title: Changing parameters of consultation in local government: loss or gain for democracy?

authors: Mackness, Kate

abstract: A key tenet of the Resource Management Act (RMA) when enacted in 1991 was to provide for significant rights of public participation in decision-making processes in district and regional planning processes. The Local Government Act (LGA) when enacted in 2002 continued to extend the mechanisms for public participation in decision-making processes through partnership arrangements and a greater requirement to consult. These provisions recognise the interests of the general public and those specifically affected, as well as enhancing the quality of local decision making. We argue that the reforms to the LGA and the RMA since the  election of the National-led government in 2008 have created a policy context where these public participation rights could be eroded. Our textual analysis of the amendments to the legislation demonstrates that the current National-led government’s pursuit of greater efficiency is resulting in reduced consultation under the RMA, and potential opportunities for erosion of public participation to occur under the LGA – although conversely, the greater flexibility also provided may generate new democratic opportunities.

text: Changing parameters of consultation in local government: loss or gain for democracy? A key tenet of the Resource Management Act (RMA) when enacted in 1991 was to provide for significant rights of public participation in decision-making processes in district and regional planning processes. The Local Government Act (LGA) when enacted in 2002 continued to extend the mechanisms for public participation in decision-making processes through partnership arrangements and a greater requirement to consult. These provisions recognise the interests of the general public and those specifically affected, as well as enhancing the quality of local decision making. We argue that the reforms to the LGA and the RMA since the  election of the National-led government in 2008 have created a policy context where these public participation rights could be eroded. Our textual analysis of the amendments to the legislation demonstrates that the current National-led government’s pursuit of greater efficiency is resulting in reduced consultation under the RMA, and potential opportunities for erosion of public participation to occur under the LGA – although conversely, the greater flexibility also provided may generate new democratic opportunities.

year: 2016

title: Exploring a framework for matching to sample with visual stimuli in dogs (Canis familiaris)

authors: Arivazhagan Ambalam, Arihant

abstract: Dogs have been studied for their olfactory abilities, yet their capacity for same-modal visual matching to stimuli remains underexplored. Research focused on scent detection, and cross-modal odour matching. However, little attention was given to visual matchings. This study investigated dogs’ ability to match visual stimuli. Two monitors were used: one displaying a single image, and the other divided into four quadrants. Four dogs were trained to select the stimuli on the second monitor as displayed on the first. In the discrimination task, an errorless learning approach was implemented, where the correct stimuli were presented at full brightness while the incorrect shape was dimmed. As the stages progressed, the incorrect shape’s brightness increased. All dogs successfully matched to sample at low brightness, and they were able to perform better than chance. However, they didn’t meet the criteria to discriminate between shapes when both were presented at full brightness. After discontinuing errorless learning, the dogs went under a pure conditional discrimination test. Almost all dogs performed better than chance, while there were some significant findings specific to each dog. The findings contribute to understanding canine visual perception and contribute to a methodological framework for visual-visual matching tasks. Future studies may refine these methods to enhance canine performance in discrimination learning.

text: Exploring a framework for matching to sample with visual stimuli in dogs (Canis familiaris) Dogs have been studied for their olfactory abilities, yet their capacity for same-modal visual matching to stimuli remains underexplored. Research focused on scent detection, and cross-modal odour matching. However, little attention was given to visual matchings. This study investigated dogs’ ability to match visual stimuli. Two monitors were used: one displaying a single image, and the other divided into four quadrants. Four dogs were trained to select the stimuli on the second monitor as displayed on the first. In the discrimination task, an errorless learning approach was implemented, where the correct stimuli were presented at full brightness while the incorrect shape was dimmed. As the stages progressed, the incorrect shape’s brightness increased. All dogs successfully matched to sample at low brightness, and they were able to perform better than chance. However, they didn’t meet the criteria to discriminate between shapes when both were presented at full brightness. After discontinuing errorless learning, the dogs went under a pure conditional discrimination test. Almost all dogs performed better than chance, while there were some significant findings specific to each dog. The findings contribute to understanding canine visual perception and contribute to a methodological framework for visual-visual matching tasks. Future studies may refine these methods to enhance canine performance in discrimination learning.

year: 2025

title: Covering tangata whenua in Aotearoa: a big data exploration of print media and Māori

authors: Phillips, Justin B.

abstract: A large body of academic research documents harmful media coverage of indigenous populations across the globe. New Zealand is no exception. Aotearoa’s indigenous people, Māori, share similar damaging experiences, leading one major NZ media company to publish an apology for their historically poor depiction of tangata whenua. This paper adds to that wealth of evidence using the automated methods of machine learning to examine coverage of Māori in NZ print media. Across roughly 800,000 sentences–spanning over two decades of coverage–this research investigates print media discourses involving Māori at a mass scale while demonstrating the applicability of such tools for further research. The results replicate a collection of existing findings at large-N scale, further documenting problematic discussions of violence, political representation, and culture, among several other concerns. The novel approach also hints at complex, obscure relationships embedded within problematic language in Aotearoa’s print media, identifying notions of division - both implied and otherwise - along with notable instances of resistance.

text: Covering tangata whenua in Aotearoa: a big data exploration of print media and Māori A large body of academic research documents harmful media coverage of indigenous populations across the globe. New Zealand is no exception. Aotearoa’s indigenous people, Māori, share similar damaging experiences, leading one major NZ media company to publish an apology for their historically poor depiction of tangata whenua. This paper adds to that wealth of evidence using the automated methods of machine learning to examine coverage of Māori in NZ print media. Across roughly 800,000 sentences–spanning over two decades of coverage–this research investigates print media discourses involving Māori at a mass scale while demonstrating the applicability of such tools for further research. The results replicate a collection of existing findings at large-N scale, further documenting problematic discussions of violence, political representation, and culture, among several other concerns. The novel approach also hints at complex, obscure relationships embedded within problematic language in Aotearoa’s print media, identifying notions of division - both implied and otherwise - along with notable instances of resistance.

year: 2022