Social change and key 'impact events' in a New Zealand hydro-construction village

Abstract

Location: Otematata is located in Waitaki Valley of the South Island, on State Highway 83 (SH83). The township sits between the rural settlements of Kurow and Omarama, and is a 95km drive inland from its nearest major urban centre – Oamaru on New Zealand’s east coast (population 13,000) – which is also Otematata’s main administrative hub. The town was the base for constructing the Benmore Hydro dam. SIA Method: A longitudinal study of social change and key ‘impact events’ combining: secondary and archival data search, retrieval and analysis; thematic analysis of key informant interviews; and (postal) community survey (2013/14).