A critical exploration of community participation for creating a Low Emission Development Strategy by the Just Transition Unit (JTU) Taranaki, New Zealand : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Planning at Lincoln University

Abstract

The New Zealand government aims for the development of a low carbon emission economy. One step towards this goal is that the government stopped issuing new offshore oil and gas exploration licences, a step that will have strong economic and social effects on the Taranaki region. The government sees this also as an opportunity to develop Taranaki as a low emission economy. This programme does not just offer opportunities but also threatens the jobs of the local community, as well as the economic development in the Taranaki region. Therefore the government has chosen to accommodate this process using community participation through a Just Transition Management (JTM) strategy. This research focuses on JTM theory and how this theory is adapted to the community participation process in Taranaki, and to compare JTM to the theory of Collaborative Planning (CP). The theories of JTM and CP are compared using criteria of successful community participation, divided into five aspects: a) focus of discussion, b) actors’ participatory role, c) model of participation, d) impact of participation and e) monitoring and evaluation. This research study is conducted in the context of the government’s Just Transition Unit (JTU) in Taranaki, and uses secondary data such as articles, websites, reports, policy, statutory plans, notes, webinar videos, and social and/or mainstream media, to evaluate its participatory approach. Both CP and JTM encourage participation, and this participation can take many forms. While CP is often limited to informing and consulting, JTM emphasises participation through experimentation for the purpose of social learning. My research evaluated the early stages of a JTM project facilitated by the government’s Just Transition Unit (JTU), to establish whether the participatory methods used were more consistent with orthodox collaborative planning or more experimental forms often associated with transition management. The first part of the research investigates the differences between JTM and CP. The findings indicate that, using aspects of participation, JTM has a higher degree of participation than CP by creating an experimentation process using a solution-orientated focus, clear actors’ roles, clear models to facilitate participation to create a real impact on decision making, and a continuous evaluation process. The process is different from that of CP, where participation is used as a consultative tool, without actually involving or empowering participants to make a direct impact. The second part of the research investigates how JTU Taranaki demonstrates community participation best practices by accommodating experimentation that enhance the potential for transitional change. This transitional process is shown through the experimentation process in the JTU that improves the learning process of participants and supports behavioural change, such as in understanding the urgency for a low emission programme. Key differences between CP and JTM are that the JTU aims to empower all affected stakeholders in a just manner, including honouring the co-governance with Māori. Just Transition is a co-design process, involving the community in actual decision making. And it is a long-term process that continues and can evolve over time and therefore requires continues reflection. The research does show little evidence that community participation in the JTU in Taranaki, New Zealand is conducted according to the JTM in theory. The conclusions point more towards a “business as usual” CP strategy instead. JTM is a new planning approach that provides a unique perspective for engagement which could have potential for future planning strategy development. The case study in Taranaki indicates that the government can fall into the easier and more well-known practices of collaborative planning. As the Taranaki Just Transition is still in its early stage of implementation, some considerations could change the process to make it more in line with Just Transition Theory. The most substantial suggestions include the introduction of milestones, community led discussion, clearly defined actors’ roles and a well-documented evaluation cycle process.