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Purpose: This paper analyses Environmental Sustainability (ES) policies of the hotel industry in New Zealand (NZ) and compares them with a recognised global standard – the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Design/methodology/approach: The study considered ES policies of ten major hotel groups (consisting of 208 accommodation providers) in NZ and employed content data analysis using Leximancer software to identify the themes relating to ES and benchmark them against the GRI standards. Findings: Firms in the sample are lagging behind in regard to ES practices in comparison to GRI. Firstly, they did not follow the global standard guidelines strictly in reporting their environmental impact; secondly, they have not quantified the impact or related reductions to environmental damage and thirdly, they did not cover all relevant impact areas as outlined by the GRI in reporting some ES initiatives already in place. Research limitations/implications: The research findings are based on the content data from websites and their executions were not validated. In addition to GRI, there could be other global organisations that can be used for future research. Practical implications: This study confirms the prior research findings on environmental impact in NZ, induced by tourism-hospitality sector, and provides an opportunity for the practitioners to reflect upon and develop environmental policies in line with global practices such as GRI. Originality/value: Prior studies on analysing ES of the businesses in the hotel industry are scarce. To the best of our knowledge, no prior study has attempted to analyse online content data of the NZ hotel industry to examine sustainability policies and practices and compare them against any global standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Zealand Ecological Society (NZES) was formed in 1951 by government and academic researchers keen to foster the newly emerging discipline of ecology. NZES membership has now expanded to include many different contributors to ecology and conservation, from research scientists to conservation practitioners through to environmental policy analysts. Our aim was to examine how diversity in NZES has changed over time, either as a leader or a follower of trends in society. To do so, we analysed available data on NZES membership, governance structure, and awards, which reflect contemporary concerns about equality, matauranga Maori, and interdisciplinary science. We also searched articles in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology, using terms such as 'Maori', 'culture' and 'matauranga' to track the incorporation of indigenous views and matauranga Maori into New Zealand ecological research. Together, NZES membership, governance and awards show a shift in membership and governance towards greater gender equity. Early NZES governance and membership was dominated by men with some notable exceptions largely derived from the field of botany. However, the data provide only a sketchy picture of members, as neither ethnicity nor gender data are collected. As yet, very few published journal articles reflect bicultural values, concerns or management of New Zealand's biodiversity. We discuss possible interpretations of the data, including the changing value of service to societies like ours, and consider pathways to support and value diversity in the NZES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a series of draft documents and discussion papers on environmental policy including climate change measures, energy and contaminated land remediation released by the New Zealand government. A range of options to reduce emissions caused by the transportation sector are being proposed in the Draft Energy Strategy. It cites the proposed changes to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) 1996. The government plans to increase the level of national information collection on contaminated land.

Mead, S.T. and Atkin, E.A., 2019. Managing issues at Aotearoa New Zealand's surf breaks. In: Bryan, K.R. and Atkin, E.A. (eds.), Surf Break Management in Aotearoa New Zealand. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 87, pp. 13–22. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Policy 16 of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010 (NZCPS) provides a legislative framework that identifies and calls for the protection of surf breaks of national and regional significance by "ensuring that activities in the coastal environment do not adversely affect the surf breaks" and by "avoiding adverse effects of other activities on access to, and use and enjoyment of the surf breaks". While this is ground-breaking as the world's first environmental policy to specifically identify surf breaks as protected spaces, it has been somewhat toothless in its effectiveness because there are no clear, quantitative measures or guidelines describing the oceanographic or geomorphic characteristics of the coastal zone that contribute to the functionality of a surf break. This paper summarises our existing knowledge concerning surf breaks in New Zealand and highlights the management issues facing local communities and councils; it presents an example of an implemented management approach and the way forward with the recently completed national management guidelines for surfing resources, which are a world first. