title: Paleogeomorphic reconstruction of the Omokoroa Domain, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

authors: Christophers, Amy Jane

subjects: Omokoroa

abstract: Omokoroa Peninsula, located on the shores of Tauranga Harbour, has undergone major land use changes with associated shoreline modifications; becoming increasingly urbanised since the 1950s. A low-lying area on the northeastern side of the peninsula, referred to loosely as the Omokoroa Domain, is important to the community for recreational use and as a location for a vehicular ferry service to Matakana Island. Sedimentation issues in the vicinity of the boat ramp have created problems regarding access to the boat ramp, as well as requiring protection works to deal with shoreline erosion. The primary aim of this research was to determine the geomorphic evolution of the Omokoroa Domain and assess the processes that contribute to the long-term stability and future evolution of the shoreline.

A range of different techniques were used to assess the prehistoric and historic geomorphic changes and interpret the driving processes; and also to quantify modern processes operating around the Omokoroa Peninsula. These have included analysis of historic photos, particularly aerial photographs; examination of LIDAR and mapped information, such as the underlying geology; field observations of the stratigraphic units in the cliffs and shore platforms around the peninsula; collection of sediment samples from potential sources, transport pathways and sinks, and associations lab analyses to characterise the sediments; shallow coring to determine the near surface stratigraphy of coastal sediments; and the deployment of a range of instruments, and subsequent analysis of the collected data to define the hydrodynamic processes around the Omokoroa Peninsula.

The various lines of evidence analysed indicate the Omokoroa Domain can be classified as a cuspate spit, which enclosed a tidal lagoon that was infilled with landfill during the construction of roads on the Peninsula. The spit has developed in an area of low sedimentation, with a low potential for sediment transport. The sediment comprising the shoreline around the Omokoroa Domain is primarily derived from local sources, specifically from mass-wasting from the peninsula and predominantly from debris from landslides in the immediate vicinity of the Domain.

There is evidence of both a tsunami event and rapid deposition of most of the sediment after 1,652 ± 20 BP. This appears to be associated with a local earthquake that also produced a tsunami deposit at Waihi Beach. It is possible that ground shaking and vertical movement triggered landslide events around Omokoroa Peninsula.

Continuous tidal action and episodic wind generated waves are the primary factors influencing sediment transport, redistributing sediment around the Peninsula, and forming the cuspate spit and tidal lagoon. More recently, landslides have mostly formed on the western side of the Omokoroa Peninsula, with the sandy debris being transported around the peninsula to accumulate on the northern flank of the modified cuspate spit. This sediment is a minor contribution to the sedimentation problems at the boat ramp; the major issue being settling of fine sediment within the turbid fringe that has been enhanced by the shape of the present boat and vehicular ferry ramps, and associated wharf.

text: Paleogeomorphic reconstruction of the Omokoroa Domain, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand Omokoroa Peninsula, located on the shores of Tauranga Harbour, has undergone major land use changes with associated shoreline modifications; becoming increasingly urbanised since the 1950s. A low-lying area on the northeastern side of the peninsula, referred to loosely as the Omokoroa Domain, is important to the community for recreational use and as a location for a vehicular ferry service to Matakana Island. Sedimentation issues in the vicinity of the boat ramp have created problems regarding access to the boat ramp, as well as requiring protection works to deal with shoreline erosion. The primary aim of this research was to determine the geomorphic evolution of the Omokoroa Domain and assess the processes that contribute to the long-term stability and future evolution of the shoreline.

A range of different techniques were used to assess the prehistoric and historic geomorphic changes and interpret the driving processes; and also to quantify modern processes operating around the Omokoroa Peninsula. These have included analysis of historic photos, particularly aerial photographs; examination of LIDAR and mapped information, such as the underlying geology; field observations of the stratigraphic units in the cliffs and shore platforms around the peninsula; collection of sediment samples from potential sources, transport pathways and sinks, and associations lab analyses to characterise the sediments; shallow coring to determine the near surface stratigraphy of coastal sediments; and the deployment of a range of instruments, and subsequent analysis of the collected data to define the hydrodynamic processes around the Omokoroa Peninsula.

The various lines of evidence analysed indicate the Omokoroa Domain can be classified as a cuspate spit, which enclosed a tidal lagoon that was infilled with landfill during the construction of roads on the Peninsula. The spit has developed in an area of low sedimentation, with a low potential for sediment transport. The sediment comprising the shoreline around the Omokoroa Domain is primarily derived from local sources, specifically from mass-wasting from the peninsula and predominantly from debris from landslides in the immediate vicinity of the Domain.

There is evidence of both a tsunami event and rapid deposition of most of the sediment after 1,652 ± 20 BP. This appears to be associated with a local earthquake that also produced a tsunami deposit at Waihi Beach. It is possible that ground shaking and vertical movement triggered landslide events around Omokoroa Peninsula.

