Current Practice: comparative analysis and ways to improve the assessment process

Abstract

New Zealand approaches to territorial landscape assessment have been strongly influenced by: research carried out in the United Kingdom in the 1970s, particularly visual quality assessments; and theoretical work from American universities during the 1970s and early 1980s. The visual emphasis of this work remained the focus of New Zealand landscape assessment into the early 1990s. However, a number of developments during the 1990s have encouraged a gradual readjustment of focus. Of particular significance have been: the introduction of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA91) with its holistic environmental perspective and broad-ranging landscape provisions; a greater bicultural awareness which recognises that Maori perspectives add different dimensions to mainstream landscape appreciation; and a highly competitive market economy where landscape investigations have to be cost effective and outcome focused. As a consequence of the introduction of the RMA91, many district and regional councils have commissioned landscape assessments. This paper considers the current situation of these district scale assessments and suggests ways of improving the assessment process.