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2012 there has been an upsurge in New Zealand’s interest in how ecosystem service (ES) concepts can be used to assist decision-making. This paper outlines the progress New Zealand has made in integrating the ES concept into decision-making at government and business levels and provides insights into the challenges encountered. The observations and insights outlined in this paper are based on the interaction of the authors with the various actors in these dialogues and from their involvement in initiatives being undertaken by government and business. The key challenges discussed cover knowledge, indicators, indigenous cultural values, language and communication and decision-making. The paper also provides evidence to support or counter some of the ES critiques. While challenges exist with integrating ESs into decision-making, evidence to date suggests the approach is compelling and provides a structured, transparent and neutral mechanism to manage natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A recent paper by Doole and Marsh (2013), questioned the validity of using the New Zealand Forest and Agriculture Regional Model (NZFARM) for New Zealand agri-environmental policy analysis. We respond to their critique by clearly describing the model structure, explaining the NZFARM parameterisation, calibration, and validation procedure, and presenting estimates from a series of nutrient reduction policy scenarios to highlight the utility of the model. In doing so, we demonstrate that NZFARM generates logical and intuitive results that can be used for robust agri-environmental policy decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the implications of policy on farm income, land use, and the environment when New Zealand landowners face multiple environmental constraints. It also looks at the interaction between climate and nutrient reduction policy and the extent to which one policy can be used to meet the other's objectives.We use a non-linear, partial equilibrium mathematical programming model of New Zealand land use to assess the economic impacts of climate and water policies at the New Zealand territorial authority level. The spatially explicit agro-environmental economic model estimates changes in land use, agricultural output, land management, and environmental impacts. The policies investigated include a range of carbon prices on land-based emissions ($0-30/tCO2e) as well a range of prices on nitrogen leaching from diffuse sources ($0-30/kgN). We estimate that implementing stand-alone greenhouse gas and nutrient emissions reduction policies for the agricultural and forestry sectors will create environmental benefits outside the scope of the policy. However, not all environmental outputs improve, and net farm revenue declines by between 0 and 11%. Simultaneously implementing the two policies results in the desired goals of reductions in nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions with a marginal economic burden on landowners (i.e. 1-2% additional loss in farm profit relative to a stand-alone policy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarly work in the field of legal geography has grown dramatically in recent decades. While much legal geography scholarship has been influenced by a European-North American perspective, we argue that a distinctive legal geography scholarship also emanates from outside the dominant perspective. Here, we review research from Australia and New Zealand/Aotearoa and label this work as Antipodean legal geography (ALG). We suggest ALG research has made a significant contribution to global legal geography scholarship through an emphasis on environmental law and policy problem solving and through efforts to de-colonialise and expand legal geography's remit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civic participation in decision-making about the regulation of genetically modified organisms has become increasingly important in both Australia and New Zealand. This paper explores the somewhat uneven emergence of public participation in discussion and decision-making about GMOs in these different, but closely related contexts. Accounts of public engagement with decision-making about the regulation of GMOs are juxtaposed with critical reflections on what might appear to be opportunities for citizens to exert control over the development and use of genetic science. In this respect, the paper contributes to what Alan Irwin (2006, p. 300) has referred to as “an analytically sceptical (but not dismissive) perspective on the 'new' mode of scientific governance”. The paper concludes with some critical reflections on the development of enhanced democratic decision-making with respect to new biotechnologies, particularly GMOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1990s represented a decade of immense changes in environmental management in New Zealand. This paper outlines the challenges of implementing the widespread reforms started in the 1980s. In terms of the environment, reforms came in the form of a large volume of new legislation and a new system of decentralised planning and management. This paper discusses these changes in the context of a shift toward a new environmental paradigm. Key issues and initiatives of the 1990s are discussed which address sustainability, integration, environmental leadership, and public involvement. Specific strategies are outlined in reference to biodiversity, which has been identified as New Zealand's most pervasive environmental issue. Ongoing challenges for the future include how to better involve stakeholders to incorporate alternative values in decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conceptualisations of 'vulnerability' vary amongst scholarly communities, contributing to a wide variety of applications. Research investigating vulnerability to climate change has often excluded non-climatic changes which may contribute to degrees of vulnerability perceived or experienced. This paper introduces a comprehensive contextual vulnerability framework which incorporates physical, social, economic and political factors which could amplify or reduce vulnerability. The framework is applied to New Zealand's tourism industry to explore its value in interpreting a complex, human-natural environment system with multiple competing vulnerabilities. The comprehensive contextual framework can inform government policy and industry decision making, integrating understandings of climate change within the broader context of internal and external social, physical, economic, and institutional stressors.

