2009 State of the Nation's Environment Address - Diane Menzies

Dr Diane Menzies, President of International Federation of Landscape Architects, presented: "Sustainable Landscapes"

Mäori have a proverb that concludes ‘the land alone endures.’ It is a humbling concept that implies the notion of human transience within a larger world. While the land may endure, it is becoming evident that the landscapes we are familiar with may not. Climate change is already threatening to inundate Pacific Islands, natural disasters may transform a place or region and land management may pollute or destroy soils, forests and oceans. Landscapes are about the ways people perceive and understand the composite of land, water and marine systems that make up the physical landscape, and about the ways that landscape enriches people’s quality of life.

Landscapes may be valued as places of work or recreation; as special places of home or memory; or as places of meaning. Sustainable landscapes are, therefore, those which enable these values to endure within communities and settlements. They may change but they continue to provide for our needs. This discussion first considers the European Landscape Convention which has put landscapes on the political agenda of Europe. The convention is about all landscapes and emphasises participation in land management decision making. Cultural values and landscapes are also considered with particular reference to the values of Mäori. Finally, options for sustainable landscapes in New Zealand are discussed; in what ways can we plan for enduring landscapes that we value?