Workforce Implications of Land-Use Change

How can the research be used? Ka pēhea e whai take ai te rangahau?

• This programme will consider a variety of alternatives to the land uses that currently dominate New Zealand, based on existing research, and develop scenarios for alternative land uses by region.
• An ‘enterprise-level’ interactive tool will be developed for land stewards to evaluate new land use opportunities according to workforce requirements. For some regions it may suggest diversification options to create permanent employment opportunities for seasonal labour. For iwi who wish to attract whānau back to work on their whenua to strengthen their communities, this will help identify land-use alternatives that align with their aspirations.
• A ‘regional-level’ model will extend the enterprise model to estimate a region’s total labour requirements according to the allocation of land to different land uses (demand side), and measure the supply of this labour as a shortage or surplus (supply side). Regional councils can use this information as a consideration when evaluating and recommending suitable land-use changes for the region.
• Information about the workforce implications of land-use change will also be incorporated into existing tools that support land-use change decisions.
• A set of written case studies will be produced, each centred on a scenario involving a land-use change considered suitable from an economic and environmental perspective, evaluating how workforce implications affect the suitability of the land-use.
• Regional economic development agencies will benefit from workforce information at a regional level when evaluating which land-uses are regionally sustainable and should be promoted. Information from this project will help these agencies balance seasonal workforce demand and identify where complementary clusters of land uses could be developed in a region.
• With changes in land-use anticipated in coming years through regulation and societal pressure, this tool will provide central government and regional skills leadership groups with some indication of the future demand for labour within regions and how the supply is expected to ‘match up’. This information can be used to support national regulation and policy affecting workforce capacity, and regional recommendations to increase the supply of labour according to demand (such as tailoring training to regional skill needs).