The article examines the policies needed by New Zealand to transition to a low-carbon economy, along with the proposed review of the emissions trading scheme and analysis of the country's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution in relation to the 2015 Paris Agreement to combat climate change.

Indigenous knowledge and values are increasingly found in watershed management to engage important stakeholders in the development of modern resource management practices and policies. This paper explores the integration of Māori values in water and land policies governing Kaipara Harbour in New Zealand as a case study for this approach. Multijurisdictional documents were analysed for the inclusion of nine well-established Māori values that have applications to land, water and natural resource management. The results of this study identified the most and least commonly mentioned values in policy documents, and a scalar trend in which integration of Māori values increased as the geographic scale and jurisdiction of the respective governing policies decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for better representation of cultural considerations in environmental management is increasingly evident. As two cases in point, ecosystem service approaches increasingly include cultural services, and resource planners recognize indigenous constituents and the cultural knowledge they hold as key to good environmental management. Accordingly, collaborations between anthropologists, planners, decision makers and biodiversity experts about the subject of culture are increasingly common-but also commonly fraught. Those whose expertise is culture often engage in such collaborations because they worry a practitioner from 'elsewhere' will employ a 'measure of culture' that is poorly or naively conceived. Those from an economic or biophysical training must grapple with the intangible properties of culture as they intersect with economic, biological or other material measures. This paper seeks to assist those who engage in collaborations to characterize cultural benefits or impacts relevant to decision-making in three ways; by: (i) considering the likely mindset of would-be collaborators; (ii) providing examples of tested approaches that might enable innovation; and (iii) characterizing the kinds of obstacles that are in principle solvable through methodological alternatives. We accomplish these tasks in part by examining three cases wherein culture was a critical variable in environmental decision making: risk management in New Zealand associated with Māori concerns about genetically modified organisms; cultural services to assist marine planning in coastal British Columbia; and a decision-making process involving a local First Nation about water flows in a regulated river in western Canada. We examine how 'culture' came to be manifest in each case, drawing from ethnographic and cultural-models interviews and using subjective metrics (recommended by theories of judgment and decision making) to express cultural concerns. We conclude that the characterization of cultural benefits and impacts is least amenable to methodological solution when prevailing cultural worldviews contain elements fundamentally at odds with efforts to quantify benefits/impacts, but that even in such cases some improvements are achievable if decision-makers are flexible regarding processes for consultation with community members and how quantification is structured., (Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper investigates Mexican and New Zealand children’s conception of the environment and their understandings of environmental issues, focusing on how personal experiences, culture and school-based environmental education (EE) programmes influence their perspectives. Sixty Year 5 children (age 9–11) from three schools in Dunedin (New Zealand) and three schools from Ensenada (Mexico), their teachers and school principals were interviewed. The study found that children from both cities had limited opportunities for contact with nature. Most children understood the environment as nature, and did not typically link environmental problems to human activities or social causes. Rarely were children critical of the effect of socio-economic structure on the environment. The analysis shows that children’s understandings of the environment are connected to their personal experiences and mediated by culture. Children from Ensenada had a more global perspective on environmental issues but a more passive attitude towards their local environment, participating in fewer environmental activities than children from Dunedin. In both countries, children from schools with an EE programme did translate environmental practices learnt at school into environmental practices at home. Based on our results, EE could be improved by considering the cultural context, enhancing children’s contact with nature, encouraging critical thinking and more environmental activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Historic exclusion and marginalisation of Indigenous peoples and knowledge contributed to the creation of path dependency in settler colonial societies. • Institutions that manage flood risk and rivers reflect hegemonic social values. • Inclusion of different types of knowledge into flood risk management can disrupt path dependency within institutions. Scholars frequently identify how path dependency serves to constrain the process of climate adaptation and is a key feature of maladaptation. Most studies, however, centre on theoretical, rather than empirical-based discussions of what path dependency is, how it occurs, and what factors assist in breaking path dependency. This paper provides a case study for the creation, maintenance, and attempts to break path dependency within the management of rivers in the Rangitāiki Plains of Aotearoa New Zealand from the 1890s until 2017. We deploy a historical institutionalist