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    Politicians-in-waiting? : the case for a 'popular' involvement in agitation for representative and responsible government in the Province of Wellington, 1840-1853 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2005) Ward, Jaime
    In 2002, I completed my Honours degree dissertation entitled The Interposing Barrier: Perceptions and Expectations of the British Army in New Plymouth in 1855 1 J. A. Ward, 'The Interposing Barrier: Perceptions and Expectations of the British Army in New Plymouth in 1855', BA (Hons) Research Exercise, Massey University: Palmerston North, 2002. and this thesis has come about as an indirect consequence of the ideas and historical situations I discovered whilst completing its research. During 1855, many colonists in New Plymouth had become extremely dissatisfied with the level of authority that was exercised by those officials whose job it was to protect the fledgling colony from the consequences of local Maori intra-tribal conflicts. An example of this was an express lack of confidence in the authority of Governor George Grey's Resident Magistrates to administer an effective European style of law and governance to the 'uncivilised' and 'lawless' Maori population. Fears for the safety of New Plymouth and settlers in outlying areas, came to a head in 1855 during the Puketapu conflict where troops were requested in order to ensure this Maori conflict was not brought within the town limits or extended into an inter-racial war. Whilst many perceived that troops would be an active force of aggression to dissuade the proliferation of the conflict, the acting Governor, Colonel Robert Henry Wynyard, deployed elements of the 58th and 65th regiments to act in no further capacity than as an interposing barrier of peace keepers, the intent being to 'over-awe' Maori with their presence rather than by their action and prevent the involvement of Europeans in the dispute. When beginning this thesis in 2003, I originally intended to re-assess Wynyard's term as acting Governor, as he had been the butt of criticism not only for his relatively prudent actions regarding the deployment of these troops, but also on his refusal to make his own decisions regarding the implementation of responsible government into the newly formed General Assembly of the colony. It was this issue that dominated the Assembly's first through to its third session, and which eclipsed the importance of events in New Plymouth at the time. However, sources on the under-researched figure of Colonel Wynyard were scattered around the country and it quickly became apparent that such an exercise might be more suited to a researcher of better financial means. My research then led me to an assessment of the debate surrounding the issue of responsible government during these early sessions of New Zealand's first Parliament, and subsequently to the origins of this debate, with the first attempts at agitation to have a representative and responsible authority established in the colony. A quote I used in my dissertation from the editor of the Taranaki Herald about the need for a representative form of government re-captured my interest and made me wonder just who was involved in agitation for a better form of government? The editorial stated: You must agitate, as that is the fashionable word, til you get a pure representative government - no nominees - no toadies - but free, independent, honourable men of business who have talent knowledge and experience, to watch over your affairs, and who will resist the demands of despots in Downing-street. 2 The Taranaki Herald, 18 August, 1852.[FROM INTRODUCTION]
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    Shifting to a sustainable city? : citizen participation in Wellington's Our city-our future strategy : thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Policy at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1999) Blyth, Stephen Andrew
    This study explores the potential contribution of citizen participation in the shift to sustainable cities. Citizen participation has attracted considerable attention, and the theoretical issues are explored. A number of international agreements promote the need for citizens to be involved in achieving 'sustainable development', including Agenda 21. This is something that is accepted by central and local government in New Zealand, with statutory provisions requiring participation included in both the Resource Mangemetnt Act and the Local Government Act. There is a question as to how effective citizen participation is. In an attempt to assess the contribution to sustainability of Wellington, I evaluate the effectiveness of a city-wide strategic development process in Wellington, called Our City ~ Our Future. This process was initiated by Wellington City Council as a means of addressing Agenda 21, and Strategy development attracted a considerable degree of interest, with up to 2,000 citizens involved over the 18 month period of Strategy development. The final document is considered a 'reasonable' first step and efforts are now being directed at implementation. There is a widely held view that implementation is not progressing as fast or as thoroughly as it could. Key themes that emerge as possible explanations for this include: the representativeness of the process, an uneasy balance between council and citizen control, the lack of internal council support, under-resourcing, group dynamics, council governance, and a lack of understanding of sustainability. The wider economic and political climate also contributes to limited progress. To address the barriers to implementation a number of recommendations are made. Priorities for action include: a change in Council attitude — a genuine commitment to citizen participation needs to be made; adequate resourcing of the Advisory Group which is overseeing Strategy implementation; capacity building and resourcing for community groups involved in citizen participation processes; a need for raising awareness of sustainability; and finding ways to ensure involvement by key stakeholders.