Land management change and conflict resolution in Abel Tasman National Park, 1855-1995

Abstract

Societal change begins when the perceptions of an individual or a group are altered. A change in perception can lead to conflict if not all members of a society hold the new belief at the same time. This study looks at how the resulting conflict can be resolved, particularly in relation to changes in land management. Conflict in land management is rooted in interactions between people, and between people and their environment. In New Zealand an important cause of conflict is related to the development of National Parks. There are two main issues within this: (1) The development of National Parks involves a change in land use from private to public. (2) For some, the sole purpose of a National Park is environmental protection while others see recreation as important. These differing views lead to the need for continuing debate as the patterns of landuse change. Through this debate we can resolve the more immediate areas of concern in terms of land management while remaining aware that there will be new issues in the future that require further consideration. The aim of this study is to look at these areas of concern and related issues in relation to changing land management practices and conflict resolution in Abel Tasman National Park (ATNP) over a 140 year period: from 1855 to 1995. Prior to the formation of ATNP people would talk about "going down the Bay" as the area did not have an official name (Moncreiff 1965). For convenience the name ATNP will be used to describe the area over the entire period of this study, although the Park proper was not gazetted until 1942.