Fefine Tonga moe ifi tapaka: A qualitative study to explore Tongan female tobacco smoking & cessation in the Auckland region.

ABSTRACT Introduction Tongan female smokers’ smoking experiences have manifested within a realm of socioeconomic and cultural conditions in New Zealand with cessation service engagement relatively low. Due to the projected tobacco burden attributed to Pacific women, pertinent research proves vital to bettering understandings of smoking and cessation within this group. This study explored the knowledge and experiences of smoking and smoking cessation services among Tongan women aged 16 years and over, living in the Auckland region. Methods This qualitative research design utilised the Kakala model to ensure processes were culturally appropriate and meaningful. Data was collected through eight face-to-face semi-structured interviews transcribed by the researcher and employed the toli, teu and luva process from the Kakala model to form relevant themes. Findings The findings suggest smoking among Tongan females is a social vector that marks independence and maintains friendships, despite known adverse health effects and stigma. It is characterised as stress relief that has habituated into day-to-day routine for most. Their aspirations to live longer for their family is a strong motivator but quitting remains difficult and should be done autonomously by the individual. Tongan female smokers stated smoking cessation services as ineffective and need to be adapted and consulted by and within the community. Stop smoking services should encourage autonomy among Tonga women in order to improve utilisation and engagement. Service delivery for Tongan female smokers needs to be on-going and long-term support reoriented within the community for more Tongan women to become completely smokefree. Conclusions Tongan female smoking in New Zealand is comprised of experiences surrounding friendships, family and culture. This study concludes that although smoking harms are widely known, cessation service delivery can be transformed by utilizing existing Tongan cultural roles such as that of the mehikitanga (paternal aunt) to encourage non-smoking among extended female generations.

Living Beside the Rising Tide: Adapting to Sea Level Rise in Auckland, New Zealand

<p>The Earth's climate system is entering a period of dynamic change after millennia of relatively stable climate. Coastal communities will need to adapt to dynamically shifting coastal environments as the climate system changes and sea levels rise. This study adds to a growing literature that investigates coastal vulnerability, adaptation, and resilience to climate change. It investigates regional scale social and institutional barriers to adaptation to sea level rise; examines the exposure, sensitivity and adaptation options at two coastal settlements in the Auckland region – Mission Bay/Kohimarama and Kawakawa Bay; and it analyses coastal adaptation response options from a resilience perspective. Mission Bay/Kohimarama and Kawakawa Bay, Auckland will experience increasing coastal hazard risk as the numbers of people and property potentially affected by storm events increases as sea level rises. Findings from the present study suggest that existing settlements in the Auckland region may already be 'locked in' to a coastal adaptation approach focused on maintaining the current coastline through coastal stabilisation, an approach that will decrease community resilience and increase vulnerability in the long term, even if this is found to be a successful response in the short term. Retreat offers an alternative approach that is strongly aligned with reducing community vulnerability and increasing resilience; however, strong opposition from communities to any retreat approach is expected. Developing trusted climate science information, education around coastal hazard risk, and participatory community led decision-making are identified as central enablers for a retreat approach to be included as a viable coastal adaptation option for communities in the Auckland region.</p>

Living Beside the Rising Tide: Adapting to Sea Level Rise in Auckland, New Zealand

<p>The Earth's climate system is entering a period of dynamic change after millennia of relatively stable climate. Coastal communities will need to adapt to dynamically shifting coastal environments as the climate system changes and sea levels rise. This study adds to a growing literature that investigates coastal vulnerability, adaptation, and resilience to climate change. It investigates regional scale social and institutional barriers to adaptation to sea level rise; examines the exposure, sensitivity and adaptation options at two coastal settlements in the Auckland region – Mission Bay/Kohimarama and Kawakawa Bay; and it analyses coastal adaptation response options from a resilience perspective. Mission Bay/Kohimarama and Kawakawa Bay, Auckland will experience increasing coastal hazard risk as the numbers of people and property potentially affected by storm events increases as sea level rises. Findings from the present study suggest that existing settlements in the Auckland region may already be 'locked in' to a coastal adaptation approach focused on maintaining the current coastline through coastal stabilisation, an approach that will decrease community resilience and increase vulnerability in the long term, even if this is found to be a successful response in the short term. Retreat offers an alternative approach that is strongly aligned with reducing community vulnerability and increasing resilience; however, strong opposition from communities to any retreat approach is expected. Developing trusted climate science information, education around coastal hazard risk, and participatory community led decision-making are identified as central enablers for a retreat approach to be included as a viable coastal adaptation option for communities in the Auckland region.</p>

‘In Quietness and in Confidence Shall Be Your Strength’: Vicesimus Lush and His Journals, 1850-1882

