Mairi Jay

Biosecurity, a policy dilemma for New Zealand

Abstract Protection of New Zealands native biodiversity and its primary production both depend on biosecurity measures to prevent invasion by alien, or exotic, organisms. At the same time, New Zealands dependence on trade and travel in an increasingly globalised world places growing strain on the nations biosecurity systems. Invasion by exotic species has potential for catastrophic impacts on both native biodiversity and human economic and social wellbeing. New Zealands biosecurity policies have been gradually evolving from a narrow focus on production pests to a broader awareness of multiple economic, social and ecological objectives. This paper is about the process of reconciling conflicting objectives for biosecurity, with New Zealand as a case study example.

Crying Over Spilt Milk: A Critical Assessment of the Ecological Modernization of New Zealand's Dairy Industry

Ecological modernization theory holds that capitalist economic structures can be transformed to avoid long-term environmental damage, through the introduction of modern environmental technologies and reforming modern institutions. Empirical evidence, drawing on ecological modernization practices in some European and North American contexts, lends support to this view. However, it is not clear yet whether the practices of ecological modernization can be applied with equal success to agricultural industries (such New Zealands dairy sector), based on farmers as multiple producers. The New Zealand dairy industry faces political and commercial pressure to improve its environmental performance while maintaining commercial competitiveness in a global marketplace. In response to such pressures, the industrys main umbrella organization (Fonterra) has taken steps to improve the environmental management practices of the farmers who supply milk. The New Zealand dairy industry offers an example from which to assess the relevance of economical modernization theory.

Planners and the conservation of biological heritage: Implications for New Zealand and Australia

T he aim of this paper is to encourage greater attention by planners to conservation of native or indigenous biodiversity, and to the skills and knowledge required for this endeavour. This paper argues that, in order to be effective, planners need to develop methods and principles of planning that suppon the long-term survival of native species and ecosystems. To do so, they will need to work with ecologists, biologists, and land managers, and bring new areas of ecological understanding to their traditional skills. They will also have to demonstrate that they have the skills they claim to have. Moreover, since conservation of biodiversity frequently requires the maintenance or restora~ion of ecological processes a change in the common focus of planning on development approval with limited monitoring or enforcement, is required. The paper begins by explaining the meaning of biodiversity and its implications for consenration approaches. It outlines some recent national and international policy developments and the background to them that provides lbe justification for planning involvement. It then reviews examples of biodiversity provisions in plans within New tealand reconsiders the strengths and weaknesses of planning practice in order to point to the directions for change and improvement. Although the discussion focuses mainly on New Zealand, Australian examples are used to amplify some points. Biodiversity and its implications for conservation