Catastrophic events in New Zealand coastal environments

Catastrophic events recorded in selected coastal wetlands of New Zealand are reported. These date back over 6000 years, but become more well-defined in the past Millennium. Comparison between the historic and palaeoenvironmental record indicates that a reliance on the former does not include several significant nationwide events. By highlighting the details and effects of several locally generated, nationwide catastrophic events, this report shows that the Department of Conservation needs to have a broader palaeoenvironmental context for its conservation management. This has implications for both the natural and historical coastal heritage managed by the Department. It is recommended that the Department invests science and research effort into understanding the effects that past catastrophic events have had upon the heritage that they manage. Putting a greater emphasis on the Department's understanding of where the environment is now in relation to its past will help the Department understand not only how these events have affected the natural environment, but the way that prehistoric Maori interacted with it.