theorising on path dependency and institutional arrangements, while also incorporating ideas from indigenous and postcolonial scholarship, which extends current understandings of the factors that contribute towards path dependency at a local level. Through archival research, we demonstrate how successive generations of government policies and actions directed with a specific goal and underpinned by the hegemonic social values created a profoundly path dependent system of managing rivers and flood events. Increased flood vulnerability is one of the direct consequences of the plethora of freshwater engineering interventions which were (and are still) undertaken on the Rangitāiki Plains over the last century. The foundation of this path dependency, we argue, resides with the processes of indigenous dispossession and the marginalisation of Māori values from environmental governance and policy. Efforts to break path dependency, therefore, involve the formal recognition of Māori governance, values, and knowledge within policies, and the translation of Māori values into tangible actions that seek to destabilise Western command-and control approaches to flood risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing substitution of dry land pastoral and arable farming for water-intensive practices is placing pressure on water resources in Canterbury. Although there is a large body of scientific data documenting environmental change, there is a general lack of information on the economic values of agricultural impacts on rivers and streams. This paper applies an economic non-market valuation method to help address this issue. Three impacts are considered: health risks of pathogens from animal waste; ecological effects of excess nutrients; and low-flow impacts of irrigation. This study provides a valuation of outcomes for public agri-environmental policy implemented in Canterbury such as The Dairy and Clean Streams Accord, Living Streams and The Restorative Programme for Lowland Streams. Modelling results indicate that the 5-year economic value for improvements to rivers and streams in Canterbury provided by agri-environmental policy is estimated to be about $186 million. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Health has always had a place in wider impact assessment activities, from the earliest days of the National Environmental Policy Act in the United States. However, early thinking tended to focus on health protection and environmental health issues, especially in relation to the effects of pollution. The adoption of wider models of health was reflected in impact assessment circles from the early 1990s, with particular emphasis on an integrated approach to impact assessment, especially at the project level, which would see health impact assessment benefiting from working with other forms of impact assessment, such as social and ecological. Yet twenty years later, integration still seems a distant prospect in many countries. In this paper I examine the case for integrating health considerations within the wider IA process, discuss some of the problems that have historically restricted progress towards this end, and explore the degree to which impact assessment practitioners have been successful in seeking to improve the consideration of health in IA. In New Zealand, project-level impact assessment is based on an integrated model under the Resource Management Act. In addition, HIA was recognised in the early 1990s as a valuable addition to the toolkit for project assessment. Since then policy-level HIA has grown supported by extensive capacity building. If health is being integrated into wider impact assessment, it should be happening in New Zealand where so many enabling conditions are met. Three major project proposals from New Zealand are examined, to characterise the broad trends in HIA development in New Zealand in the last ten years and to assess the degree to which health concerns are being reflected in wider impact assessments. The findings are discussed in the context of the issues outlined in the early part of the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The New Zealand dairy industry has responded to concerns about the impact of dairying on the environment by implementing a range of voluntary policy initiatives. One initiative emphasises that all dairy farmers have systems to manage nutrient inputs and outputs, with the completion of a nutrient budget as a measure of achievement. The research outlined in this paper was designed to explore the effort farmers put into responding to the policy in order to determine their involvement in nutrient budgets. Qualitative interviews with 20 dairy farmers were undertaken. The results suggest that involvement with the current policy is low. Further work is required to determine whether and how involvement could be increased to help industry and policy makers with the next stage of this initiative. This research demonstrates that understanding how involved farmers are in an issue is one way of highlighting possible policy adoption drivers and barriers during the implementation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological modernization and sustainable development are the two dominant paradigms in environmental policy. This paper assesses the implications of competing understandings of ecological modernization and sustainable development using the case of genetic modification regulation in New Zealand. Although the New Zealand regulatory framework embraces the symbolic language of sustainability, it ultimately adheres to a narrow notion of ecological modernization. By adopting a technically driven risk management process and a diluted precautionary approach, alongside limiting public input into decision-making on genetic modification, it undercuts its commitment to sustainable development definitionally and procedurally. Analysis of the New Zealand biotechnology policy regulatory framework, which consists of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act and the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA), shows how institutionalization of a narrow conception of ecological modernization can preempt real commitment to sustainable development. