Thesis (M.Ed. Mgt.)--Unitec New Zealand, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-79).

This research examines access to community resources - services, facilities and amenities that are potentially health promoting - in two New Zealand territorial authorities, and the policy and planning frameworks of each regarding community resources. International research evidence indicates that community resource access is potentially beneficial to health and wellbeing, through creating supportive environments for health, and providing venues to facilitate social connections. Review of the urban design and planning literature indicates that community resource access is strongly influenced by the dominant urban design and planning models. Geographic information systems were used to develop a Census meshblock-based indicator of community resource accessibility (the Community Resource Accessibility Index). Quantitative analysis examined associations of resource access with socio-economic and demographic population patterns. Qualitative analysis, using key informant interviews and document analysis, explored policies on community resource access, and the role of health and wellbeing as a policy goal for each territorial authority. Quantitative analysis revealed the socio-economically wealthier city had higher overall levels of community resource access, but within each city, more deprived areas had higher levels of access. The location of community resources within poorer areas reduces the mobility costs of people within these areas to access such resources, and makes more available the general health benefits of community resources. Qualitative analysis indicated community resources are important components of urban strategies. Historic patterns of community resource development, aggregated city wealth and local policies were important determinants of the level of community resource access. In New Zealand, as will be the case internationally to varying degrees, there is considerable scope for territorial authorities to enhance local health and wellbeing, through direct delivery of community resources, and through collaboration with external agencies to develop community resources that are outside the direct responsibilities of territorial authorities. When these findings are considered in the context of the passage of local government legislation in late 2002, there is growing potential for territorial authorities to use a variety of levers to enhance community resource access, and by implication, health and wellbeing. Health promoters have opportunities to engage with local government and contribute to urban development strategies, for the purposes of enhancing population health and reducing health inequalities.

The long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) is a threatened species endemic to New Zealand. Historical anecdotes indicate that long-tailed bat populations have declined. However, it is unknown if all populations have declined and if declines are historical or ongoing. Thus, the development and implementation of a national network of long-tailed bat monitoring sites is a priority of the Department of Conservation's Bat Recovery Plan. Potentially, information gained from a national monitoring programme would assist conservation managers to target resources towards those areas where bat populations are declining and provide baseline information to assist managers to gauge the impact of management techniques on bat populations. Of critical importance is that unless it can be demonstrated that long-tailed bat populations have declined and that, that decline is real, management will not be initiated. The aim of this research was to investigate aspects of the ecology of long-tailed bats that would influence the development of a monitoring programme. The distribution, roost selection, habitat use, and activity patterns of a long-tailed bat population that persisted in the Waitakere Ranges, Auckland, were investigated. A study of the Waitakere Ranges long-tailed bat population was significant because (1) the Waitakere Ranges is the northern most location at which long-tailed bats have been researched; (2) the study was the first to be conducted on a long-tailed bat population that persisted in kauri Agathis australis dominated forest remnants; (3) the long-tailed bat population in the Waitakere Ranges is the only known extant population in close proximity to a major urban area; and (4) the factors that are attributed to long-tailed bat population declines (i.e., forest clearance, predation and urbanisation; O'Donnell, 2000) are likely to be ongoing and intensified in the Waitakere Ranges. Twenty roosts were located. Most roosts (85%) were in kauri, 2 were in mature rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum) and 1 was in a kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides). All roosts were in large, live, emergent trees. Mean height of roost trees was 38.4 ± 1.3 m and average DBH was 186 ± 12 cm. The entrances of six roost cavities were identified all were located in minor lateral branches in the crown of the tree and were primarily near the tip of branches. Roosts were a mean height of 24.6 ± 3.7 m above ground level. It was argued that roosts in the crowns of kauri were inaccessible to terrestrial mammalian predators. Twenty-eight roost watches were conducted. The average number of bats counted leaving roosts was 10.0 ± 1.5 (maximum = 24). Roosts were occupied by radio-tagged bats for an average of 2.0 ± 0.4 days, and 11 (55 %) were occupied for only one day. Roost size was the lowest reported for long-tailed bats. Roost switching also appeared higher than in other populations that have been studied. It was argued that morepork predation may have a significant impact on the population viability of the population. As in other studies long-tailed bats were found to forage over modified habitats including over farmland, dwellings, orchards and along streams and roads with little vehicular traffic. Long-tailed bats foraged throughout the Waitakere Ranges and their foothills. Bat activity was highly variable. Of the environmental variables analysed, temperature was found to have the greatest influence on bat activity. There were seasonal and habitat influences on bat activity. The relationship between sample sizes, variation in bat detection rates and desired statistical power using automatic bat detectors to monitor populations of bats was explored. A power analysis on activity data collected with automatic bat detectors indicated that declines in bat populations would need to be reflected in declines of greater than fifty percent in bat activity before monitoring programmes would have sufficient power to detect declines in activity. It was recommended that monitoring programmes should concentrate on intensive presence – absence surveys rather than long-term studies at a few sites.