CANTERBURY HIGHWAY 2000: A NEW ZEALAND COMMUNITY INITIATIVE

In October 1981 the New Zealand Prime Minister launched the Beautiful New Zealand scheme to enhance the broad scenic corridors of New Zealand tourist routes by means of large-scale planting programmes. The public reaction was rapid and positive. However, after four years of government funding and supervision, the scheme was phased out and maintenance responsibilities were handed to local authorities. Eighteen years later a regional highway visual enhancement project, Canterbury Highway 2000, was launched with a planting ceremony by the highway, supported by representatives from the eight local government councils involved. These two highway enhancement schemes are the basis for the analysis that follows. This paper has four objectives: (1) To review how highway policy and administration in New Zealand is responding to current theory on the connections between communities and landscapes. Aspects that appear to require further attention are the integration of highways with cultural landscapes and the interconnection of indigenous ecosystems. (2) To compare Beautiful New Zealand, a top-down government roading environmental enhancement project, and the Canterbury Highway 2000 project, a community supported initiative that has similar aims. The planning, administration, consultation and funding of the two projects are compared in order to identify factors that have led to successful implementation. (3) To demonstrate how current theory on landscape integration has been applied in the Canterbury Highway 2000 project. The paper identifies aspects of design for highways that appear important to current values. (4) To identify environmental factors that offer further opportunities for integration of highways into the landscape in the 21st century. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD E204151.