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COVID‐19 brought public health challenges to the public transport system throughout the world. As a result, a range of response measures were implemented to ensure the safety of passengers while maintaining a functioning system. This paper explores the responses of public transport agencies in New Zealand's metropolitan cities (Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington) to the COVID‐19 pandemic by examining their physical and communication measures. We analysed public transport agencies' websites to understand the response measures implemented, including the accessibility of COVID‐19‐related information, and the communication of information via websites and social media platforms. The results show that 13 service responses were implemented across the three public transport agencies, with Auckland implementing the most measures. Seven infrastructural responses were implemented, with Christchurch implementing all seven. Wellington was found to be the public transport agency that used social media the most during the pandemic. The website accessibility findings suggest that the more accessible a public transport agency's website was, the less information was present. The research concludes that all three public transport agencies in New Zealand performed reasonably well and were able to maintain a safe and responsive public transport system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A second phase of New Zealand engagement with the International Geographical Union spans from 1956 to 1974. The nature of this engagement which culminated in the hosting of a Regional Conference in New Zealand in 1974 is the subject of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a prequel to the centenary of the International Geographical Union in 2022, this paper discusses connections between New Zealand and the International Geographical Congresses as a site of knowledge creation from the 1870s up to the mid‐20th century. New Zealand featured initially as an example in the work of others at early International Geographical Union Congresses. There was fleeting New Zealand attendance before the country was represented by proxy as part of the British Empire delegation prior to the first direct university geographer attendance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant percentage of the smaller urban centres around the world are losing people which raises questions regarding the appropriate responses to this challenge. Responses from the state have generally been muted, and as a result, concepts of new localism and new regionalism are useful for understanding the role played by place‐based leadership and partnerships between local businesses, community groups and individuals. Key within this space is the role of endogenous responses anchored on local social capital and resilience. This paper overviews key themes in the literature before examining statistical evidence of small town growth, stabilisation or decline in New Zealand. This leads into an examination of how three small towns in the country are responding to demographic and economic change. The cases illustrate the importance of local‐led responses to the debilitating effects of change and the degree to which place based development can be critical in the context of coping with change in small towns. The paper further argues that "right‐sizing" to a new economic and demographic reality may be the appropriate focus of local attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the relationship between temporary migration and regional development in the context of the Covid‐19 global pandemic. Focusing specifically on Invercargill and Queenstown in Aotearoa New Zealand, I outline how temporary migration has become central to population growth and economic prosperity and how this relationship has been disrupted by the onset of border controls in response to Covid‐19. The paper outlines how the pandemic has revealed several challenges associated with temporary migration, including mismatches between the national management of migration and the local impacts, the availability of suitable data to understand migration, and the path dependency associated with population growth reliant on temporary migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professor Kenneth Cumberland's presidential address at the first New Zealand geography conference in 1955 considered the achievements, aims and objectives of the discipline, which he positioned as a chorological science. This view of geography posed difficulties for the scope of historical geography, one of Cumberland's main areas of research. He addressed this problem in a second conference presentation, which has remained unpublished. This unpublished hitherto "lost manuscript" has been located and is examined with an eye to Cumberland's role as a disciplinary gatekeeper and boundary rider of New Zealand geography in the 1950s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act 2013 (HASHAA) was passed under urgency to deal with housing affordability and land supply challenges across New Zealand. Representing a particular response at a particular point in time, the HASHAA was introduced under urgency and included provisions that allowed the Crown to override (housing) decisions of local authorities. Using post‐political theory in the analysis of evidence collected from transcripts from New Zealand Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), this paper exposes how processes and provisions of the HASHAA were an erosion of democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing migration regulation affects long‐term resident non‐citizen populations. Using New Zealanders living in Australia as an example, this paper explores the effect increasing migration regulation has had on this population and their ability to obtain Australian citizenship. Results from an online survey found that although 44.7% of respondents want to become a citizen, the eligibility requirements, cost and the application process were the main barriers to them doing so. Leaving them unable to secure their legal status in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the relationship between rurality and unintentional non‐fatal hospitalisations for falls and motorised vehicle transport injuries and their geographic patterns in New Zealand. Data were constructed from Statistics New Zealand's Integrated Data Infrastructure. Logistic regression revealed that the odds of hospitalisations from falls were lower in more rural areas, but motor vehicle injuries were higher. The odds of injured people being discharged from a ward increased with rurality for