<p>From his arrival in New Zealand in 1850 until his death in 1882 Reverend Vicesimus Lush kept a regular journal to send to family back “home” in England. These journals chronicle the life of an ordinary priest and settler in the Auckland region, his work, relationships and observations. This thesis examines the journals as texts: their role in correspondence and maintaining connections with family. Using Lush’s record of day-to-day experiences, the thesis deals with his emotional attachment towards various expressions of “home” (immediate and extended family, houses, relationship with English land and customs) and explores his associated sense of belonging. Lush’s role as a priest within the New Zealand Anglican Church also informed his writing. Witnessing and participating in the “building” of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, Lush provided a record of parochial, diocesan and countrywide problems. Lush’s journals track the Anglican Church’s financial struggles, from providing stable salaries to financing church buildings. “Building” the Church required constructing churches and building congregations, adapting liturgical traditions and encouraging the development of a uniquely Māori church. This thesis also uses the journals to explore Lush as a social commentator. As a witness to the settling and building of the colony, Lush observed the Taranaki and Waikato Wars, the Waikato Immigration Scheme and the Thames Gold Rush, and their impact on the development of settler living. In addition, the final chapter deals with Lush’s changing perceptions of Māori, particularly during the Waikato wars compared with while he lived in Thames.</p>

‘In Quietness and in Confidence Shall Be Your Strength’: Vicesimus Lush and His Journals, 1850-1882

<p>From his arrival in New Zealand in 1850 until his death in 1882 Reverend Vicesimus Lush kept a regular journal to send to family back “home” in England. These journals chronicle the life of an ordinary priest and settler in the Auckland region, his work, relationships and observations. This thesis examines the journals as texts: their role in correspondence and maintaining connections with family. Using Lush’s record of day-to-day experiences, the thesis deals with his emotional attachment towards various expressions of “home” (immediate and extended family, houses, relationship with English land and customs) and explores his associated sense of belonging. Lush’s role as a priest within the New Zealand Anglican Church also informed his writing. Witnessing and participating in the “building” of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, Lush provided a record of parochial, diocesan and countrywide problems. Lush’s journals track the Anglican Church’s financial struggles, from providing stable salaries to financing church buildings. “Building” the Church required constructing churches and building congregations, adapting liturgical traditions and encouraging the development of a uniquely Māori church. This thesis also uses the journals to explore Lush as a social commentator. As a witness to the settling and building of the colony, Lush observed the Taranaki and Waikato Wars, the Waikato Immigration Scheme and the Thames Gold Rush, and their impact on the development of settler living. In addition, the final chapter deals with Lush’s changing perceptions of Māori, particularly during the Waikato wars compared with while he lived in Thames.</p>

Semi-Permanent Zones of Radar Radial Shear within the Planetary Boundary Layer: Observations and Effects on High Intensity Precipitation in the Wider Auckland region, New Zealand

<p>This study investigates the role of mechanical forcing within the boundary layer in enhancing low-level precipitation and initiating/intensifying convective precipitation during cases of high intensity precipitation in the wider Auckland region, New Zealand. Eight cases, that occurred between 2001 and 2008 have been investigated. All cases were observed to be strongly dynamically forced, resulting from the passage of mid-latitude cyclones. These features were observed to be centred mainly to the north and west of the study area, with surface winds from the northeast quadrant over the wider Auckland region. Radar imagery is characterised by regions of both convective and stratiform precipitation for all the cases investigated; areas of convection are often observed to be embedded in areas of larger scale precipitation. These cases were subdivided into eleven heavy precipitation events. Nine of these events were subject to further investigation. Environmental conditions during these events were characterised by steady low-level winds from the northeast quadrant, weak to moderate convective instability, with 0-3km wind shear indicating a high level of directional shear in the lower atmosphere. To investigate mechanical forcing in the boundary layer, low-level Doppler velocity and reflectivity fields measured by the Mt Tamahunga radar, were examined. These data revealed mesoscale structures of the Doppler velocity field not previously documented in this region. Mechanical forcing was identified by the presence of mesoscale zones of radar radial shear, resulting from horizonal convergence and/or zones of horizontal shear. These features were observed to be semi-permanent on the windward side of Little Barrier and Great Barrier islands, the windward side of the Coromandel ranges, and along the west coast of the Auckland region. Further, zones of semi-permanent radar radial shear were observed to extend downstream (lee side) of Mt Moehau and Great Barrier, Little Barrier and Taranga islands in the Hauraki Gulf. These features have not been documented previously for this study area. The features, observed downstream of each obstacle, were characterised by a long thin low velocity zone present in PPI images of radar radial velocity and were bounded by the above mentioned shear zones. Further, these features were aligned parallel to the surface wind direction, with widths approximately equal to the diameter of the obstacle and extended up to 57km downstream of each obstacle. These features are consistent with characteristics of mountain wakes described in the literature. A partitioning algorithm was calibrated to identify the convective and stratiform components of the radar reflectivity field. This algorithm was applied to reflectivity data for each heavy precipitation event. Local maxima in the frequency of low-level enhanced precipitation were observed in the vicinity of topographic features such as the Coromandel Peninsula and Mt Tamahunga, in addition to the observed location of wakes in the lee of Great Barrier and Little Barrier Island. Finally, the relationship between mountain wakes observed in the Hauraki Gulf and low-level precipitation enhancement was examined. Investigations showed that when large scale areas of precipitation interacted with these wakes, in some cases convective precipitation was observed to be initiated or intensified. However, the observed areas of enhancement were observed to be short lived and shallow, reaching heights below the radar bright band at [approximately ]3.5 km.</p>

