title: The quality of district plans and their implementation: Towards environmental quality

authors: Backhurst, Michael

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: Since inception of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) the issue of sustainable management has
dominated planning practice in New Zealand. Over the past decade, councils have wrestled with converting the
concept of sustainable management into policy and practice. Implicit to the requirement that district councils
develop plans for managing the environmental effects of the use and development of natural and physical
resources is the assumption that good quality plans will result in improved environmental quality.
The key question to be addressed in this paper is: Do good plans matter?  Measuring the quality of plan implementation is a complex task, and little, if any, attempt has been made in
councils to do it. The PUCM research is the first in New Zealand to attempt a quantitative analysis of the links between the quality
of plans produced under the RMA and the quality of plan implementation. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology that we adopted for the research and to present some
preliminary results from studying the implementation of plans through the resource consent process. Overall, we are trying to determine: how best to measure the quality of plan implementation and the effect that
district plan quality has on implementation quality; and what factors influence the relationship between plan
quality and implementation quality.
This paper is structured into three main parts. The first is a description of the methodological approach taken to
conduct the research. In the second part, the key preliminary results are presented. Finally the findings and the
implications for achieving good environmental outcomes are discussed.

text: The quality of district plans and their implementation: Towards environmental quality Since inception of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) the issue of sustainable management has
dominated planning practice in New Zealand. Over the past decade, councils have wrestled with converting the
concept of sustainable management into policy and practice. Implicit to the requirement that district councils
develop plans for managing the environmental effects of the use and development of natural and physical
resources is the assumption that good quality plans will result in improved environmental quality.
The key question to be addressed in this paper is: Do good plans matter?  Measuring the quality of plan implementation is a complex task, and little, if any, attempt has been made in
councils to do it. The PUCM research is the first in New Zealand to attempt a quantitative analysis of the links between the quality
of plans produced under the RMA and the quality of plan implementation. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology that we adopted for the research and to present some
preliminary results from studying the implementation of plans through the resource consent process. Overall, we are trying to determine: how best to measure the quality of plan implementation and the effect that
district plan quality has on implementation quality; and what factors influence the relationship between plan
quality and implementation quality.
This paper is structured into three main parts. The first is a description of the methodological approach taken to
conduct the research. In the second part, the key preliminary results are presented. Finally the findings and the
implications for achieving good environmental outcomes are discussed.

year: 2002-04

title: Control of macrophytes by grass carp (ctenopharyngodon idella) in a Waikato drain, New Zealand

authors: Wells, R.D.S.

subjects: biology

abstract: Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum L.) and other aquatic macrophytes have historically been mechanically removed from the Rangiriri drain and Churchill East drain to maintain drain efficiency. As an alternative control method for the high plant biomass that accumulates at the end of summer, the effect of stocking diploid grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella L.) on the aquatic vegetation was evaluated in these Waikato drainage systems. At the start of the trial, both drains had a low diversity of aquatic macrophytes, and of the nine species (including the emergents), seven were exotic. Two months after grass carp were released to Churchill East drain (the treated drain) the four submerged and floating macrophyte species became scarce in the main drain. Over the same period, these species increased in biomass in Rangiriri drain (the untreated drain), where hornwort became dense and surface-reaching and remained so for the duration of the trial. However, grass carp did not control submerged vegetation in smaller side drains or the shallow, upper parts of the main drain, or the marginal sprawling species and emergent species. The cost of leasing the grass carp was similar to the cost of clearing the drains mechanically, but grass carp provided continuous weed control. However, subsequent to this trial, 62 dead grass carp were found in Churchill East drain in February 2001, and weed cover subsequently increased. This illustrates that grass carp management in New Zealand agricultural drains can be problematic due to periodic fish kills.

text: Control of macrophytes by grass carp (ctenopharyngodon idella) in a Waikato drain, New Zealand Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum L.) and other aquatic macrophytes have historically been mechanically removed from the Rangiriri drain and Churchill East drain to maintain drain efficiency. As an alternative control method for the high plant biomass that accumulates at the end of summer, the effect of stocking diploid grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella L.) on the aquatic vegetation was evaluated in these Waikato drainage systems. At the start of the trial, both drains had a low diversity of aquatic macrophytes, and of the nine species (including the emergents), seven were exotic. Two months after grass carp were released to Churchill East drain (the treated drain) the four submerged and floating macrophyte species became scarce in the main drain. Over the same period, these species increased in biomass in Rangiriri drain (the untreated drain), where hornwort became dense and surface-reaching and remained so for the duration of the trial. However, grass carp did not control submerged vegetation in smaller side drains or the shallow, upper parts of the main drain, or the marginal sprawling species and emergent species. The cost of leasing the grass carp was similar to the cost of clearing the drains mechanically, but grass carp provided continuous weed control. However, subsequent to this trial, 62 dead grass carp were found in Churchill East drain in February 2001, and weed cover subsequently increased. This illustrates that grass carp management in New Zealand agricultural drains can be problematic due to periodic fish kills.

year: 2003

title: Pani me te rawakore: Home-making and Maori homelessness without hope or a home

authors: Groot, Shiloh Ann Maree

subjects: Social Science

abstract: The authors draw from interviews with Maori homeless people and relevant local and international literature to show homemaking practices by Maori for those living on the streets. The proposition is that Maori cultural practices shape a person's efforts to retain a positive sense of self and place, and to engage in home-making while dwelling on the streets. We consider colonialism and societal, developments that have impacted whanau (extended family) economically, culturally and socially, contributing to high rates of homelessness among Maori today. We argue that homelessness is endemic to experiences of colonialism, not only at the personal, but also at the iwi (tribe) level where many Maori have experienced over 150 years of being rendered out of place in their hau kainga (tribal homelands). Finally, we present a case study entitled 'Maia' to show common aspects of various Maori people who are homeless and who access services in Auckland.

text: Pani me te rawakore: Home-making and Maori homelessness without hope or a home The authors draw from interviews with Maori homeless people and relevant local and international literature to show homemaking practices by Maori for those living on the streets. The proposition is that Maori cultural practices shape a person's efforts to retain a positive sense of self and place, and to engage in home-making while dwelling on the streets. We consider colonialism and societal, developments that have impacted whanau (extended family) economically, culturally and socially, contributing to high rates of homelessness among Maori today. We argue that homelessness is endemic to experiences of colonialism, not only at the personal, but also at the iwi (tribe) level where many Maori have experienced over 150 years of being rendered out of place in their hau kainga (tribal homelands). Finally, we present a case study entitled 'Maia' to show common aspects of various Maori people who are homeless and who access services in Auckland.

year: 2015