This thesis examines the issue of land use change in and around Aotearoa New Zealand’s braided rivers between 1990 and 2020. It develops and tests a method to ask: whether and how land use changed in and around New Zealand’s braided rivers; and whether there are geographic patterns in the land use change?

The analysis of this research finds land use has changed across New Zealand’s braided rivers and has changed the most in Canterbury of the South Island and in rivers with more gravel area. Land use has changed the least across the North Island’s regions and Southland. The rivers in these latter areas have a reduced gravel content compared to Canterbury rivers.

This thesis concludes by looking into the future of legislative change to the definition of braided rivers in Aotearoa New Zealand.