Changes in the Age of Farmers in New Zealand, 1971–1991

Analysis of census data from 1971 to 1991 shows changes in the average age of farmer and changes in the age distribution for the main categories of farmers in New Zealand.     

Source parameters of large historical (1918–1962) earthquakes, South Island, New Zealand

We present the results of body waveform modelling studies for 17 earthquakes of M _w ≥5.7 occurring in the South Island, New Zealand region between 1918 and 1962, including the 1929 M _s = 7.8 Buller earthquake, the largest earthquake to have occurred in the South Island this century. These studies confirm the concept of slip partitioning in the northern South Island between strike-slip faulting in southwestern Marlborough and reverse and strike-slip faulting in the Buller region, but indicate that the zone of reverse faulting is quite localized. In the central South Island, all historical earthquakes appear to be associated with strike-slip faulting, although recent (post-1991) reverse faulting events suggest that slip partitioning also occurs within this region. The difference between historical and recent seismicity in the central South Island may also reflect stress readjustment occurring in response to the 1717 ad rupture along the Alpine fault. Within the Fiordland region (southwestern South Island) none of the historical earthquakes appears to have occurred along the Australian/Pacific plate interface, but rather they are associated with complex deformation of the subducting plate as well as with deformation of the upper (Pacific) plate. Two earthquakes in the Puysegur Bank region south of the South Island suggest that strike-slip deformation east of the Puysegur Trench is playing a major role in the tectonics of the region.     

February floods in the lower North Island, 2004: Catastrophe – causes and consequences

Abstract: The February 2004 Manawatu floods in New Zealand were the result of a naturally occurring, although unusual, storm. Up to 300 mm of rain fell on the already saturated ground of the lower North Island over two days, generating substantial and rapid runoff from catchment slopes. Rivers rose quickly, inundating unprotected farmland and properties and in places breaching stopbanks. There was widespread slope failure in the hill country of the lower North Island, affecting an area of ca. 7500 km². Slopes under scrub, plantation forest and native bush were not as badly affected as those under pasture, where slopes typically failed by shallow translational landsliding. Flooding caused catastrophic channel change in a number of small to medium sized channel systems in the upland fringes. Whilst the occurrence of landsliding and channel changes during an extreme event such as this is natural, the intensity of both landsliding and channel erosion was exacerbated by human activity within the catchments.     

Failure deconstructed: Histories and geographies of soldier settlement in New Zealand circa 1917–39

Abstract:  The New Zealand discharged soldier settlement scheme of the 1920s has been much criticized as being a failure. This paper draws on the existing literature and new case study research to break open 'failure' as an undifferentiated term and proposes that it was of three different types relating to what was termed the 'personal equation', to debt levels and to broader structural adjustment problems in farming. Each operated at differing scales. This is incorporated into a typology of failure and is put forward as basis for further research.