title: Growing up arty: Exploring children's experiences in Baycourt Community & Arts Centre. Phase one research report.

authors: Dean, Bronya

abstract: This project was a collaboration between Tauranga City Council and the University of Waikato to explore the role Tauranga’s principal performing arts venue, Baycourt Community & Arts Centre (Baycourt) has played in children’s lives. The overall aim of the project is to understand the relationship between Baycourt and young people in Tauranga Moana. The project addresses arts, identity, belonging, inclusion, community, and cultural citizenship in relation to children, Baycourt and the city. Of the 76 people who responded to a survey, 53 had experienced Baycourt as a child or young person. 13 people took part in either individual or focus group interviews about their childhood experiences in Baycourt. Their memories provide rich insights into the importance of having a city theatre that is accessible for children. The key themes identified are: schools as pathways to Baycourt; feeling a sense of belonging; performance identities; and lasting and transformative childhood experiences. We end the report by highlighting the importance of Baycourt for children as a place ‘of becoming’: a performer; adult; and cultural citizen. Overwhelmingly, Baycourt provides a place where positive and transformative relationships and connections are made between children, adults, schools, communities, and the city.

text: Growing up arty: Exploring children's experiences in Baycourt Community & Arts Centre. Phase one research report. This project was a collaboration between Tauranga City Council and the University of Waikato to explore the role Tauranga’s principal performing arts venue, Baycourt Community & Arts Centre (Baycourt) has played in children’s lives. The overall aim of the project is to understand the relationship between Baycourt and young people in Tauranga Moana. The project addresses arts, identity, belonging, inclusion, community, and cultural citizenship in relation to children, Baycourt and the city. Of the 76 people who responded to a survey, 53 had experienced Baycourt as a child or young person. 13 people took part in either individual or focus group interviews about their childhood experiences in Baycourt. Their memories provide rich insights into the importance of having a city theatre that is accessible for children. The key themes identified are: schools as pathways to Baycourt; feeling a sense of belonging; performance identities; and lasting and transformative childhood experiences. We end the report by highlighting the importance of Baycourt for children as a place ‘of becoming’: a performer; adult; and cultural citizen. Overwhelmingly, Baycourt provides a place where positive and transformative relationships and connections are made between children, adults, schools, communities, and the city.

year: 2023

title: Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater invertebrates, 2013

authors: Grainger, N.

subjects: New Zealand Threat Classification System

abstract: The conservation status of 644 freshwater invertebrate taxa, across five Phyla, 28 Orders and 75 Families, was assessed using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) criteria. Forty-six species were ranked Nationally Critical, 11 Nationally Endangered and 16 Nationally Vulnerable. One hundred and seventy-two taxa were listed as Data Deficient. A full list is presented, along with summaries and brief notes on the most important changes. This list replaces all previous NZTCS lists for freshwater invertebrates.

text: Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater invertebrates, 2013 The conservation status of 644 freshwater invertebrate taxa, across five Phyla, 28 Orders and 75 Families, was assessed using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) criteria. Forty-six species were ranked Nationally Critical, 11 Nationally Endangered and 16 Nationally Vulnerable. One hundred and seventy-two taxa were listed as Data Deficient. A full list is presented, along with summaries and brief notes on the most important changes. This list replaces all previous NZTCS lists for freshwater invertebrates.

year: 2014

title: Boat electrofishing survey of fish abundance in the Ohau Channel, Rotorua, in 2017

authors: Hicks, Brendan J.

