The nature of natural: defining natural character for the New Zealand context
New Zealand has a long-standing statutory policy goal to preserve the natural character of the coastal environmentand various freshwater environments and their margins. In the absence of an authoritative definition, it has not been possibleto develop a method to measure natural character and its cha...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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New Zealand Ecological Society
2010
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/18721 |
| _version_ | 1848749825847197696 |
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| author | Froude, V. Rennie, H. Bornman, Janet |
| author_facet | Froude, V. Rennie, H. Bornman, Janet |
| author_sort | Froude, V. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | New Zealand has a long-standing statutory policy goal to preserve the natural character of the coastal environmentand various freshwater environments and their margins. In the absence of an authoritative definition, it has not been possibleto develop a method to measure natural character and its change, nor the outcomes of the long-standing national policy goal.Here we develop a definition of natural character that is relevant and useful in the New Zealand environmental, cultural andlegal/policy context. Literature-derived interpretations of natural character and equivalent concepts are evaluated as to theirpotential suitability for developing a biophysical definition of natural character. Using a set of carefully designed criteria asubset of interpretations are condensed into a definition of natural character. The application of this definition is qualifiedfollowing consideration of the literature addressing human perception and experiences of natural character. Appropriatereference conditions and baselines for evaluating natural character in different contexts are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:27:06Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-18721 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:27:06Z |
| publishDate | 2010 |
| publisher | New Zealand Ecological Society |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-187212017-02-28T01:34:51Z The nature of natural: defining natural character for the New Zealand context Froude, V. Rennie, H. Bornman, Janet environmental naturalness reference conditions human perception Resource Management Act coastal environment baselines environmental policy New Zealand has a long-standing statutory policy goal to preserve the natural character of the coastal environmentand various freshwater environments and their margins. In the absence of an authoritative definition, it has not been possibleto develop a method to measure natural character and its change, nor the outcomes of the long-standing national policy goal.Here we develop a definition of natural character that is relevant and useful in the New Zealand environmental, cultural andlegal/policy context. Literature-derived interpretations of natural character and equivalent concepts are evaluated as to theirpotential suitability for developing a biophysical definition of natural character. Using a set of carefully designed criteria asubset of interpretations are condensed into a definition of natural character. The application of this definition is qualifiedfollowing consideration of the literature addressing human perception and experiences of natural character. Appropriatereference conditions and baselines for evaluating natural character in different contexts are discussed. 2010 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/18721 New Zealand Ecological Society restricted |
| spellingShingle | environmental naturalness reference conditions human perception Resource Management Act coastal environment baselines environmental policy Froude, V. Rennie, H. Bornman, Janet The nature of natural: defining natural character for the New Zealand context |
| title | The nature of natural: defining natural character for the New Zealand context |
| title_full | The nature of natural: defining natural character for the New Zealand context |
| title_fullStr | The nature of natural: defining natural character for the New Zealand context |
| title_full_unstemmed | The nature of natural: defining natural character for the New Zealand context |
| title_short | The nature of natural: defining natural character for the New Zealand context |
| title_sort | nature of natural: defining natural character for the new zealand context |
| topic | environmental naturalness reference conditions human perception Resource Management Act coastal environment baselines environmental policy |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/18721 |