Attitudes of neighbours of National Parks in New Zealand and Indonesia

Abstract

A comparative study is made of the attitudes of national park neighbours of three selected New Zealand national parks. Purposive sampling was employed to contrast the attitudes of different occupational groups with the attitudes of park rangers, especially to nature conservation and to the use and management of park resources. Considerable variation was found within and between occupational groups and park locations in responses to different sets of propositions. In general farmer neighbours tended to share more closely the conservationist attitudes of park rangers than did other groups. Businessmen, generally involved in commercial recreation and servicing of vacations and tourism, showed most divergence from conservationist attitudes. A special group of Maori neighbours was also found to diverge from conventional conservationist attitudes.

A review of impressions and experience of three Indonesian national parks relates the differences between parks there in neighbours' attitudes to socio-economic conditions of the local populations and to complex administrative history of such protected areas. In contrast to New Zealand, recreation is a minor use of national parks and of little significance to park neighbours especially those furthest from population centres.

Dasmann's (1975) concepts of "ecosystem people" and "biosphere people" arc employed to interpret the contrasting values and attitudes of different cultural groups who do not conform with conventional conservationist attitudes. The need is recognized to incorporate in official conservation policy the values and expressions of traditional cultures. Understanding of nature in traditional or conventional wisdom is crucial for a positive attitude to protected nature. Suggestions are made for promoting the physical and social integration of protected areas into regional landscapes.