both injury types. This study discovered geographical disparities in the two injury types. The findings of this study direct attention to underlying contextual factors that require targeted prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote rural areas have encountered significant change and the need for renegotiation of economic and social priorities in the late 20th and early 21st century. In our broader research, we ask how have such communities been responding to this change? What role have different organisations and agencies played? And, how have they acted on the aspirations of marginalised communities? In this paper we examine these issues through a case study of Westland District on the west coast of Aotearoa New Zealand's South Island. We probe the general shift towards prioritising tourism in the District, and highlight particular experiences in regard to Indigenous endeavour in tourism. We find that those engaged in leading local development and tourism have not collaborated strategically across the sector and have not established meaningful partnerships with the community that recognise both economic and socio‐cultural aspirations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Zealand government approach to regional development and the economy more broadly has oscillated from the 1970s economic growth and investment focus to 1980s neoliberal neglect, followed by the more recent rediscovery of the regions' importance in national economies, all with tenuous outcomes. This paper explores the changing scope of regional development initiatives by successive New Zealand governments over the last 60 years to show a pattern of opportunism and neglect that suggests regional development is more aligned to electoral priorities than regional success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional development has evolved in response to shifting local and global priorities. These shifts have transformed both the way we think about regions, their role and how that shapes the outcomes and benefits that might occur from engaging in regional development. Key debates centre around the ability (or desirability) of regional development interventions to unsettle path dependence and "lock‐in" created by past approaches and to create opportunities for alternative development futures and to provide choices between sectoral‐based investments to support economic activity in contrast to a more place‐based approach to regional development. This paper overviews the dynamic nature of regional development to offer reasons for its recent resurgence by highlighting the key debates about the purpose and function of regions and what regional development can or should do. We then discuss the New Zealand context specifically and use the first year of Provincial Growth Fund investments to reflect on how the processes, objectives and goals reflect particular interpretations of the meaning and purpose of regional development. We conclude that a strong adherence to a growth imperative has the potential to reinforce path dependencies at the expense of alternative development pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has suggested that older refugees are particularly vulnerable to the stresses of resettlement in developed countries. However, to date the voices of older refugees have largely been missing from the body of refugee resettlement research. Using in‐depth interviews and thematic analysis, this paper explores the personal resettlement experiences of three former refugee elders from the Bhutanese community in Palmerston North. The findings suggest that culture, religion and social connections are of vital importance to the well‐being of these Bhutanese elders and their ability to foster a sense of self and place in a foreign land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the current review of New Zealand's National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), the paper reflects on the nature and relevance of geography in education, life and work. The context of school geography programmes is critically examined, and a checklist of points for further consideration and action is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Turnbull Thomson is more known in New Zealand for his work as Chief Surveyor of Otago Province (1856-1876) and first Surveyor General of New Zealand (1877-1879). He was also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of London from 1848 until his death in 1884. Thomson was an important and early self-declared 'does' of geographer in New Zealand, prior to the establishment of university geography in 1937. Thomson's contribution included survey and mapping but he also gave public lectures on geography and contributed to debates about glaciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the creation of two new geographical boundary files, known respectively as lower zones and upper zones, for investigating social phenomena and visualising disparities in health outcomes in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. We test the effectiveness of contemporary automated zone design tools before applying an interactive approach which integrated computational power with expert local knowledge and visual interpretation to develop meaningful zones. We demonstrate that an interactive approach addresses multiple zone design criteria (e.g. respecting physical barriers, compactness and homogeneity) more effectively than is possible with an automated approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research described in this paper sought to review the public health issues arising from the presence of feral deer, goats and pigs in New Zealand. Key findings were that while recreational hunting of these animals is likely to provide physical and mental health benefits, and contribute to food security, likely health-related harms from these animals include (i) injury risks from the associated firearms used in hunting; (ii) as reservoirs for zoonotic diseases; (iii) reduced mental health benefits of wilderness experience and natural ecosystems; and (iv) likely contribution to flooding risk via forest damage. Further research could better quantify these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This short paper aims to discuss the role and the importance of the Census in New Zealand. It also discusses some of the multitude of uses of Census data in various contexts to help us understand the demographic and socio-economic landscape of New Zealand. Debates internationally on the nature, scale and frequency of a national Census, or even whether a Census is necessary at all, mean that we cannot take this valuable resource for granted. With this