title: Would a water market system coupled with a beneficial use doctrine similar to that of the western United States help foster sustainability of water resource allocation in New Zealand?

authors: Walmsley, Michael John

subjects: Resource Management

abstract: In New Zealand, water supply has historically been a given. There is a perception that the country is well-watered and up to a point this is true, or at least has been true. However water is not always available at the right time or at the right place. In addition there are problems brought on by climate change, which will result in more frequent and more severe droughts in certain parts of the country. Climate variability is coupled with a drive for the agricultural sector to increase production. The question is whether our current water allocation system can operate effectively under these conditions. The notion of sustainability has gained much traction in the last few years and this is a concept which we in New Zealand need to embrace in the matter of water allocation. This thesis will examine the state of New Zealand’s water allocation situation and suggest improvement. To this end this thesis will study the experience of the western United States where scarcity makes water precious.
New Zealand has not adopted a sustainable approach to the allocation of water resources, arguably because it was never envisioned that the allocation of a resource considered abundant could become a problem. As a result we have adopted a first-in-first-served process almost by default. As such the process does not address the dictates of sustainability, but more importantly as pressure is brought to bear on water supplies, as there will be no more spare water to appropriate, further allocations will need to be an exercise in division, not multiplication. Re-allocation of existing water rights through a market system will be essential to sustain the demand not only of a still more intensive agriculture but also for ecological requirements.
There are certain requirements of a successful market system. In the first instance the relative infrastructure is essential to deliver the water to its required destination. The Government is in the process of addressing this issue which indicates it regards a water market system with a certain degree of affection. Once the delivery (and storage) systems are in place, provided transaction costs are low enough to address opportunity cost issues there is no reason why a market system should not be successful once the structure becomes generally acceptable, given a market system for water rights is somewhat novel in New Zealand.
While the recycling of unused or unneeded water rights is a sustainability narrative, it will be vital as a matter of policy to complement market transfers with a western United States-style beneficial use requirement which is likewise a sustainability discourse. Such a measure will endeavour to audit water use and ensure that usufructory water rights are used wisely, are not unnecessarily wasted but more importantly these rights are actually used and not left unproductive or speculated. As such, the doctrine will aim to stretch a finite resource to satisfy as many users as is feasible.
A re-allocation system for existing water rights coupled with a domestic beneficial use doctrine is a sustainability narrative and has the potential to justify New Zealand’s currently undeserved reputation as a “clean green” country and to define us as New Zealanders.

text: Would a water market system coupled with a beneficial use doctrine similar to that of the western United States help foster sustainability of water resource allocation in New Zealand? In New Zealand, water supply has historically been a given. There is a perception that the country is well-watered and up to a point this is true, or at least has been true. However water is not always available at the right time or at the right place. In addition there are problems brought on by climate change, which will result in more frequent and more severe droughts in certain parts of the country. Climate variability is coupled with a drive for the agricultural sector to increase production. The question is whether our current water allocation system can operate effectively under these conditions. The notion of sustainability has gained much traction in the last few years and this is a concept which we in New Zealand need to embrace in the matter of water allocation. This thesis will examine the state of New Zealand’s water allocation situation and suggest improvement. To this end this thesis will study the experience of the western United States where scarcity makes water precious.
New Zealand has not adopted a sustainable approach to the allocation of water resources, arguably because it was never envisioned that the allocation of a resource considered abundant could become a problem. As a result we have adopted a first-in-first-served process almost by default. As such the process does not address the dictates of sustainability, but more importantly as pressure is brought to bear on water supplies, as there will be no more spare water to appropriate, further allocations will need to be an exercise in division, not multiplication. Re-allocation of existing water rights through a market system will be essential to sustain the demand not only of a still more intensive agriculture but also for ecological requirements.
There are certain requirements of a successful market system. In the first instance the relative infrastructure is essential to deliver the water to its required destination. The Government is in the process of addressing this issue which indicates it regards a water market system with a certain degree of affection. Once the delivery (and storage) systems are in place, provided transaction costs are low enough to address opportunity cost issues there is no reason why a market system should not be successful once the structure becomes generally acceptable, given a market system for water rights is somewhat novel in New Zealand.
While the recycling of unused or unneeded water rights is a sustainability narrative, it will be vital as a matter of policy to complement market transfers with a western United States-style beneficial use requirement which is likewise a sustainability discourse. Such a measure will endeavour to audit water use and ensure that usufructory water rights are used wisely, are not unnecessarily wasted but more importantly these rights are actually used and not left unproductive or speculated. As such, the doctrine will aim to stretch a finite resource to satisfy as many users as is feasible.
A re-allocation system for existing water rights coupled with a domestic beneficial use doctrine is a sustainability narrative and has the potential to justify New Zealand’s currently undeserved reputation as a “clean green” country and to define us as New Zealanders.

