Beyond Manapouri: 50 years of environmental politics in New Zealand traces the evolution of environmental administration in New Zealand since the dawn of the ‘environmental era’ in the late 1960s. The national campaign to stop the government from raising the water level in the scenically spectacular Lake

Manapouri for a hydro dam is widely credited with the awakening of environmental awareness in New Zealand. 

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Since then, New Zealand has established institutions and legislation dedicated to managing our environment, and the public’s ability to participate in environmental

decision-making has been strengthened markedly. At the same time, New Zealanders’ knowledge and awareness of environmental issues have also increased. Even so, the latest reports on our environment indicate that all is not well: our waterways continue

to deteriorate, our biodiversity is in decline and our greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb.

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By tracing this history,  Beyond Manapouri seeks to explain why the institutions and legislation that were put in place to improve the stewardship of our environment have failed to halt environmental decline.It also identifies the cultural shifts that will need to take place if we are to live up to the ‘clean, green’ image we have constructed for ourselves in New Zealand.

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Want to know more? Listen to Catherine's interview with RNZ's Kathryn Ryan about her new book: Beyond Manapouri, 50 years of environmental politics - 14 November 2017.  

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Order your copy today.

 

See details on order form. 

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