Marcus Fletcher

Marcus Fletcher has some hard decisions to make – get a job in environmental planning or take up postgraduate study.

He can see the value in both, but whichever he decides, his ultimate goal is to shake the foundations of Western planning, help in its revitalization, incorporating tikanga and mātauranga Māori by bringing tangata whenua to the forefront of resource management.

“My interests are currently vested in Māori community resilience to climate change, such as managed retreat and co-governance agreements within Aotearoa and how they could be improved,” he says.

Marcus grew up in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, went to Melville High School, and chose to study for a Bachelor of Environmental Planning after seeing the effect iron sand mining was having in Tahāroa, southwest of Kawhia, where he and his family spent many summer holidays.

“I wanted to study something that would be beneficial for my whānau and hapū in Tahāroa,” he says.

“Learning about Aotearoa’s resource management law, how to plan cities and combating the pressures of climate change makes this degree extremely satisfying and beneficial.

“Our lecturers encourage all of us to develop our own solutions and ways we would tackle these problems, while also discussing each strategy and providing feedback on our approaches. With that said, fourth year is the time when your practical and professional skills are put to the test and challenged on a whole other level.”