in mind, we as geographers have a wealth of data to explore and analyse that we should take full advantage of. What gets counted counts! [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With respect to transport and mobilities literatures this paper (1) offers from historical geography, the suggestion that mobilities insights are not restricted to the present or future, (2) illustrates this through a microscale analysis of road maintenance and (3) and, most importantly, focusses on the upkeep of the road network whereas most of the existing work is on the creation and extension of roads as part of state building projects. Road maintenance it is concluded is itself a highly mobile activity and it is also contended that the road itself is a mobile and not a stable platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article suggests Jobberns' view of geopolitics ultimately rested on the work of British geographer Sir Halford Mackinder overlain by the writing of American political geographers. Jobberns' geopolitical thinking was, however, also strongly informed by his being a Freemason. WWII, as the overshadowing external event of Jobberns' early years at Canterbury, amplified his interest in geopolitics both as a way of understanding the world and, at a time when geography was not universally accepted as a university discipline, as a means of promoting to a wider public the utility of a geographical perspective on world affairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand's freshwater management has traditionally operated under effects‐based legislation which neglects socio‐political dimensions and a 'democratic deficit' persists between government organisations and individual landowners. Frustrated communities have formed catchment management groups to readdress this democratic deficit. We investigated catchment group aspirations to understand their motivation and potential and contribution to water governance. We found disparity between scientific water quality indicators and perceptions of water quality from the community. The resultant tension and distrust between stakeholders can be best understood through a hydrosocial lens, as freshwater challenges are the product of both biophysical and social dynamics of the catchment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, in Central Otago, New Zealand, with competing claims for water beyond irrigation, farmers and water conservation interests are at loggerheads, and freshwater management has become a site of intense debate, competition and political action. We comment on the polarised politics of water governance in Central Otago, writing from the perspective of fish and gamebird management. Our commentary is allied to an interpretation of freshwater allocation for irrigation in New Zealand, which emphasises the emergence and dominance of a singular 'more water' discourse in rural development in the 2000s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the course of the COVID‐19 pandemic, it has become increasingly apparent that a public health crisis exposes underlying inequalities in society. This commentary focuses on emergent digital inequalities in Aotearoa New Zealand, noting the accelerated use of digital tools and technologies such as smartphone applications, online maps and vaccination booking websites during the pandemic. It argues that there is a need to address both the underlying population inequalities and the associated digital inequalities that have arisen during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mediatised circulation of narratives that invite or induce strong emotional responses has been a key dimension of the COVID‐19 pandemic. These circulations have shaped the affective dimensions of pandemic life—including collective feelings of fear, anger, relief and happiness—while also contributing to polarised debates regarding lockdowns and vaccinations. In this context, this commentary examines the emergence of public outrage in Aotearoa New Zealand over two women alleged to have broken a lockdown travel restriction. It describes an escalation of judgement and anger, and considers whether the mediatised cultivation of such feelings might displace or undermine empathy and civility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Zealand government has used public health ordinances to impose restrictions on immigration, movement and social gatherings for managing the pandemic. Yet, this response led to unintended consequences, in particular the stigmatisation of some communities and professions as being 'diseased'. Such discourse ran contrary to the government's own, and very public assertions, that New Zealand was a 'team of five million' who should 'be kind' to each other. Here, we position stigma as a form of slow violence, which during the pandemic has exploited existing cracks in social cohesion. We then employ an ethics of care approach to suggest some practical responses to healing the rifts created by COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines a series of extended botanical surveys conducted by the botanist Leonard Cockayne on several of New Zealand's main offshore islands between 1901 and 1908 and considers their implications for the country's ecological and conservation history. Three dominant features arising from the surveys are discussed: (i) Cockayne's examination of the ecology of the islands visited and his identification of biogeographical connections between island, mainland and more distant ecosystems; (ii) his conspicuous reference to German-language specialist literature; and (iii) his criticism of environmental damage on these offshore islands and his recommendations for their future conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the ways in which the lived experiences and the embodied practices of Bhutanese teenage women refugees are entangled with notions of 'homeliness', 'being in place' and discourses around mobility. For these women, constraints associated with cultural values can create a somewhat paradoxical 'unhomeliness' and feelings of 'being out of place.' The experience of being a refugee can heighten the importance of home as a refuge, and the desire to build a new home in a wider community. The results reaffirm the importance of investigating and theorising embodied practices in efforts to represent refugee lived experiences and the importance of home to structure notions of being a refugee in a new place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable livelihoods approaches used in international development are applied to a vulnerable New Zealand catchment. The Waiapu Catchment has a high proportion of indigenous residents, and is one