PhD candidate
Email chuca552@student.otago.ac.nz
Caelan is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Sustainability. He has a BA in Geography and a Master of Planning (MPlan). Throughout his studies, he has put his planning skills into practice by working in Otago’s freshwater and environmental planning space. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, fishing, kickboxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Research
A New Direction: Opportunities for National Guidance on Natural Hazard Management During RMA Reform
New Zealand has long been exposed to a variety of natural hazards. On a local level, this exposure is often exacerbated by poor land-use decisions, increasing urbanisation, and development in hazardous areas, entrenched by inconsistent or conflicting policy and planning provisions across both central government and local authorities. My research will examine the role of ‘national guidance documents’ (non-regulatory planning and policy documents) in informing natural hazard planning decisions, as well as encouraging effective and consistent hazard planning outcomes across New Zealand’s local authorities.
Supervisors
- Associate Professor Caroline Orchiston (Centre for Sustainability)
- Dr Wendy Saunders (Toka Tū Ake EQC)