title: Timing of initiation of reverse displacement on the Taranaki Fault, northern Taranaki Basin: Constraints from the on land record (Oligocene Te Kuiti Group)

authors: Tripathi, Anand Ratnakar Prasad

subjects: Sequence Stratigraphy

abstract: Structures associated with the wedge of basement overthrust into Taranaki Basin along the Taranaki Fault, are regarded as hydrocarbon plays and have been tested by drilling through the tip of the overthrust. The timing of initiation of reverse displace ment on Taranaki Fault is difficult to interpret from available seismic reflection data across it because the evidence has been masked by later movements. The record from the basin, as summarised in King & Thrasher (1996), suggests that the fault evolved from normal to reverse character during the mid-Oligocene. This was inferred from formation of a foredeep parallel to, and west of, Taranaki Fault and a marked increase in its paleo-water depth, as indicated by foraminiferal assemblages of Late Oligocene age.  
A comprehensive re-assessment of the lithostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy of the Late Eocene-Oligocene Te Kuiti Group exposed on land east of Taranaki Fault in central-western North Island, between Port Waikato and Awakino, provides new constraints on the early history of Taranaki Fault displacement. New age control has been achieved by a review of existing foraminiferal biostratigraphy combined with determination of Sr isotope ages from macrofossil samples. Six unconformity-bound sequences have been identified and mapped within the Te Kuiti Group. A major subaerial unconformity between sequences TK3 and TK4 combined with a basinward shift in the position of onlap for sequence TK4 indicate a dramatic change in stratigraphic development and basin dynamics during the mid-upper Whaingaroan at c. 29 Ma, corresponding to the change from mild extension (sag basin) to shortening across the Taranaki Fault Zone. We consider sequences TK4 – TK6 to each represent tectonic cycles of subsidence and basin inversion and we attribute the origin of these cycles to periodic locking of the Taranaki Fault décollement in underlying Murihiku basement, the accumulating strain causing uplift in the basin east of the fault zone, followed by free displacement, relaxation in the upper crust and subsidence. A 1st order model is presented of the Late Oligocene to earliest Miocene vertical and horizontal displacement of basement on the Taranaki Fault Zone for a west –east transect through Awakino. It implies that the mid- to Late Oligocene displace¬ment on the fault zone in the vicinity of Awakino was episodic, and that the thrust belt was narrow (c. 15 km). North of Kawhia Harbour there will have been a different displacement history with most of the total displacement occurring during the devel opment of the c. 29 Ma unconformity at the base of Sequence TK4, whereas to the south between Awakino and Kawhia Harbour the majority of the total displacement occurred during the Otaian and at the end of it. The model also shows that the start of reverse/thrust displacement on Taranaki Fault must have involved the development of a completely new fault trace(s), rather than involving a change of sense of movement on the pre-existing normal fault. The Manganui Fault is part of the Taranaki Fault Zone and probably became active at c. 27 Ma during development of the unconformity between sequences TK4 & TK5. The model presented here has been validated against the subsurface Oligocene stratigraphy in Taranaki Basin.

text: Timing of initiation of reverse displacement on the Taranaki Fault, northern Taranaki Basin: Constraints from the on land record (Oligocene Te Kuiti Group) Structures associated with the wedge of basement overthrust into Taranaki Basin along the Taranaki Fault, are regarded as hydrocarbon plays and have been tested by drilling through the tip of the overthrust. The timing of initiation of reverse displace ment on Taranaki Fault is difficult to interpret from available seismic reflection data across it because the evidence has been masked by later movements. The record from the basin, as summarised in King & Thrasher (1996), suggests that the fault evolved from normal to reverse character during the mid-Oligocene. This was inferred from formation of a foredeep parallel to, and west of, Taranaki Fault and a marked increase in its paleo-water depth, as indicated by foraminiferal assemblages of Late Oligocene age.  
A comprehensive re-assessment of the lithostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy of the Late Eocene-Oligocene Te Kuiti Group exposed on land east of Taranaki Fault in central-western North Island, between Port Waikato and Awakino, provides new constraints on the early history of Taranaki Fault displacement. New age control has been achieved by a review of existing foraminiferal biostratigraphy combined with determination of Sr isotope ages from macrofossil samples. Six unconformity-bound sequences have been identified and mapped within the Te Kuiti Group. A major subaerial unconformity between sequences TK3 and TK4 combined with a basinward shift in the position of onlap for sequence TK4 indicate a dramatic change in stratigraphic development and basin dynamics during the mid-upper Whaingaroan at c. 29 Ma, corresponding to the change from mild extension (sag basin) to shortening across the Taranaki Fault Zone. We consider sequences TK4 – TK6 to each represent tectonic cycles of subsidence and basin inversion and we attribute the origin of these cycles to periodic locking of the Taranaki Fault décollement in underlying Murihiku basement, the accumulating strain causing uplift in the basin east of the fault zone, followed by free displacement, relaxation in the upper crust and subsidence. A 1st order model is presented of the Late Oligocene to earliest Miocene vertical and horizontal displacement of basement on the Taranaki Fault Zone for a west –east transect through Awakino. It implies that the mid- to Late Oligocene displace¬ment on the fault zone in the vicinity of Awakino was episodic, and that the thrust belt was narrow (c. 15 km). North of Kawhia Harbour there will have been a different displacement history with most of the total displacement occurring during the devel opment of the c. 29 Ma unconformity at the base of Sequence TK4, whereas to the south between Awakino and Kawhia Harbour the majority of the total displacement occurred during the Otaian and at the end of it. The model also shows that the start of reverse/thrust displacement on Taranaki Fault must have involved the development of a completely new fault trace(s), rather than involving a change of sense of movement on the pre-existing normal fault. The Manganui Fault is part of the Taranaki Fault Zone and probably became active at c. 27 Ma during development of the unconformity between sequences TK4 & TK5. The model presented here has been validated against the subsurface Oligocene stratigraphy in Taranaki Basin.

