title: Tidal inlet configuration and bathymetric changes resulting from active sedimentation, Buffalo Bay, New Zealand.

authors: Steeghs, Lauren

subjects: accretion

abstract: The Whitianga tidal inlet lies within Mercury Bay, on the northeast coast of New Zealand. The Whitianga Estuary harbours many recreational and commercial vessels. Terrestrial sediment inputs into the Whitianga Estuary catchment are high, due to the erodible tertiary sediments and the steep nature of the catchment, which suffers intense rainfall that results in high sediment influxes, much of which becomes deposited within the estuary. In recent years active shoals have appeared in Buffalo Bay and the inlet channel has noticeably shallowed, both of which inhibit the use of the inlet by boat traffic. The past and present bathymetry of Buffalo Bay is compared to establish changes in morphology and zones of accretion and erosion within Buffalo Bay. The outcomes of this research contribute to a larger research programme which aims to use numerical model simulations to identify sediment transport pathways and patterns within Buffalo Bay. This research will particularly provide information which can be used to calibrate a sediment transport model. Comparison of the Buffalo Bay bathymetries over the 38 year period from 1938 to 1979 and Whitianga inlet bathymetries between 1979 and 1995, show extensive accretion in the ebb discharge channel which is predominantly associated with the migration of the tidal inlet channel and growth of the ebb delta, and within the inner inlet area which are attributed to the growth of the flood delta system.

text: Tidal inlet configuration and bathymetric changes resulting from active sedimentation, Buffalo Bay, New Zealand. The Whitianga tidal inlet lies within Mercury Bay, on the northeast coast of New Zealand. The Whitianga Estuary harbours many recreational and commercial vessels. Terrestrial sediment inputs into the Whitianga Estuary catchment are high, due to the erodible tertiary sediments and the steep nature of the catchment, which suffers intense rainfall that results in high sediment influxes, much of which becomes deposited within the estuary. In recent years active shoals have appeared in Buffalo Bay and the inlet channel has noticeably shallowed, both of which inhibit the use of the inlet by boat traffic. The past and present bathymetry of Buffalo Bay is compared to establish changes in morphology and zones of accretion and erosion within Buffalo Bay. The outcomes of this research contribute to a larger research programme which aims to use numerical model simulations to identify sediment transport pathways and patterns within Buffalo Bay. This research will particularly provide information which can be used to calibrate a sediment transport model. Comparison of the Buffalo Bay bathymetries over the 38 year period from 1938 to 1979 and Whitianga inlet bathymetries between 1979 and 1995, show extensive accretion in the ebb discharge channel which is predominantly associated with the migration of the tidal inlet channel and growth of the ebb delta, and within the inner inlet area which are attributed to the growth of the flood delta system.

year: 2007

title: Newspaper Coverage of People with Disabilities: A New Zealand Perspective

authors: Wall, Stacey Lee

subjects: disability

abstract: Throughout history the science of mass communication has been a topic of public and academic interest. In the past 3 decades portrayals of various minority groups have been of concern to researchers, health professionals and member of these groups. This study examines how people with disabilities are portrayed within the New Zealand print media and whether or not a traditional (often negative) or progressive (often positive) modes of representations predominate in coverage. Progressive focus views disability and the problems surrounding it as being located in society's failure to accommodate all members of the population. In contrast, traditional focus views people with disabilities as dysfunctional because he or she is unable to function in an environment designed by or for people without disabilities. The research corpus comprises relating to intellectual and physical disabilities and people with disabilities published in three major newspapers of New Zealand; The New Zealand Herald, The Dominion Post and The Sunday Star Times between the 1st of June and the 1st of August 2006 (N=101). These articles were collected and the content of each article was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Aspects such as structure, content, terminology, sources used and attributes assigned to the people with disabilities were analysed within each article as a means of determining whether an article was positive, negative or neutral. Results show that within the New Zealand print media disability is generally portrayed in a positive or neutral manner. Moreover, it was discovered that Clogston's (1989) classifications of traditional and progressive focus were problematic because results indicated that a traditional mode of focus was dominate but this did not reflect a negative portrayal of disability. This may have been due to the disparities between the findings of this thesis and previous research conducted in other countries over a decade ago. Furthermore, it was found that the main source within each article was the government and this supported past research (Tichenor, Donohue, and Olien, 1980).

text: Newspaper Coverage of People with Disabilities: A New Zealand Perspective Throughout history the science of mass communication has been a topic of public and academic interest. In the past 3 decades portrayals of various minority groups have been of concern to researchers, health professionals and member of these groups. This study examines how people with disabilities are portrayed within the New Zealand print media and whether or not a traditional (often negative) or progressive (often positive) modes of representations predominate in coverage. Progressive focus views disability and the problems surrounding it as being located in society's failure to accommodate all members of the population. In contrast, traditional focus views people with disabilities as dysfunctional because he or she is unable to function in an environment designed by or for people without disabilities. The research corpus comprises relating to intellectual and physical disabilities and people with disabilities published in three major newspapers of New Zealand; The New Zealand Herald, The Dominion Post and The Sunday Star Times between the 1st of June and the 1st of August 2006 (N=101). These articles were collected and the content of each article was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Aspects such as structure, content, terminology, sources used and attributes assigned to the people with disabilities were analysed within each article as a means of determining whether an article was positive, negative or neutral. Results show that within the New Zealand print media disability is generally portrayed in a positive or neutral manner. Moreover, it was discovered that Clogston's (1989) classifications of traditional and progressive focus were problematic because results indicated that a traditional mode of focus was dominate but this did not reflect a negative portrayal of disability. This may have been due to the disparities between the findings of this thesis and previous research conducted in other countries over a decade ago. Furthermore, it was found that the main source within each article was the government and this supported past research (Tichenor, Donohue, and Olien, 1980).

year: 2007

title: Desirable attributes for medical graduates: The health aspirations and needs of Maaori living in Te Rohe Pootae

authors: Maikuku, Victoria Louisa Wikitoria

abstract: Health disparities for Maaori, the tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, are prevalent when compared to the health of European New Zealanders, and even more so in remote and rural communities where access to health-care services is limited. Moreover, Maaori are underrepresented in the medical workforce in which there is a serious and escalating shortage of doctors and nurses.