Continuous tidal action and episodic wind generated waves are the primary factors influencing sediment transport, redistributing sediment around the Peninsula, and forming the cuspate spit and tidal lagoon. More recently, landslides have mostly formed on the western side of the Omokoroa Peninsula, with the sandy debris being transported around the peninsula to accumulate on the northern flank of the modified cuspate spit. This sediment is a minor contribution to the sedimentation problems at the boat ramp; the major issue being settling of fine sediment within the turbid fringe that has been enhanced by the shape of the present boat and vehicular ferry ramps, and associated wharf.

year: 2015

title: Domestic Violence and Systemic Deception in the Family Legal  System: A Compelling Case for Truthful Reform

authors: Nakarawa, Jalesi

subjects: domestic violence

abstract: This thesis investigates the law and legal philosophy behind New Zealand’s response to domestic violence. As a feature of common law reasoning, legal fiction, asserting something to be true when it is not true, persists as an important mechanism in judicial fact finding. In family law, the convenient and crucially unrecognised fiction of the “ideal family” which may never have existed continues to drive the family justice system. The failure to be aware of the fiction may undo the justifications for its existence and undermine its utility.
Treating this fiction as true rather than treating it as “if true” drives a wedge between the normative intent of the law and the behavioural issues that underlie human interpersonal relationships. The resulting gap between the realities of the family experience we live with and the “ideal family” we live by underwrites the vague and imprecise objectives of our responses to domestic violence. Apart from the uncertainty of what we are trying to achieve, the fiction assumes that deception and aggression are pathologies in human behaviour. The law’s reliance on these fictions to pursue just ends requires careful considerations to avoid causing real world pathologies.
Despite New Zealand’s reputation for innovative responses to domestic violence, the Family Justice System as a whole has failed to produce the anticipated result. The expansion of the continuum of conduct classified as domestic violence has criminalised instances of ordinary human aggression. This expansion under the Domestic Violence Act was intended to provide victims greater protection from domestic violence, but it has not had the intended result. While success in police management terms may be evaluated in higher rates of reported incidents, arrests and convictions, success for victims ought to be assessed regarding the reduction in incidences of violence over time. This has not happened. For this reason, the application of statistical data to support a specific agenda often distorts our assessment of domestic violence.
The thesis proposes a holistic approach based on domestic violence as fundamentally a behavioural issue. It is important first to ascertain the nature of violence in the world and our lives and to unpack human behaviour for a better understanding of why we do the things we do. Secondly, statistical data should be properly analysed to provide an accurate picture of human behaviour and domestic violence as it is on the ground, the reality of family life we live with. This and only this can provide a sound basis for developing explicit goals to guide our legal responses or interventions, bridging the divide between the aspirational objectives of the law and the human reality we live with.

text: Domestic Violence and Systemic Deception in the Family Legal  System: A Compelling Case for Truthful Reform This thesis investigates the law and legal philosophy behind New Zealand’s response to domestic violence. As a feature of common law reasoning, legal fiction, asserting something to be true when it is not true, persists as an important mechanism in judicial fact finding. In family law, the convenient and crucially unrecognised fiction of the “ideal family” which may never have existed continues to drive the family justice system. The failure to be aware of the fiction may undo the justifications for its existence and undermine its utility.
Treating this fiction as true rather than treating it as “if true” drives a wedge between the normative intent of the law and the behavioural issues that underlie human interpersonal relationships. The resulting gap between the realities of the family experience we live with and the “ideal family” we live by underwrites the vague and imprecise objectives of our responses to domestic violence. Apart from the uncertainty of what we are trying to achieve, the fiction assumes that deception and aggression are pathologies in human behaviour. The law’s reliance on these fictions to pursue just ends requires careful considerations to avoid causing real world pathologies.
Despite New Zealand’s reputation for innovative responses to domestic violence, the Family Justice System as a whole has failed to produce the anticipated result. The expansion of the continuum of conduct classified as domestic violence has criminalised instances of ordinary human aggression. This expansion under the Domestic Violence Act was intended to provide victims greater protection from domestic violence, but it has not had the intended result. While success in police management terms may be evaluated in higher rates of reported incidents, arrests and convictions, success for victims ought to be assessed regarding the reduction in incidences of violence over time. This has not happened. For this reason, the application of statistical data to support a specific agenda often distorts our assessment of domestic violence.
The thesis proposes a holistic approach based on domestic violence as fundamentally a behavioural issue. It is important first to ascertain the nature of violence in the world and our lives and to unpack human behaviour for a better understanding of why we do the things we do. Secondly, statistical data should be properly analysed to provide an accurate picture of human behaviour and domestic violence as it is on the ground, the reality of family life we live with. This and only this can provide a sound basis for developing explicit goals to guide our legal responses or interventions, bridging the divide between the aspirational objectives of the law and the human reality we live with.

year: 2016

title: Māori & Psychology Research Unit annual report 2010

authors: Rua, Mohi

subjects: Māori and Psychology Research Unit

abstract: Annual report of the Māori and Psychology Research Unit (MPRU) 2010. The unit was established in August of 1997. The unit is designed to provide a catalyst and support network for enhancing research concerning the psychological needs, aspirations, and priorities of Maori people. The MPRU is well situated to draw together skilled and experienced interdisciplinary research groups by networking and establishing working relationships with staff and students within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the University, and the wider community.

text: Māori & Psychology Research Unit annual report 2010 Annual report of the Māori and Psychology Research Unit (MPRU) 2010. The unit was established in August of 1997. The unit is designed to provide a catalyst and support network for enhancing research concerning the psychological needs, aspirations, and priorities of Maori people. The MPRU is well situated to draw together skilled and experienced interdisciplinary research groups by networking and establishing working relationships with staff and students within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the University, and the wider community.

year: 2011