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.
- Mahinga kai
- food and places for obtaining natural foods and resources. The work (mahi), methods and cultural activities involved in obtaining foods and resources.
- Mana whenua
- traditional/customary authority or title over land and the rights of ownership and control of usage on the land, forests, rivers etc. Also the land area (and boundaries—rohe) within which such authority is held.
- Māori
- people—distinguishes the native, indigenous people of New Zealand.
- Margin
- land immediately adjacent to the bed of a river, wetland, lake or estuary which is likely to be affected by a high water table, flooding, fluvial erosion, or sediment deposition, and often contains distinctive vegetation. The size of the margin will vary according to local site factors but may extend to the limits demarcated by natural river terraces and constructed stopbanks.
- Mauri
- life force.
- Metro
- the public transport service that operates in Greater Christchurch and Timaru. Environment Canterbury (Canterbury Regional Council) is the lead agency for providing services. We are responsible for planning services, tendering out to independent operators, and providing information such as timetables, telephone services, websites and marketing Metro.
- m
- metre(s)
- m
- million
- m
- month(s)
- MApplSci
- Master of Applied Science
- Mar
- March
- MAR
- Managed Aquifer Recharge
- MAV
- Maximum Acceptable Value
- MB
- megabyte(s)
- MBIE
- Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
- MCDEM
- Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management
- mcm
- million cubic metres
- MCPA
- 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid
- MED
- Ministry of Economic Development
- MELAA
- Middle Eastern, Latin American and African
- MEP
- Management and Enhancement Plan
- MfE
- Ministry for the Environment
- mg
- milligram(s)
- MGM
- Matrix of Good Management
- MHBr
- Main Highway Bridge
- MIC
- Mackenzie Irrigation Company
- mini
- miniature
- MJ
- Mega Joule
- ml
- millilitre(s)
- MM
- Modified Mercalli
- mm
- millimetre(s)
- MNL
- Main North Line
- Mob
- Mobile phone number
- MoH
- Ministry of Health
- MP
- Measuring Point
- MP
- Member of Parliament
- MPI
- Ministry for Primary Industries
- MRNAG
- Mid River New Applications Group
- MRTEs
- Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates
- MSc
- Master of Science degree
- Mt
- Mount
- MTAGDP
- Modelled Territorial Authority Gross Domestic Product
- MTB
- mountain bicycle
- MW
- Megawatt(s)
- MWRL
- Mackenzie Water Research Limited
Environment Canterbury © 2023
Retrieved: 10:56am, Fri 01 Dec 2023
https://www.ecan.govt.nz/info/glossary/