Environmental Planning & Matauranga

Contemporary environmental planning in New Zealand is founded on neo-liberalist planning theory and rational-comprehensive planning models. These concepts are grounded in underlying assumptions about people, environments and knowledge.

Increasingly, the planning profession in New Zealand is being challenged to recognize and incorporate mātauranga Māori and tikanga Māori in environmental policy and planning processes. Pan-Māori concepts such as 'te mana o te wai' are being defined and incorporated into statutory planning documents and the duty to give effect to the principles of the Treaty is a central tenet of the discussions on RMA reform. Missing from the discussion is a critical analysis of the assumptions about human-environment relationships, economic-environment relationships, valid forms of knowledge, and ways of knowing which underpin and are reinforced by our environmental planning frameworks and western science and legal paradigms. Yet it is those assumptions which act as barriers to true recognition and validation of matauranga and tikanga in environmental planning in New Zealand.

Are you aware how those assumptions influence your work? Do you know those assumptions exist? Let's spend some time rising to the challenge of recognising how these assumptions shape New Zealand's environmental planning and decision-making, and limit how we are recognise and incorporate matauranga and tikanga in environmental management. Then meaningful kōrero can begin