Co-operative land management in New Zealand

Abstract

Land management policies in New Zealand have had several distinct phases. The post War drive to expand substantially pastoral production was characterised by an increased reliance on technological and chemical inputs. A publicly funded infrastructure provided farmers and rural communities with farm advisory services, subsidy programmes, and arid financial assistance to recover from natural disasters and adverse climatic events. In the 1970s people began to question the wisdom of this orientation. A shift in public opinion reflected changing attitudes towards these of natural resources and the impact of production and development on the environment. The economic restructuring and reorganisation of state agencies implemented by the fourth Labour Government in the mid 1980s resulted in a withdrawal of farm services and funding sources. The move towards market allocation of resources and fiscal restraint led to the removal or reduction of subsidies. The change has meant some land uses are not sustainable in terms of their impact on soil resources or their economic viability. There are also parts of New Zealand where current land use problems are not confined to individual property boundaries. The response to these problems has varied significantly. In some cases, central government has provided financial incentives to generate change or to provide short-term assistance. In other situations land users have attempted to develop productive systems that are more suited to the resource base. When crises develop, the overall response has tended to occur largely through central government initiative. Although land management initiatives are adopted with the intention of including those experiencing land use problems, the complex interaction between physical, economic, financial, and social factors has generally been overlooked. While understanding varies with regard to physical, economic and financial factors, the role of those affected and the process of their inclusion is generally not we'll understood Economic and social impediments to change can be based on a lack of access to information. Individuals are often unaware of the source of necessary information and advice. A further constraint appears to be the inconsistent data bases that are used by different groups. Other impediments include an inability of individuals to perceive problems that occur on their own properties, social pressure to conform, short term financial constraints infrastructure constraints, inflexible institutional arrangements, and inadequate policy-making processes to facilitate change. One area that warrants attention involves the breaking down of information monopolies; that is situations where particular information regarding some natural or social phenomenon is specific to a particular social grouping. All parties are likely to benefit significantly when data gathering and analysis functions are decentralised to the most appropriate management level. The challenge facing New Zealand land policy makers is to investigate approaches to land management where all knowledge or information about the resource is incorporated in decisions. It is hypothesised that movement towards sustainable development and management of natural resources depends on resource users being empowered to identify and resolve issues that they are associated with. There is interest in exploring approaches to land management that involve cooperation between land policy makers and those affected by policy making.