The Last Resort: a Study of Tourism Policy, Power and Participation on the Wellington Waterfront

Abstract

The Wellington waterfront became redundant as useable wharf and dockland following the relocation of port facilities to accommodate containerisation and roll-on-roll-off cargo in the 1970s. In the mid 1980s the Wellington City Council purchased the land and initiated an ambitious commercial development project in which tourism consumption was a key policy. Over the last ten years, however, the waterfront has become the most contested area of land in the city. This thesis examines the politics, debate and public perceptions surrounding the project with respect to the exercise of power. It argues that a transformation of governance from the state-corporate to the market-community has occurred, demanding a reconsideration of political structures and policy processes. In particular the structures, values, and the articulation of identities are considered in the debate between the community and the public-private partnership of local government. The study employs a participant observation methodology drawing from the researcher's involvement in the community consultation process initiated to address the problems of the waterfront. The thesis argues that in the restructured political and economic environment there are some important implications for policy makers, particularly with respect to the conceptualisation of power and place.