of the most remote and deprived areas in the country. Linear and centralised approaches to indigenous development have failed to bring about desired changes. We identify "capitals" (social, human/political, physical, natural, financial and cultural) present in the catchment. From this assessment, we propose capital‐based holistic approaches to bring about community‐led change. The assessment and resulting approaches can be used in other vulnerable environments around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debt and income are keystones to financial resilience on New Zealand farms. This article utilises a survey on finance to assess farm financial health using a new model of resilience. It shows the majority of farms are financially strong. Further borrowing and development are possible. With increasing variability resulting from the longer term trade liberalisation as well as global warming impacts, the high equity will provide future resilience. On the other hand, profit levels are not high relative to the investment, but this has been the case for decades and has not caused problems due to farmer and farm family resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The devastating Canterbury Earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 left an indelible mark on the city of Christchurch. The social and economic upheaval that immediately followed the Earthquakes has, in time, been replaced with a period of rebuild and transformation. In this study we investigate the effects that the Canterbury Earthquakes had on two important and inter‐related phenomena in the city: alcohol availability and crime. More specifically, we investigate how alcohol outlets and crime across six different categories changed in magnitude and spatial distribution pre‐ (end‐2009) and post‐ (end‐2014) earthquake. We do this using a variety of geospatial techniques including a relatively new method: the spatial point pattern test which allows for the identification of changes in spatial patterns at the local level. Results indicate that both alcohol outlets and crime have decreased in magnitude since the Canterbury Earthquakes. Using the spatial point pattern test we found statistically significant differences in spatial point patterns for both alcohol outlets and all crime types pre‐ to post‐earthquake. The similarity in the differences of the spatial distributions of alcohol outlets and crime provides a first empirical clue of their potential association in the city post‐earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines a case study of the Rarakau Rainforest Conservation Project on Māori-owned land in western Southland - New Zealand's first and only REDD+ project. It explores the potential for REDD+ projects on Māori land throughout the country. Key findings show that REDD+ is technically feasible in New Zealand, but commercially dependent on (currently low) demand in the domestic retail carbon offset and 'corporate social responsibility' market. Market research suggests that there is sufficient demand to cater to the needs of a small number of REDD+ projects, but insufficient demand to roll out a nation-wide scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the feasibility of developing measures of area deprivation from routinely collected administrative data for the Auckland Region, based on the Scottish Indices of Multiple Deprivation. Using data from national health, social development, education, and police databases, geospatial data providers and the 2006 Census, we developed seven domains of deprivation: Employment; Income; Crime; Housing; Health; Education; and Geographical Access, which were combined to create an overall Index of Multiple Area-Level Deprivation.Small areas developed for this research ('Lower Zones') highlight variations in deprivation for domains separately and combined, and validate the indices using smoking prevalence data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographical awareness and the imaginative impulse are sibling domains of human experience. We imagine the places we have yet to visit and allow ourselves to envisage differently those already familiar to us. This set of four essays extends presentations made at a Stout Research Centre ( Victoria University of Wellington) seminar in 2015, at which two geographers and two artists reflected on the connections between geography and imagination. Collectively they take forward a broader conversation between geography and the humanities, contributing to the emergent field of 'geohumanities'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through in-depth interviews and participant observation with 40 1.5 generation Korean New Zealander returnees, we explore life trajectories and identify both short- and long-term reasons for return. Short-term reasons for return include moving home when entering adulthood in order to begin a career, gaining new experiences and finding a future spouse. Longer term influences include the difficulties of living as minority-status immigrants in the host society, transnational connections and a longing for a sense of 'home'. Our consideration of longer term migration strategies sheds light upon the often forgotten difficulties and complexities that can underlie an individual's return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health geography in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) has had a major impact on international sub-disciplinary debates. It is timely to celebrate our domestic health geography achievements and alert ourselves to the challenges ahead. This reflection article provides a brief overview of Aotearoa NZ's maturing health geography community and includes the reflections of a panel discussion held during the bi-annual NZ Geographical Society conference in 2016. We argue that the eclectism of health geography in NZ and beyond is both the sub-discipline's major strength and challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable transport is an increasing focus for planning authorities, and New Zealand's local authorities have been developing initiatives to encourage more sustainable forms of mobility. This study focuses on a cycling initiative in a provincial local authority that extensively relied on a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) programme. We argue that M&E programmes are often black boxed and there is little understanding of how they work within organisations. Drawing on work from the sociology of quantification, this study examines the multiple translations that the M&E underwent and the actors involved in it, in order for it to become useful and accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]