Conservation Top Of Judges' Agenda
Thursday 29 March 2018, 1:14PM
By Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
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Toi Ohomai recently welcomed a group of 35 court judges from Thailand to the Windermere Campus.
The group were in New Zealand for five days to learn and gain insights to New Zealand’s environmental management practices, including protection of our natural resources and sustainability utilisation.
The group chose to visit Toi Ohomai for a number of reasons and were pleased with their decision. “Your institution has a good reputation for its environmental management qualifications; the lecture was excellent and very informative and provided supportive information for our judges,” said Hon. Justice Nipon Chaisamran, President of the Environmental Division of the Thailand Supreme Court.
“We have obtained some excellent information on how New Zealand preserves the rights of the people in your communities. In addition, we have had the opportunity to learn about your legal practices in protecting your environment and natural resources in such areas as marine protection, fresh water, biodiversity, fisheries and also about the Environmental Protection Authority who plays an important role in NZ's NR management and regulation.
“Your practices are somewhat similar to our jurisdiction but of course there are some differences too; nevertheless, collectively they have the same goal in achieving environmental protection and strengthening capacity building for sustainable development. It is important to balance the environment and development.
“One thing which we found particularly interesting was the case study on Māori rights for Motiti Island.”
The Toi Ohomai environmental management lecture included historical Māori conservation practices, a terrestrial overview, history of NZ Fisheries, new initiatives, marine reserves overview, biosecurity, freshwater and a case study of Rotorua lakes.
Dean Tully, Programme Manager Marine & Environmental Management, was delighted to host the group. “We are always keen to share our expertise nationally and internationally. The group were very keen to learn about New Zealand best practice and the forum provided a great opportunity to share best practice with each other.”
Toi Ohomai’s marine and environmental diplomas attract students from all around New Zealand and globally. Graduates work in a range of natural environments around the world, from running large-scale aquariums to department of conservation officers through to water quality consultants and marine biologists.