Semi-Permanent Zones of Radar Radial Shear within the Planetary Boundary Layer: Observations and Effects on High Intensity Precipitation in the Wider Auckland region, New Zealand

<p>This study investigates the role of mechanical forcing within the boundary layer in enhancing low-level precipitation and initiating/intensifying convective precipitation during cases of high intensity precipitation in the wider Auckland region, New Zealand. Eight cases, that occurred between 2001 and 2008 have been investigated. All cases were observed to be strongly dynamically forced, resulting from the passage of mid-latitude cyclones. These features were observed to be centred mainly to the north and west of the study area, with surface winds from the northeast quadrant over the wider Auckland region. Radar imagery is characterised by regions of both convective and stratiform precipitation for all the cases investigated; areas of convection are often observed to be embedded in areas of larger scale precipitation. These cases were subdivided into eleven heavy precipitation events. Nine of these events were subject to further investigation. Environmental conditions during these events were characterised by steady low-level winds from the northeast quadrant, weak to moderate convective instability, with 0-3km wind shear indicating a high level of directional shear in the lower atmosphere. To investigate mechanical forcing in the boundary layer, low-level Doppler velocity and reflectivity fields measured by the Mt Tamahunga radar, were examined. These data revealed mesoscale structures of the Doppler velocity field not previously documented in this region. Mechanical forcing was identified by the presence of mesoscale zones of radar radial shear, resulting from horizonal convergence and/or zones of horizontal shear. These features were observed to be semi-permanent on the windward side of Little Barrier and Great Barrier islands, the windward side of the Coromandel ranges, and along the west coast of the Auckland region. Further, zones of semi-permanent radar radial shear were observed to extend downstream (lee side) of Mt Moehau and Great Barrier, Little Barrier and Taranga islands in the Hauraki Gulf. These features have not been documented previously for this study area. The features, observed downstream of each obstacle, were characterised by a long thin low velocity zone present in PPI images of radar radial velocity and were bounded by the above mentioned shear zones. Further, these features were aligned parallel to the surface wind direction, with widths approximately equal to the diameter of the obstacle and extended up to 57km downstream of each obstacle. These features are consistent with characteristics of mountain wakes described in the literature. A partitioning algorithm was calibrated to identify the convective and stratiform components of the radar reflectivity field. This algorithm was applied to reflectivity data for each heavy precipitation event. Local maxima in the frequency of low-level enhanced precipitation were observed in the vicinity of topographic features such as the Coromandel Peninsula and Mt Tamahunga, in addition to the observed location of wakes in the lee of Great Barrier and Little Barrier Island. Finally, the relationship between mountain wakes observed in the Hauraki Gulf and low-level precipitation enhancement was examined. Investigations showed that when large scale areas of precipitation interacted with these wakes, in some cases convective precipitation was observed to be initiated or intensified. However, the observed areas of enhancement were observed to be short lived and shallow, reaching heights below the radar bright band at [approximately ]3.5 km.</p>

Risky Choices

Achievement data from New Zealand secondary schools suggest that students from lower socio-economic communities have fewer opportunities to engage with complex content in subject English. This article examines this phenomenon by drawing on Foucault’s notion of governmentality and considers how a context of simultaneously increased autonomy and surveillance may shape curriculum and assessment choices. To explore these ideas, I use interview data from ten secondary English teachers in the wider Auckland region. I complement Foucault’s (1982) explanation of governmentality with Ball, Maguire, and Braun’s (2012) notion of policy enactment to explore spaces of both compliance and resistance.

SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test results across symptomatic COVID-19 cases in Auckland, New Zealand, February–June 2020

During the first wave of COVID-19 transmission in New Zealand, a review of RT-PCR testing in all symptomatic cases reported in the Auckland Region found 74% of test results to have been positive. Detection rate was superior for nasopharyngeal swabs than for oropharyngeal samples, and highest one week after symptom onset. Certain symptom presentations may associate with these cases returning negative results, with dyspnoea reported by a greater proportion of cases who tested negative.