Glossary

A guide to acronyms (and abbreviations), words and phrases used throughout the Environment Canterbury website. Look in the 'By Subject' tab to find groups of terms relevant to a specific topic.

Some terms might have definitions in addition to those in this glossary.

Use the online Māori Dictionary to help with translating words between Te Reo Māori/English.

Taiāpure
a local fisheries area established because it has special significance to iwi as a source of food or for spiritual or cultural reasons.
Takiwā
area.
Tangata whenua
In relation to a particular area, means the iwi or hapu that holds mana whenua over that area.
Taonga
treasured possessions, material or abstract (e.g language); Māori interest in these is protected by the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand statute and common lore/law.
Tb vectors
animals that can transmit tuberculosis to other animals.
Te reo Māori
the language (Māori).
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
recognised iwi authority representing the tribal collective of Ngāi Tahu Whānui—as established by the Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Act 1996.
Te Waipounamu
the South Island of New Zealand.
Territorial authority
a city council or a district council.
Threatened species
a species facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild and includes nationally critical, nationally endangered and nationally vulnerable species as identified in the New Zealand Threat Classification Systems lists.
Tikanga (māori)
rights, customs, accepted protocol, rule, Māori traditions, lore or law, the correct Māori way.
Tohunga
spiritual leader.
Total control
the treatment of a particular pest by recognised methods at intervals necessary to eradicate them and prevent their reappearance.
Total Mobility
scheme to assist eligible people with impairments to access appropriate transport to enhance their community participation. This assistance is provided in the form of subsidised door to door transport services where scheme transport providers operate.
Toxicity
the inherent potential or capacity of a material to cause adverse effects in a living organism.
Tsunami
a series of waves that move through the ocean (or a lake) caused by a sudden movement of the sea floor or by something falling into the ocean.
Tsunami evacuation zones
areas that we recommend people evacuate from as a precaution after they feel a long or strong earthquake, or in an official tsunami warning.
Tuna
eel(s).
TA
Territorial Authority
TAPM
The Air Pollution Model
Tb
tuberculosis
TBC
To Be Confirmed
TBD
To Be Decided/Determined
TBT
Tributyltin
Tce
Terrace
TDC
Timaru District Council
TDM
Travel Demand Management
TDS
Total Dissolved Solids
tel
telephone
TEOM
Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance
TKN
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
TLAs
Territorial Local Authorities
TM
trademark
TN
Total Nitrogen
TOC
Total Organic Carbon
TOC
Treasury Oversights Committee
TOG
Transport Officers Group
TP
Total Phosphorous
TRoNT
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
TRP
Transitional Regional Plan
TSA
Targeted Stream Augmentation
TSS
Total Suspended Solids
Tues
Tuesday
TV
television