Waatea News Update

News from Waatea 603 AM, Urban Maori radio, first with Maori news

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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Claim deadline breach of natural justice

The New Zealand Maori Council could challenge legislation setting a deadline of 2008 for lodging historical treaty claims.

Spokesman Maanu Paul says the Crown is breaching its treaty obligation protect Maori.

He says the early deadline is a breach of natural justice.

“Natural justice does not recognise time. The issue for me is that Maori require its treaty partner the Crown to exercise its responsibility under Article One of the treaty, that is to govern fairly and consistently in exercising natural justice,” Paul said.

GISBORNE MAYOR SYMPATHETIC TO RATES CHANGE

Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon is backing a review of the way the rating system affects Maori land.

His council's latest rate review has resulted in massive rate increases for many collectively owned Maori blocks, especially in coastal area, sparking howls of outrage.

Mr Foon says Maori have a different connection to their land than general titleholders, as they are unlikely to be sitting on it for capital gain.

He says Maori owners recognise they do need to pay some rates.

“Even though there might be tsunamis, they still like to live by the sea, that is a worldwide phenomenon. From a Maori point of view, when it comes to Maori title land, there needs to be some formula for us to work with,” Foon said.

VILLAGE GUNPLAY NOTHING NEW TO KUIA

Prominent Northland kuia Saana Murray says guns have been a part of Maori communities for nearly 200 years and are still used on ceremonial occasions.

Tuhoe activist Tame Iti is on trial in Rotorua in connection with the alleged use of a firearm in a powhiri for Waitangi Tribunal members last year.

Mrs Murray says she supports Iti's claim that the use of guns can be a part of tikanga on some marae.

She says in rural Maori villages, guns are a feature of life.

“The heralding of the new year, you hear the guns being fired in our villages, so full support to Tame Iti, and his tribe, being in control of all the tikanga kaupapa of their tribe,” Murray said.

CREATIVE ARTS CENTRE OF MAORI DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Waitakere City is is becoiming the first local body to develop an economic development strategy for Maori.

Strategist Amokura Panoho says the Maori creative sector is likely to play a key role in economic development in West Auckland.

She says Maori involved in the sector will meet this month at Hoani Waititi to discuss how to fit in with the wider strategy.

“It seemed appropriate to look at where we are making inroads economically, and it’s fair to say in the Maori creative sector we are starting to have a significant presence,” Panoho said.

REMINDER CARDS FOR MAORI OPTION

About 50,000 people have so far responded to the Maori Electoral Option, but it's too early to say whether there will be an eighth Maori seat at the next general election.

Maori voters are given a chance after each five-yearly census to say whether they want to be on the Maori or the general roll.

A 14 thousand net increase in the Maori roll will result in a new seat.

Chief electoral officer Murray Wicks says at the halfway point, interest in the option has tailed off, so it's time for a reminder.

“We’ve sent out 330,000 little postcards just reminding people if they want to change the roll types, they’ve only got until the second of August, and they need to send their form back,” Wicks said.

Murray Wicks says many of the responses have been to say the voter doesn't want to switch rolls, or to correct address details.

CROWN CUTBACKS AT WANANAGA SHOWING RESULTS

The cultural director of Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Napi Waaka, says the Maori tertiary institution's management has succeeded in matching its resourcing with expected student numbers.

The wananga has cut more than 300 management and administrative staff as it copes with funding based on 18,000 equivalent full time students, compared with more than 30,000 EFTS at its peak.

Mr Waaka says rather than have a manager for each campus around the country, it now has five senior managers with regional responsibilities.

Programmes are administered centrally, rather than at each campus, and the wananga has dropped many courses which competed with the traditional polytechnic sector.

Mr Waaka says the government is still calling the shots.

“Today we’re economising, based on the government’s request that we need to make sure we’re not duplicating the same kings of processes and structures, all round the country, and we need to cut down, in order to be in line with the low number of students we’ve got currently,” Waaka said,

Napi Waaka says the pressure is for the wananga to just concentrate on Maori knowledge.

OKAIHAU COLLEGE WINS MARAE FUNDING

Okaihau College in Northland is a step closer to getting a marae with the news the project has been granted $180 thousand by the ASB Trust.

Principal Alan Forgie says the school is now just waiting for resource consent for building to start.

About 70 percent of the school's 400 students are Maori.

Mr Forgie says the marae will be an asset for the whole community, which lies between Moerewa and Kaikohe.

“We’ve got marae around the place, not one in Okaihau. We’ve got students coming from the Hokianga, Umawera, Horeke. This will give us something in the settlement itself. One of the great benefits I find about them is it’s a neutral place to meet parents, a venue they’re comfortable with. Otherwise they’re in my office, and that’s not always comfortable for people at all,” Forgie said.

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