RMLA Graduate Scholarships 2002

Jim Wiltshire, Consultant, Simpson Grierson

The President of the Resource Management Law Association of New Zealand (Inc), Dr Phil Mitchell, is pleased to announce that the Association's Graduate Scholarship for this year has been shared between two excellent candidates, Katerina Simon and Teall Crossen.

There were seventeen candidates who reached the final selection and, in the end, the selection committee found it impossible to separate the two between whom the Scholarship of $10,000 is shared.

Katerina Heremoana Simon (Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Porou & Ngati Hikairo)

Katerina is a PhD candidate at the School of Maori and Pacific Development, at the University of Waikato. She already has the qualifications of RCN, BSocSci, MSocSci(Hons), PGDipMPD(Dist)

Katerina is undertaking a cross-cultural study on environmental performance indicator development at the local government level of environmental monitoring. It focuses on the place that Maori tikanga occupies in the design and implementation of environmental performance indicators. It will involve an investigation of New Zealand resource management science, policy and law generally and specifically case studies of three North Island river systems (Waitahanui, Oparau & Harataunga Rivers) with which she is connected by whakapapa (as above). The main approach will be on environmental performance indicators as representations of resource management values from a Maori/Indigenous viewpoint in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Katerina would like to work more at the national and international areas of Maori/Indigenous Development. Her long term goal is to become an effective Maori woman leader of her people.

Teall Elizabeth Crossen

Teall has a Bachelor of Resource Studies from Lincoln University and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Canterbury. While studying Teall had an interest in environmental education and she worked for the Canterbury Regional Council promoting environmental education in schools. Teall is currently a solicitor in the environmental and resource management team at Chapman Tripp Sheffield Young.

Teall starts her Masters in Natural Resources and Environmental Law in September 2002 at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Her proposed thesis is to consider Canadian water law, with a focus on the efficiency and equity of the regulatory and justice system for resolving water allocation disputes. Themes which will influence her postgraduate studies include an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving, environmental justice and indigenous rights.

She was a recipient of the RMLA Undergraduate Scholarship in 1998. On completion of her studies Teall plans to practice in environmental advocacy in New Zealand.