During the summer, Tony Jackson, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Town and Regional Planning, became the first Visiting Scholar at the newly formed Impact Assessment Research Unit of the University of Auckland's Department of Planning. His work with researchers in Australasia's largest academic planning department has focused on comparing approaches to strategic environmental assessment in New Zealand and Scotland.
In 1991, a radically new Resource Management Act obliged developers and planning authorities in New Zealand to assess all planning applications on the basis of environmental effects. This was the world's first land use legislation drafted to deliver the 'sustainable management of resources'.
Since 1991, however, deregulation of the New Zealand economy and downsizing of its government meant that those implementing this legislation were offered little guidance. This meant that New Zealand's superb coastline and mountain landscapes were commercially exploited for the luxury housing market.
In 2003, the New Zealand government issued a Sustainable Development Programme of Action. This highlighted national priorities in water quality standards and allocation, energy usage and efficiency, sustainable cities and child and youth development. The report addressed the need for co-ordinated strategies towards the sustainable development of New Zealand’s resources.
Similar issues are currently being addressed in Scotland, in preparation for the implementation next year of the EU Directive on environmental assessment of plans and programmes. This will require planning authorities and transport, water and energy utilities to subject their plans to strategic environmental assessment procedures.
Both in New Zealand and in Scotland, guidance is now beginning to appear on how to use such assessment techniques to ensure that our land and resource management strategies comply with the objectives of sustainable development.
Tony Jackson's collaborative research aims to draw lessons from New Zealand and Scotland planning systems that will improve approaches to strategic environmental assessment in both countries.
Tony Jackson benefited from a grant made by The Carnegie Trust for The Universities of Scotland.