Why NZ should redraw council boundaries to match our connections to the landscape

As part of a major overhaul of local government, Cabinet is currently considering proposals from local councils on how to carve up regions into new unitary authorities. The reforms aim to simplify the structure of local government, but they raise questions about the logic behind administrative boundaries. Currently divided by topographic features such as mountain ranges, rivers or lines drawn around city limits, regions appear to be created more for convenience than connection. The east coast of the South Island exemplifies this. Council boundaries in this region run along the centre line (known as the thalweg) of the major rivers crossing the Canterbury Plains, cutting right through the middle of catchments. We ask the question whether drawing administrative boundaries to match rather than cut through catchments would reflect more meaningful connections to landscape, instead of being seen only through the lens of efficiency. This is reflected in the plan for South Island council boundaries submitted by Ngāi Tahu, the largest iwi (tribe) in the region. The plan recognises Te Wai Pounamu (South Island) as a whole and highlights the significance of catchments as defining elements. Ngāi Tahu proposes a catchment-defined approach to developing five large councils within its rohe (region). The iwi emphasise the wisdom of shaping boundaries around catchments, explaining it is “simply a better way of managing systems and communities that are already connected.” Two contrasting approaches to administrative boundaries. One (top) uses rivers as boundaries, while another (bottom) is based on catchments. Created using ArcGIS by ESRI, with the following sources: Airbus DS, USGS, NGA, NASA, CGIAR, GEBCO, N Robinson, NCEAS, NLS, OS, NMA, Geodatastyrelsen and the GIS User Community, Environment Canterbury, Waimakariri DC, Vantor, CC BY-NC-ND Rivers as connectors, not dividers As landscape architects we see the landscape holistically, always aware of the interlacing of hard physical boundaries such as mountain ranges and soft cultural aspects that shape people’s sense of connection to a place. A community’s sense of belonging and identity emerge from this complex, intertwined relationship. Applying a landscape approach to the definitions of administrative boundaries requires revision of some of the principles that currently inform the process. Prioritising catchments means an inversion of the thalweg model, which has already led to several country border disputes. About a third of national borders are defined by rivers, but when rivers move, it can cause conflict between countries, such as the disputes between Croatia and Serbia following the westward shift of the Danube. The rivers shared between Israel and Jordan, India and Pakistan or Turkey and Syria are often-cited examples of rivers as sources of potential conflict. Further evidence of problems with the thalweg model comes from a global study of subnational river boundaries which shows watersheds can sometimes lie entirely within one jurisdiction. The concept of integrated catchment management reflects the interweaving of physical and cultural aspects in a holistic framework where natural resource management and community involvement come together. Catchments connect hydrological systems (water quality and quantity), which is integral to protecting the health of people and ecosystems. Catchments as cultural landscapes The economic and policy consultancy Martin Jenkins highlights catchment management as a critical factor in the shaping local government because it would allow new unitary authorities to have a cohesive approach to all aspects of water management. This is also embedded in the national policy statement for freshwater management, which emphasises an integrated framework. It resonates with Ngāi Tahu’s position, as principal Martin Jenkins consultant Tessa McGregor explains: A catchment approach may also take councils further in meeting their Treaty settlement obligations given the significant overlap between catchments and settlement areas, rohe and takiwā [territory]. A focus on catchments offers an opportunity for administrative boundaries to do far more than simply slice and dice the country into manageable pieces. Instead, it can reinforce cultural connections to landscape, amplify a sense of place and provide the basis for coordinated responses to the challenges from a changing climate, an expanding population and increasing demands for food production.