Geographical Dimensions of Environmental Restructuring in New Zealand∗

Abstract

During the 1980s, New Zealand underwent a period of dramatic economic, social, and administrative restructuring. The reform extended to the administrative arrangements for environmental management. A geographic restructuring model is used in this paper to establish the context in which the reforms were carried out. A combination of economic, environmental, and social influences operating at different geographic scales can be identified. These influences are subsequently illustrated through reference to three aspects of the restructuring that have distinct geographical dimensions: the definition of human-environment relations, the spatial definition of planning regions, and the implications of spatial differentiation for resource management policy and practice.