Our scholarship program supports research shaping Aotearoa's future by enhancing resource management and mātauranga Māori.

Title of Masters Research: "What inter-Indigenous lessons can be learned from Aboriginal Australian traditional practices that promote Indigenous wildfire management and planning in a changing climate"

The RMLA scholarship has helped to enable me to pursue an LLM in Environmental Law at Duke University in the United States. I will commence this study in August of 2024. This will provide me with specialised environmental law knowledge, supplementary to my New Zealand undergraduate legal education, which I hope to apply in my practice as a litigator, upon returning to New Zealand.

During my LLM in Environmental Law at Duke University I hope to undertake a comparative research study evaluating indigenous land use practices, in relation to wetlands, to see how this indigenous cultural knowledge might be applied to climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Duke University is known as a centre of excellence for wetlands related studies, and the ability to undertake inter-disciplinary research both at the law school, and at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment, with the assistance of the RMLA scholarship will be a real privilege.

Studying for an LLM, particularly with an environmental law focus has long been an ambition of mine and I hope to be able to apply the knowledge and experience gained during my postgraduate studies, back in New Zealand upon my return from the US. Postgraduate study in the United States is not notable for its affordability, and so the RMLA's assistance in facilitating my pursuit of study at Duke is greatly appreciated.

This scholarship has exposed me to the process, theories, considerations, and ideas locally and internationally that underpin designing urban environments successfully. This includes creating an urban design framework and masterplan, which is otherwise difficult to obtain experience in if not for this study.

Through this learning, I have been enabled to redesign a new development around the Maungawhau train station in Auckland, while being challenged with steep topography, underground tunnels, flooding issues, poor bus servicing and high vehicle uptake.

At a higher level, this scholarship has enabled me to pursue the Master of Urban Design while reducing the cost barrier.

Once completed, the Master of Urban Design will enable me to practice within this field, and design or write with my authority. It fosters aspirations to work on international urban design projects in the future. Also, it will support me to pursue a PhD in urban design and / or lecturing in the future.

Through this period, I have been challenged with the tiring nature of the regular travel, being away from my loved ones and comforts, and balancing study and work. During those tough times, I have had moments of re-evaluating my life decisions, particular taking on additional study. However, this scholarship acts, unintentionally, as a motivator to remain dedicated as I have been fortunate to receive such an advantage, when many others have not.

I was accepted to study a Master of Laws (“LLM”) in Global Environment and Climate Change Law at the University of Edinburgh. The course is a one-year, integrated taught and research masters, offering a wide range of subjects across environmental and climate change law. It is designed to equip students with an advanced, multidisciplinary knowledge of the legal issues and techniques related to environmental protection, with special emphases on climate change and the marine environment. The programme also enables students to explore our specific interests, especially in the context of an independent 10,000 word dissertation. At this time, we will be assigned a supervisor who will guide and support our research.

Core taught courses include Climate Law Formation: Movement Building, Lawmakers, and Equity, International Law of the Sea, International Ocean Governance and the Protection of the Marine Environment and International Waste Law.

The provisional title of my dissertation is “the potential for Tikanga Māori to strengthen Aotearoa New Zealand’s legislated environmental limits”.

I am grateful to have been selected as a recipient of the RMLA Scholarship in 2022 and I am appreciative of the support and opportunities it has provided me to date.

The scholarship funds were helpful in providing financial support while I pursued my Master of Laws degree (specialising in Envdroemental Law) at the University of Auckland.

Being able to reduce my work hours allowed me to dedicate more time and focus on my studies. The RMLA Scholarship also opened doors to invaluable opportunities for both my professional and academic growth. During the course of my Master’s programme, I completed a dissertation on a topic of personal interest – forestry slash and the adequacy of regulations governing it in Aotearoa. This dissertation later evolved into a (soon-to-be) published article in a journal, which marks a significant milestone in my academic journey that I will cherish as I continue to progress in the field of resource management law.

This scholarship has not only supported my academic endeavours but also catalysed the shift in my career path towards resource management law. The recognition and support of the scholarship boosted my confidence and reinforced my interest in and dedication to the field (both in practice and academia). It is one of the reasons why I am now working as a solicitor specialising in the area.

While balancing the demands of a Master’s degree alongside my personal and professional commitments posed some challenges, the scholarship not only alleviated some financial concerns but, more importantly, instilled confidence in my abilities. As I continue to work in this area of law, I am committed to maximising this opportunity and continue to strive for excellence.