Regenerating Small Settlements - One Small Pier at a Time

Abstract

Based on a study of three small piers on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand, this research describes the processes of their community-led restoration. The study is based on in-depth interviews with community members in Ōtoromiro/Governors Bay; Kaioruru/Church Bay in Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour, and Takamatua in Akaroa Harbour (n=18). These projects saw the establishment of a new model for small settlement facility restoration and have spurred multiple longer-term legacies for communities. We identify three key relationships that contributed to the successful jetty restoration, involving the biophysical marine space, community and council. The regenerative processes are similar to but significantly differ from pier restoration occurring in comparable international cases.