Scoping Study for Assessing River and Lake Recreation in New Zealand

Kay Booth , Andrea Farminer

Lindis Consulting

2011

Lindis Consulting: prepared for Sport and Recreation NZ

Kay Booth

Lindis Consulting

PO Box 1984

Nelson 7040

021 224 4480

kay@lindis.co.nz

This report scopes the issues associated with measuring river and lake recreation. Its purpose is to inform the future development of an implementation plan for assessing river and lake recreation in New Zealand. The project was commissioned by Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) and was based on a literature review and a workshop held with selected members of the outdoor recreation sector.The study objectives and key findings were:

Objective 1: To identify what is already known about river and lake recreation in New Zealand through review of the existing research literature

Very little information and data exist: most research is site or river catchment specific and much is out-of-date. There has been a lack of significant progress in systematically building a knowledge base for river and lake recreation, with the exception of freshwater angling.

Objective 2: To determine the priority information needs and end uses of data, in consultation with the sector

Three types of information were rated as priority information needs by workshop participants:

·       Visit and visitor characteristics

·       Recreational benefits

·       Recreation resource demand and supply

While it was not in the top three, ‘visit numbers’ was frequently mentioned as fundamental information.

Objective 3: To identify relevant methods by reviewing methods already in use, through a review of the literature

Relevant methods are described and critiqued in this report, including reference to combining methods.

Objective 4: To prepare a research framework that outlines appropriate methods for each identified priority information need

Priority areas for any future research programme are suggested:

1.    A nationally coordinated survey programme that is repeated periodically, i.e. continuous systematic data collection series. This could take the form of either on-site visitor surveys using a standard method and based on a national sample of sites, or off-site participation surveys.

2.    National-level research to identify recreation benefits associated with river and lake recreation.

3.    A national assessment of the demand for and supply of river and lake recreation settings.

It is recommended that a second sector workshop be convened in order to prepare an implementation plan that sets out the best approach to obtain information about river and lake recreation in New Zealand. Subsequent implementation of this plan is intended to provide the outdoor recreation sector with the information it most needs, particularly with respect to its ability to justify recreation as an important value for which rivers and lakes should be managed. 

Keywords: recreation, river, lake, research methods, research programme

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Mixed-method

National

Outdoor Recreation

Outdoors

Rivers and lakes

1964

January 31, 2012

June 21, 2012