The Smart Weed Alert Tool (SWAT) has been built through a partnership that brought together weed‑management expertise, agile innovation, and technical excellence. The prototype was created through the 2024 GovTech Accelerator, delivered by Creative HQ. Development continues through the strong relationships formed during that programme.
Department of Conservation (DOC)
The Department of Conservation (DOC) provides project leadership and strategic direction for SWAT. Project leader Dr Kate McAlpine, Senior Science Advisor at DOC, helps ensure the tool meets the needs of biodiversity managers and supports DOC's broader biosecurity and weed management objectives. DOC also maintains the long-term vision for SWAT, guiding its ongoing development and maximising its value for weed surveillance and management across New Zealand.
Creative HQ – GovTech Accelerator
Creative HQ supported the initial development of SWAT through the 2024 GovTech Accelerator. The accelerator ran to a tight timeframe of about 3 months. In that time, the team built a working prototype and validated the concept with users. They showed the potential of an automated weed‑alerting system for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Nigel Charman – Two Ten Consulting
Nigel Charman has been the Technical Lead for SWAT since it began. His efforts have shaped the system architecture, workflow design and technical feasibility. He has also developed the alert matching engine and the taxonomy pipeline. His deep understanding of both the problem space and the proposed solution is central to SWAT’s success.
Xequals
Xequals is the development partner behind the SWAT web application. They bring strong software engineering skills, experience working with government, and a detailed understanding of the tool. Xequals is listed on the All‑of‑Government panel and the DIA Marketplace, and is DOC’s preferred partner for full build of the tool.