This paper describes a model used to assess alternative scenarios for managing the marine biosecurity risk to Fiordland from vessel traffic. Scenarios are assessed in terms of risk reduction per dollar spent. To keep the analysis manageable, we focus on vessel risks from hull fouling, as this is...

Data from a choice experiment on the community’s preferences for water quality improvements in streams was used to assess the effect of using a fixed status quo versus people’s perceived status quo on willingness to pay values. More than 50% of respondents perceived the quality of water in...

In an attempt to value soil natural capital, we use the inherent characteristics of soil and land valuation data to examine the relationship between soil characteristics and rural farmland values in the 6000ks2 Manawatu catchment in New Zealand. The study applies a hedonic pricing method to...

Agriculture is the foundation of the Manawatu/Wanganui region’s economy, which consists of 300,000 ha of highly erodible land. Past land management practices caused a major threat to the long-term sustainability of the region. Horizons Regional Council introduced Whole Farm Plans (WFP) as part...

The Agriculture Research Group on Sustainability (ARGOS) monitors a wide ange of environmental, social, economic and management parameters on matched cohorts of organic, conventional and integrated farms in the sheep/beef and kiwifruit sectors. Over six years significant differences have been...

New Zealand’s success in raising agricultural productivity has been accompanied by higher input use, leading to adverse effects on the environment. Until recently, analysis of farm performance has tended to ignore such negative externalities. The current emphasis on environmental issues has...

New Zealand is atypical among the Annex I parties within the Kyoto Protocol with agriculture forming a large part of greenhouse gas emissions and planted forests sequestering large amounts of carbon. This presentation will summarise the methods and data used to estimate flows of greenhouse gases...

As part of its climate change policy the Australian government has introduced a Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) scheme and is also attempting to introduce a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS). Using as a case study a main agricultural region of Australia, this paper examines how...

In New Zealand, regional councils have the task of sustainably managing rivers and their flows. In trying to achieve this task they face enormous challenges including the need to allocate flows amongst often highly disparate in- (e.g., angling, kayaking, native fish and birds) and out-of-river...