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most ecosystem services (ES) are neither priced nor marketed. Resource managers may fail to take into account degradation of unpriced services in their resource management decisions. Being able to estimate values for ES is fundamental to designing policies to induce resource users to provide (or improve) ES at levels that are acceptable to society. Conducting ecosystem valuation via non-market methods is costly and time consuming. Benefit transfer (BT) using choice experiment (CE) is a potentially cost-effective method for valuing ES by transferring information from existing valuation studies (and study sites) to a target area of interest (policy sites). The prime objective of this paper is to examine the validity of BT and hence whether it is feasible to conduct the transfer process and assist policy making. The paper focuses on the environmental impact of winegrowing practices in two New Zealand winegrowing regions. The two sites, Hawke''s Bay and Marlborough, have similar environmental issues and attributes but are geographically separated. The study estimates Willingness to Pay (WTP) and Compensating Surplus (CS) for ES applying CE and, subsequently, given the preferences of respondents across sites and populations, tests the transferability of unadjusted value transfer (WTP) and benefits function (CS) assessing four different types of BT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The city of Rotorua, in the centre of the North Island, New Zealand, experiences elevated particulate concentrations during the winter months, and the ambient standard of 50 μg m-3 (24-h average) is regularly exceeded in some locations. This paper describes the ambient monitoring program, the results of a home heating survey, and the preparation of an emissions inventory for the Rotorua airshed. PM10 levels are greatest during the winter months, with levels of up to 116 μg m-3 being recorded at a 'worst-case' location. Domestic heating emissions are a significant contributor to PM10 levels, as indicated by the seasonal and diurnal variations. The home heating survey found that 50% of households used some form of solid-fuel heating, while the emissions inventory shows a more than 60% contribution, overall, from domestic heating emissions during the winter months. The key output from this work was the emission data for all source categories, based on a 250m by 250m grid across the whole of the Rotorua urban area. This was used as a primary input to a dispersion modelling study, as described in Part 2 of this paper, the results from which are being used in the development of an action plan to achieve compliance with the national standard for PM10 by 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of dairy farming on water quality in New Zealand streams has been identified as an important environmental issue. Stream fencing, to keep cattle out of streams, is seen as a way to improve water quality. Fencing ensures that cattle cannot defecate in the stream, prevents bank erosion, and protects the aquatic habitat. Stream fencing targets have been set by the dairy industry. In this paper the results of a study to identify the factors influencing dairy farmers’ decisions to adopt stream fencing are outlined. Qualitative methods were used to gather data from 30 dairy farmers in four New Zealand catchments. Results suggest that farm contextual factors influenced farmers’ decision making when considering stream fencing. Farmers were classified into four segments based on their reasons for investing in stream fencing. These reasons were fencing boundaries, fencing for stock control, fencing to protect animal health, and fencing because of pressure to conform to local government guidelines or industry codes of practice. This suggests that adoption may be slow in the absence of on-farm benefits, that promotion of stream fencing needs to be strongly linked to on-farm benefits, and that regulation could play a role in ensuring greater adoption of stream fencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper reviews the development of ecological economics in Australia and New Zealand since its beginnings in the late 1970s. A historical account is presented that focuses particularly on the activities of the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics and key ecological economics research activities. Achievements of ecological economics in Australia and New Zealand are assessed, using a range of quantitative and qualitative data. The main areas of expertise developed by Australian and New Zealand ecological economists were found to be: theoretical foundations and visions for ecological economics; biodiversity and resilience; input–output analysis; heterodox valuation approaches; analysis of economy–environment interactions; sustainability indicators; sustainable agriculture, fisheries and oceans; and energy/thermodynamics. Both countries are ranked at the top (or near the top) of the world rankings in terms of per capita ISEE membership and publication rates in Ecological Economics. A defining feature of ecological economics in Australia and New Zealand has also been its practical and problem-solving focus and the level of end-user engagement. The paper concludes by discussing the challenges that face the future development of ecological economics in Australia and New Zealand. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

