiskell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boffa Miskell