Applied physical geography in New Zealand

Physical geographers in New Zealand have a tradition of applied research in a variety of contexts, including environmental management as well as soil, vegetation and landform systems conservation. In recent years this work ha s been given new impetus (with the promise of even greater involvement) as a result of economic restructuring at the national level, restructuring of government departments and agencies dealing with environmental and resource management and conservation, the introduction of new statutes relating to environmental and resource management, and major changes in the funding and management of science research in the public sector. This article provides an overview of the institutional environment within w hich New Zealand physical geographers now carry out applied work. The conte mporary resource management and legislative contexts are described and stru ctural changes that have taken place in New Zealand science over the last d ecade are reviewed. Research undertaken by the authors or their research st udents provides examples of the different types of work now being undertake n by physical geographers in New Zealand under the new legislative and fund ing regimes. Two examples are described in detail. The first is drawn from research dealing with catchment hydrology and water supply and has been und ertaken by a physical geographer employed by Landcare Research, a Crown-own ed research company. The second comes from work carried out by two universi ty-based physical geographers into the environmental effects on coasts of a new mode of marine passenger transport ('fast ferries'), to meet the requi rements of new environmental legislation.