Major Resource Development Projects in a Regional Context: A Framework for a New Zealand Analysis

Currently Australia and New Zealand are experiencing a major restructuring of their social, political, and economic bases. A conceptual framework for analysing these changes is presented here with special emphasis being placed on the impact of resource developments at a regional level. New Zealand's current 'major projects' are reviewed in the context of this framework. It is suggested that academic social scientists should coordinate their work with that of applied social scientists who are responding to change at a regional level.