UC Research Repository
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The UC Research Repository collects, stores and makes available original research from postgraduate students, researchers and academics based at the University of Canterbury.
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Recent Submissions
Planning for flooding at Trees For Canterbury
(University of Canterbury, 2024) Smith, Rachel; Roberts, Max; Pease, Amos; Westgarth, Ben; Bogale, Elsabet; Smith, Rachel
● This research examines the flooding in the Outback areas of Trees For Canterbury. To identify effective mitigation options, it is important to understand the key causes of the flooding.
● The research question addressed within the study is finding the main contributing factors to the flooding in the Outback area of Trees For Canterbury and identifying potential strategies to manage the flooding.
● The methods carried out include a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection. Specifically, fieldwork for collecting high-resolution imagery of this location, and interviewing Steve Bush, the community partner to obtain background information about the site.
● Open-source data was retrieved for Sea level data from NZ Sea Rise, groundwater measurements from ECAN, and precipitation data from StatsNZ and NIWA.
● The study identified three primary causes of flooding in the Outback area: an impermeable clay layer that blocks drainage, uneven topography that leads to water accumulation, and continuous irrigation and rainfall.
● A major limitation was the limited time available to examine all relevant variables.
● Long-term efforts should include more local research analysing the key factors contributing to flooding in the coastal areas of Christchurch.
Can small-scale community-developed wetlands be an effective tool for improving water quality?
(2024) Dyson, Makayla; Ferriss, Ngaire; Gerling, Max; Gill-Clifford, Ruby; Storey, Todd
- The Montgomery Wetland is located near the Montgomery Highly Modified Water Course (HMWC), adjacent to the Hekeao-Hinds River in Mid Canterbury New Zealand.
- The wetland was designed to reduced nitrate loads in the Montgomery HMWC and was a result of a collaboration between many shareholders, including Wairuna Farms, Dairy NZ, Hekeao-Hinds Water Enhancement Trust, the Mid Canterbury Catchment Collective, and MHV Water.
- The overall research question was ‘Can small-scale community-based wetlands be an effective tool for improving water quality’? This was then broken down into two more specific research questions: “has there been any change in the Montgomery Stream water quality over the different phases of the wetland development?’ and “what are the shareholder aspirations for the wetland?”
- This research involved both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative in the form of nitrate data, supplied from MHV Water, and qualitative in the form of interview transcripts from key shareholders.
-The key findings of this research were:
° The constructed wetland is successfully removing nitrates from the water.
° The wetland was successful in keeping within a budget and involving the community in a meaningful project.
° Community aspirations align and provide direction to enhancement of the wetlands value.
- Future research should focus on developing a plan with mana whenua to ensure their aspirations are included in plans and creating a comprehensive monitoring scheme for the wetland.
Future management plan to enhance the ecological restoration and biodiversity of the Chrystalwood Lane red zone, Governors Bay.
(2024) Ungerboeck, Alisha; Gay, Hannah; Bullen, Henrietta; Brown, Molly; Gane, Poppy
● What would a management plan look like that enhances the ecological restoration and biodiversity of the Chrystalwood Lane Red Zone in Governors Bay?
● Methodologies included data collection from bird counts, vegetation plots, photography (on the ground and drone), LiDAR and GPS. Data was analysed in Rstudio through abundance and richness. GPS information was analysed using GIS, to produce a map. Secondary research also played a vital role in our project’s findings.
● Our findings were limited by time restraints, preventing data collection at optimal times, such as the collection of bird data. With additional time we would have collected qualitative information regarding the desires of the Governors Bay community. Time constraints also limited our ability to conclude the total percentage of the area covered in the Muehlenbeckia australis species. However, the greatest limitation of our project has been constraints put in place by the Christchurch City Council (CCC) regarding safety concerns in the area. An updated geotechnical report needs to be completed (12- 24 months) before public access is permitted. This has meant that our recommendations for this management plan can only be advised to be undertaken following an updated geotechnical assessment.
● Future research could be done to investigate the success of our recommendations for the land. As there is limited research regarding restoration and management practices on areas of land smaller than 20 ha, further research in this area would be beneficial.
How can youth relevant design compliment crime prevention through environmental design within Christchurch city.
(2024) Bonetti, Bella; Gade, Amelia; Green, Georgia; Hodgkinson, Juliana; Strickland, Lauren
• Youth are often undermined in the design process of urban space. It is crucial to understand their needs and perspectives when designing spaces for the future.
• This study explores how youth-relevant design can complement Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) within Christchurch City.
• We aim to gain insights into the interception of the two concepts, along with the awareness of youth-relevant design amongst planning professionals.
• Research was conducted through qualitative methodologies such as interviews, focus groups, and secondary data analysis.
• We found significant overlap and conflicting factors between youth perspectives and CPTED principles.
• We created an infographic tool designed to bridge the gap between CPTED and youth-relevant design for planning professionals’ reference.
• Our research established that it is essential to have a balanced approach to design by engaging youth early in the process and continuing engagement throughout.
Hedgerow and shelterbelt impact on fire risk to rural Canterbury infrastructure.
(2024) Willans, Emba; Butterworth, Eden; Hamilton, George; Martin, Renee
This report investigates the influence of hedgerows and shelterbelts on fire risk to rural infrastructure in Canterbury, New Zealand, in collaboration with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). With wildfires becoming more frequent, this research addresses a critical need to assess how hedgerows and shelterbelts impact wildfire hazards. The central research question explored was: How do the distribution and characteristics of hedgerows and shelterbelts influence fire risk to infrastructure in rural Canterbury? The methodology involved a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Ground truthing was conducted at a rural property where the height, width, distance, and species composition of hedgerows and shelterbelts were measured. Aerial imagery and ArcGIS Pro were used to analyse spatial data, create heat maps, and develop buffer zones around critical infrastructure. Findings reveal a spatial correlation between the distribution of hedgerows and infrastructure at a regional level. Ground truthing and spatial analysis of the case study property confirmed that it is an at-risk property. Various imitations were encountered throughout the process, including data availability, fire risk assumptions and research scale. Future research would help to expand the scale of the results, increase output quality and make computation more efficient.