year: 2016

title: Yield of cyclic vs heat-and-hold induction sintering on the mechanical behaviour of the low-cost Ti-5Fe alloy

authors: Bolzoni, Leandro

abstract: The high cost of Ti alloys is hindering their industrial implementation and, therefore, the quest for low-cost Ti alloys entails lowering the intrinsic cost using cheaper alloying elements and developing more efficient manufacturing methods. In this study, the yield of manufacturing the novel low-cost Ti-5Fe alloy via heat-and-hold and cyclic induction sintering around the allotropic α→β phase transformation was compared as the latter is expected to enhance densification. It is demonstrated that induction sintering is extremely efficient due to its characteristic high heating rates and simultaneously permits to obtain homogenous chemical compositions at low homologous sintering temperatures. Cyclic sintering yields faster sintering kinetics, which results in higher densification with respect to heat-and-hold, achieving uniform residual porosity distributions within the microstructure, comparable relative density, and on average smaller and more spherical pores. Consequently, higher strength but not necessarily higher ductility is obtained for the cyclic sintered Ti-5Fe alloy as the failure mode entails crack propagation through irregularly shaped pores.

text: Yield of cyclic vs heat-and-hold induction sintering on the mechanical behaviour of the low-cost Ti-5Fe alloy The high cost of Ti alloys is hindering their industrial implementation and, therefore, the quest for low-cost Ti alloys entails lowering the intrinsic cost using cheaper alloying elements and developing more efficient manufacturing methods. In this study, the yield of manufacturing the novel low-cost Ti-5Fe alloy via heat-and-hold and cyclic induction sintering around the allotropic α→β phase transformation was compared as the latter is expected to enhance densification. It is demonstrated that induction sintering is extremely efficient due to its characteristic high heating rates and simultaneously permits to obtain homogenous chemical compositions at low homologous sintering temperatures. Cyclic sintering yields faster sintering kinetics, which results in higher densification with respect to heat-and-hold, achieving uniform residual porosity distributions within the microstructure, comparable relative density, and on average smaller and more spherical pores. Consequently, higher strength but not necessarily higher ductility is obtained for the cyclic sintered Ti-5Fe alloy as the failure mode entails crack propagation through irregularly shaped pores.

year: 2025-06

title: Rock-a-bye Baby: Infant care and parenting around sleep

authors: Jones, Horiana Majorie

subjects: Infant Sleep

abstract: This research is a part of a wider international study which explores infant sleep amongst various ethnicities and cultures. This study has explored infant sleep practices in New Zealand, with a specific focus on Māori child rearing practices. This study aimed to firstly, explore what techniques Māori parents use to get their ppi to sleep (2 months- 2 years of age). Secondly, this study aimed to understand the various factors that influence parents’ decisions to use their particular method e.g. Parent assisted approaches (rocking, co-sleeping, bed sharing breastfeeding to sleep), or self-soothing infant sleep methods (cry it out, controlled comforting). Mixed methods were used to collect the data for this study. Overall, 562 primary caregivers/parents completed the survey component of this study with 11 percent identifying as Māori. A further 10 were taken from the survey sample and participated in face to face interviews.  
The results show that parent assisted techniques such as rocking, lying down with baby, and feeding to sleep were the most practiced approach to infant sleep for Māori whanau across the survey and interview findings. Participants within the interview study that used parent assisted techniques to initiate infant sleep were also more likely to bed-share with their babies. Self- soothing techniques such as controlled comforting and cry it out were practiced by a number of parents within the survey and interview groups The findings from this study suggest that a number of different factors influence parenting style. Survey data found that culture, books, magazines, online material and advice from family were the most influential factors in parenting styles. The interviews findings suggest that the convenience of an approach, whanau influence, being a parent of more than one child, environmental factors, healthcare recommendations, safety and culture all influenced aspects of their approaches to infant sleep.

text: Rock-a-bye Baby: Infant care and parenting around sleep This research is a part of a wider international study which explores infant sleep amongst various ethnicities and cultures. This study has explored infant sleep practices in New Zealand, with a specific focus on Māori child rearing practices. This study aimed to firstly, explore what techniques Māori parents use to get their ppi to sleep (2 months- 2 years of age). Secondly, this study aimed to understand the various factors that influence parents’ decisions to use their particular method e.g. Parent assisted approaches (rocking, co-sleeping, bed sharing breastfeeding to sleep), or self-soothing infant sleep methods (cry it out, controlled comforting). Mixed methods were used to collect the data for this study. Overall, 562 primary caregivers/parents completed the survey component of this study with 11 percent identifying as Māori. A further 10 were taken from the survey sample and participated in face to face interviews.  
The results show that parent assisted techniques such as rocking, lying down with baby, and feeding to sleep were the most practiced approach to infant sleep for Māori whanau across the survey and interview findings. Participants within the interview study that used parent assisted techniques to initiate infant sleep were also more likely to bed-share with their babies. Self- soothing techniques such as controlled comforting and cry it out were practiced by a number of parents within the survey and interview groups The findings from this study suggest that a number of different factors influence parenting style. Survey data found that culture, books, magazines, online material and advice from family were the most influential factors in parenting styles. The interviews findings suggest that the convenience of an approach, whanau influence, being a parent of more than one child, environmental factors, healthcare recommendations, safety and culture all influenced aspects of their approaches to infant sleep.

year: 2017