abstract: The aim of the survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance by boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (tuna, or eels, morihana, or goldfish, and kōura, or freshwater crayfish). In the current study, we present the findings from the eleventh year of sampling (2017) and a summary of previous surveys.
We used the University of Waikato’s 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 1,110 fish and 3 kōura (18.2 kg in total) from 11 sites on 5 December 2017. The sites comprised 2,909 lineal m and 11,636 m2 in area. Kōura (freshwater crayfish) and 6 fish species were present, with common bully the most abundant species (up to 29.6 fish 100 m⁻² at the site 8, edge habitat). Goldfish (up to 14.2 100 m⁻²) was the next most abundant species, with most goldfish at sites 8 and 11 in and around the side channel. Common smelt were next the most abundant species (up to 11.4 fish 100 m⁻²). Mean density of bullies (7.8 fish 100 m⁻²) was much higher than for smelt (1.69 fish 100 m⁻²). Kōura had a patchy distribution with only 3 individuals were caught at two sites.
Comparing catches over the 11 years of sampling, the mean abundance of common bullies in 2017 was consistent with densities in most post-wall years (after 2007), but lower than in 2007 before wall closure (Newman-Keuls multiple range test, P = 0.034). The cause of fluctuating bully abundance is not known, and was not accounted for by changes in water clarity expressed as black disc distance (BDD), water temperature, or water conductivity. Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, but low BDD did not correspond with low common bully densities. In 2017, smelt abundance had recovered somewhat from the low catches from 2014 to 2016.
Goldfish biomass increased initially (2009-2010) because of targeted fishing in the side channel (site 11), which has dense macrophytes and offers good habitat for goldfish with no flow. However, the continued rise in goldfish density from 2012 on suggests a real increase in goldfish numbers. In contrast to most previous years, no eels were caught in 2017.
Analysis of fish densities before and after wall closure is hampered by the single data point before closure. However, we now have 10 years of post-wall data, and comparisons of means and standard deviations suggest that the number of bullies have been lower since 2008 with the exception of 2015, when bully densities were the same as 2007, i.e., before wall closure. The large number of small juvenile bullies (<30 mm) suggests that recruitment is taking place in the channel, so fluctuating bully abundance is likely to be controlled by factors other than wall closure.

text: Boat electrofishing survey of fish abundance in the Ohau Channel, Rotorua, in 2017 The aim of the survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance by boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (tuna, or eels, morihana, or goldfish, and kōura, or freshwater crayfish). In the current study, we present the findings from the eleventh year of sampling (2017) and a summary of previous surveys.
We used the University of Waikato’s 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 1,110 fish and 3 kōura (18.2 kg in total) from 11 sites on 5 December 2017. The sites comprised 2,909 lineal m and 11,636 m2 in area. Kōura (freshwater crayfish) and 6 fish species were present, with common bully the most abundant species (up to 29.6 fish 100 m⁻² at the site 8, edge habitat). Goldfish (up to 14.2 100 m⁻²) was the next most abundant species, with most goldfish at sites 8 and 11 in and around the side channel. Common smelt were next the most abundant species (up to 11.4 fish 100 m⁻²). Mean density of bullies (7.8 fish 100 m⁻²) was much higher than for smelt (1.69 fish 100 m⁻²). Kōura had a patchy distribution with only 3 individuals were caught at two sites.
Comparing catches over the 11 years of sampling, the mean abundance of common bullies in 2017 was consistent with densities in most post-wall years (after 2007), but lower than in 2007 before wall closure (Newman-Keuls multiple range test, P = 0.034). The cause of fluctuating bully abundance is not known, and was not accounted for by changes in water clarity expressed as black disc distance (BDD), water temperature, or water conductivity. Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, but low BDD did not correspond with low common bully densities. In 2017, smelt abundance had recovered somewhat from the low catches from 2014 to 2016.
Goldfish biomass increased initially (2009-2010) because of targeted fishing in the side channel (site 11), which has dense macrophytes and offers good habitat for goldfish with no flow. However, the continued rise in goldfish density from 2012 on suggests a real increase in goldfish numbers. In contrast to most previous years, no eels were caught in 2017.
Analysis of fish densities before and after wall closure is hampered by the single data point before closure. However, we now have 10 years of post-wall data, and comparisons of means and standard deviations suggest that the number of bullies have been lower since 2008 with the exception of 2015, when bully densities were the same as 2007, i.e., before wall closure. The large number of small juvenile bullies (<30 mm) suggests that recruitment is taking place in the channel, so fluctuating bully abundance is likely to be controlled by factors other than wall closure.

year: 2018