year: 2008

title: A retrospective case study of Kiribati identity through language camp participation

authors: Packham, Emma

abstract: This retrospective study examined the Ueen Kiribati Language Camps, which was funded by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples in 2022 and 2023, as part of a broader context of Pacific language and cultural revitalisation in Aotearoa, New Zealand. I-Kiribati methodology and thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, combined with Maroro (dialogue, reminiscing, or storytelling), were used to examine the experiences and perspectives of five participants from various age groups.  

This study examined how I-Kiribati participants in two Ueen Kiribati Language Camps describe their cultural identity and the effects they reported from participation in the language camps that reinforce their sense of cultural identity and contribute to their cultural confidence. The immersive experience included both theoretical and practical workshops, facilitated by elders and older members. The findings challenged the assumptions that a sense of belonging depends on speaking the language fluently, having a single I-Kiribati identity, and living in Kiribati. The camps offered a supportive environment where dual, multiple, and diasporic I-Kiribati could gather and share experiences, and reconnect with each other, their language and culture. This research contributes to the ongoing discussions around language and cultural revitalisation, emphasising the need for community-led initiatives to sustain Pacific languages. The findings also have the potential to inform educational strategies and funding policy decision making and support other Pacific communities delivering similar programmes.

text: A retrospective case study of Kiribati identity through language camp participation This retrospective study examined the Ueen Kiribati Language Camps, which was funded by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples in 2022 and 2023, as part of a broader context of Pacific language and cultural revitalisation in Aotearoa, New Zealand. I-Kiribati methodology and thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, combined with Maroro (dialogue, reminiscing, or storytelling), were used to examine the experiences and perspectives of five participants from various age groups.  

This study examined how I-Kiribati participants in two Ueen Kiribati Language Camps describe their cultural identity and the effects they reported from participation in the language camps that reinforce their sense of cultural identity and contribute to their cultural confidence. The immersive experience included both theoretical and practical workshops, facilitated by elders and older members. The findings challenged the assumptions that a sense of belonging depends on speaking the language fluently, having a single I-Kiribati identity, and living in Kiribati. The camps offered a supportive environment where dual, multiple, and diasporic I-Kiribati could gather and share experiences, and reconnect with each other, their language and culture. This research contributes to the ongoing discussions around language and cultural revitalisation, emphasising the need for community-led initiatives to sustain Pacific languages. The findings also have the potential to inform educational strategies and funding policy decision making and support other Pacific communities delivering similar programmes.

year: 2025

title: A Way Forward for Te Reo Maori in English-Medium Education

authors: Waikari, Arihia

subjects: Maori

abstract: Aotearoa is the home of the Māori people and their language; te reo Māori. When European settlers arrived, they brought with them a new language; English. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 and guaranteed Māori rangatiratanga (chiefly control) over their taonga, including te reo Māori. Over the years a negative language shift has occurred with many Māori moving from speaking te reo Māori to English. Although many initiatives, such as kōhanga reo were implemented in the 1980s, te reo Māori is still in a critical state. This research project is about te reo Māori experiences of both Māori and non-Māori whom were all attached to a English-medium primary school in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This study sought to understand the ways in which te reo Māori was being passed on, or not, from person to person and from one generation to the next.

text: A Way Forward for Te Reo Maori in English-Medium Education Aotearoa is the home of the Māori people and their language; te reo Māori. When European settlers arrived, they brought with them a new language; English. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 and guaranteed Māori rangatiratanga (chiefly control) over their taonga, including te reo Māori. Over the years a negative language shift has occurred with many Māori moving from speaking te reo Māori to English. Although many initiatives, such as kōhanga reo were implemented in the 1980s, te reo Māori is still in a critical state. This research project is about te reo Māori experiences of both Māori and non-Māori whom were all attached to a English-medium primary school in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This study sought to understand the ways in which te reo Māori was being passed on, or not, from person to person and from one generation to the next.

year: 2011