In the context of the University of Waikato’s proposal to establish a Graduate Entry Medical School, Te Huataki Waiora School of Health has identified the need for a collaborative approach to ‘growing’ a fit-for-purpose health workforce with the skills and commitment to care for and work with Maaori (and Pacific peoples) living in remote and rural communities. This study thus explores the health perspectives, needs, and aspirations of Maaori living in and around the King Country rural service towns of Te Kuiti and OOtorohanga. Conducted by a Ngaati Maniapoto tribal member, the location for the study is known by Maaori as Te Rohe Pootae - the lands of Rereahu/Maniapoto, to which the Waikato people sort refuge after the invasion and confiscation of their lands in the 1860s. The perspectives, needs, and aspirations of Pacific peoples living in these communities have been explored in a ‘sister’ Masters study conducted by Janina Galewski.

The present exploratory study incorporates a co-design research process underpinned by an Indigenous health framework with Kaupapa Maaori values. Kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 community members, 11 males and 19 females aged 18 years and over. The data analysis included a combination of values, verses and holistic, and provisional coding methods (focused, thematic, descriptive) (Saldana, 2021).

The findings reveal that these community members view themselves as either rural or remote based on distance, access to services, and geographic isolation, but not population numbers. In terms of services, they want a mobile health workforce including clinics, carers, doctors, nurses; mental health workers who are equipped with the resources and time needed to reach and serve their patients; and better access to dialysis and related services. The research also identifies three healthcare strategies. When ill or injured, one-third of the group go directly to their GP; one-third try other things before seeking medical assistance, including going home to their parents and/or to their marae for comfort and advice, ‘going bush’ to (re)connect with nature, and forms of pure (cleansing rituals); and although the remaining third are registered with medical centres they do everything they can to avoid seeing a doctor at all. Instead, they rely on rongoaa and other ‘complementary and alternative’ treatments such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and other healers. 

Adopting and adapting a table created by Woolley et al. (2013), the findings also revealed three sets of desirable attributes for medical graduates (and other healthcare professionals): Skill-based attributes include quality care and communication skills, knowledge-based attributes include medical knowledge and culturally appropriate knowledge, while attitude-based attributes include personality and community engagement. This framework can be used to inform a medical education curriculum, with a specific emphasis on the health needs and aspirations of Maaori living in rural and remote communities.

text: Desirable attributes for medical graduates: The health aspirations and needs of Maaori living in Te Rohe Pootae Health disparities for Maaori, the tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, are prevalent when compared to the health of European New Zealanders, and even more so in remote and rural communities where access to health-care services is limited. Moreover, Maaori are underrepresented in the medical workforce in which there is a serious and escalating shortage of doctors and nurses.

In the context of the University of Waikato’s proposal to establish a Graduate Entry Medical School, Te Huataki Waiora School of Health has identified the need for a collaborative approach to ‘growing’ a fit-for-purpose health workforce with the skills and commitment to care for and work with Maaori (and Pacific peoples) living in remote and rural communities. This study thus explores the health perspectives, needs, and aspirations of Maaori living in and around the King Country rural service towns of Te Kuiti and OOtorohanga. Conducted by a Ngaati Maniapoto tribal member, the location for the study is known by Maaori as Te Rohe Pootae - the lands of Rereahu/Maniapoto, to which the Waikato people sort refuge after the invasion and confiscation of their lands in the 1860s. The perspectives, needs, and aspirations of Pacific peoples living in these communities have been explored in a ‘sister’ Masters study conducted by Janina Galewski.

The present exploratory study incorporates a co-design research process underpinned by an Indigenous health framework with Kaupapa Maaori values. Kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 community members, 11 males and 19 females aged 18 years and over. The data analysis included a combination of values, verses and holistic, and provisional coding methods (focused, thematic, descriptive) (Saldana, 2021).

The findings reveal that these community members view themselves as either rural or remote based on distance, access to services, and geographic isolation, but not population numbers. In terms of services, they want a mobile health workforce including clinics, carers, doctors, nurses; mental health workers who are equipped with the resources and time needed to reach and serve their patients; and better access to dialysis and related services. The research also identifies three healthcare strategies. When ill or injured, one-third of the group go directly to their GP; one-third try other things before seeking medical assistance, including going home to their parents and/or to their marae for comfort and advice, ‘going bush’ to (re)connect with nature, and forms of pure (cleansing rituals); and although the remaining third are registered with medical centres they do everything they can to avoid seeing a doctor at all. Instead, they rely on rongoaa and other ‘complementary and alternative’ treatments such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and other healers. 

Adopting and adapting a table created by Woolley et al. (2013), the findings also revealed three sets of desirable attributes for medical graduates (and other healthcare professionals): Skill-based attributes include quality care and communication skills, knowledge-based attributes include medical knowledge and culturally appropriate knowledge, while attitude-based attributes include personality and community engagement. This framework can be used to inform a medical education curriculum, with a specific emphasis on the health needs and aspirations of Maaori living in rural and remote communities.

year: 2022