What system does a university need to optimise its progress to sustainability? Discusses the gradation of approaches possible for a university as it strives to improve its environmental performance. Argues that an environmental policy plus mechanisms for its implementation can be adequate, and endorsement of a single formal EMS need not be necessary. Illustrates this with progress at Lincoln University, the smallest public university in New Zealand. Lincoln University introduced its environmental policy in 1992, but its full implementation was delayed due to pressures on the tertiary sector in New Zealand. However, a new policy has now been adopted and an environmental task force established. Also briefly addresses the following topics: why have an environmental policy?; the establishment and content of the Lincoln University environmental policy; putting the policy into practice - an example based on waste reduction; and a discussion of the main obstacles to progress, in the current university climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land fragmentation is a growing issue in New Zealand, however, no consistent or regular national monitoring has been established. A methodology for assessing land fragmentation was applied nationally for the first time, revealing that the greatest proportion of fragmentation occurred on land used for diffuse rural residence (>0.40 to ≤2.0 ha) and small parcels (>2.0 to ≤8.0 ha) with a 128% and 73% increase, respectively, between 2002 and 2019. In New Zealand, the most highly productive land (Land Use Capability (LUC) class 1, 2 and 3) is most impacted by continued fragmentation with 38%, 28% and 17% of baseline area, respectively, occupied by medium sized parcels or smaller (≤40.0 ha) with a dwelling in 2019. Impacts were greatest for Auckland with 40%, 44% and 25% of the region's LUC 1, 2 and 3 land, respectively, occupied by small sized parcels or smaller with a dwelling, increasing to 64%, 67% and 47%, respectively, when including parcels ≤ 40.0 ha. Protection of LUC class 1 and 2 land, particularly, requires national attention. This metric provides an opportunity to evaluate land fragmentation and development over time that could serve both the assessment of policy performance and environmental reporting at national and regional levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transitioning towards sustainable food systems for the health of the population and planet will require governments and institutions to develop effective governance to support the adoption of sustainable food practices. The aim of the paper is to describe current governance within Australian and New Zealand universities designed to support sustainable food systems.Methods: A systematic search of governance documents to support sustainable food systems within Australian and New Zealand universities was conducted. Data were obtained from 1) targeted websites 2) internet search engines and 3) expert consultations. Inclusion criteria consisted of university governance documents including by-laws, policies, guidelines, frameworks, and procedures that support sustainable food systems.Results: Twenty-nine governance documents across nineteen Australian and New Zealand universities were included for synthesis, including waste management policies (n = 3), fair-trade/procurement policies (n = 6), catering and or event guidelines (n = 7) and catering policies (n = 2), and environmental management plans (n = 11). The main strategies adopted by universities were sustainable waste management and prevention (e.g. reducing landfill, reducing wasted food, (27%)), ethical procurement practices (i.e. fair-trade (27%)) and environmentally sustainable food consumption (e.g. local, seasonal, organic, vegetarian food supply (14.5%)). Only 12.5% of universities addressed all three of the main strategies identified.Conclusions: This study indicates that while sustainable food systems are considered in some university governance documents, efforts are predominantly focused on aspects such as waste management or procurement of fair-trade items which as stand-alone practices are likely to have minimal impact. This review highlights the scope of universities to provide strong leadership in promoting and supporting sustainable food systems through holistic institutional policies and governance mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent literature on natural resource governance has highlighted the consequences of a strong imprint of neoliberal political ideologies on current environmental policies. A parallel theme in the recent literature relates to claims pertaining to ownership and management of natural resources by indigenous minorities in post-colonial Western democracies who have been historically marginalised and impoverished by the aftermath of European colonisation. Recently, in order to respond to indigenous demands to settle long-standing grievances for the return of their ancestral lands and natural resources, some post-colonial governments have encouraged the development of indigenous self-governance and co-management initiatives to manage natural resources such as fisheries and forests. Based on a study of the recent Maori fisheries restitution policy initiatives in Aotearoa/New Zealand, this paper presents a preliminary interrogation of the new hybrid indigenous fisheries governance spaces within the bounds of a neoliberal fisheries management regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental policy makers are interested in ways to prevent environmental degradation without significantly limiting economic and social development. Increasingly, market-based instruments are being incorporated into the suite of policy tools to accomplish these aims. However, the lack of information on market-based instruments accessible to non-economists limits understanding of how and when a market-based instrument can be integrated into a traditional policy regime. This paper aims to address the lack of accessible information using a generic screening process for policy instruments demonstrated through application to a non-point source pollution problem in Lake Taupo, New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]