Climate change costs hit Maori

A leading Maori forest manager says the forestry sector is being asked to carry a disproportionate share of the cost of climate change.

Glen Katu from Maraeroa C Incorporation in the King Country says proposed policies on allocation of carbon credits and penalties for cutting down forests will affect many Maori forest owners.

Mr Katu says many Maori had their land put into forests when there were few other options, but they are now looking for more control and better returns from their assets.

“We’re now getting to that opportunity to engage in other business activities on our land and all of a sudden when we choose to take some of our forests out of forestry and say put up a hydro dam, a tourism facility, a housing estate, all of a sudden we’re going to be penalized.” Mr Katu says.

He says the proposed policies seem to let the farming sector, especially dairy farmers, off the hook despite their far greater contribution to climate change.

KEY NOVELTY FOR MAORI

National list MP Georgina Te Heu Heu says new leader John Key is creating a lot of interest in Maori communities.

The party's co-spokesperson on Maori Affairs says a visit to the East Coast later this week will again put Mr Key in a forum of Maori leaders keen to hear National's Maori development plans.

She says Mr Key has already shown at Ratana and Waitangi that he is willing to front up to Maori.

“You know Maori are wanting the meet him. He’s new. He’s showing a different approach to what they’ve seen in the past and so they’re interested in meeting,” Mrs te Heuheu says.

PUKEKOHE MARCHES AGAINST P

There was a march today in Pukekohe south of Auckland to highlight the problems of methamphetamine abuse among Maori.

Organiser Rangimarie Cooper says it was timed for the first anniversary of the P hiikoi to Parliament.

Ms Cooper says the march followed the launch of a Methwatch programme, which encourages whanau to work alongside the police.

“It's also raising awareness at the same time as going through the right channels on how tio identify whanau that are getting into the drug or already addicted and just promoting the services that are out there to help your whanau who are getting into the drug,” Ms Cooper says.

She says there is no simple cure for P abuse in communities, and a range of strategies is needed.

MAORI TV NEEDS SKY SHIFT

Maori Television will be spending tens of thousands of dollars in future to broadcast its signal on Sky.

Chief executive Jim Mather says more than a third of the channel's viewers access it through their Sky decoders, because they can't pick up the UHF signal.

Mr Mather says Maori TV along with TVNZ had to shift its satellite signals off the Optus B1 satellite in December, and it now has an interim arrangement with Sky.

He sasy there are technical issues over the type of signal going to and from Sky's satellite, which means extra short and long term costs.

“Potentially it could be tens of thousands, but if Sky are unable to identify a technical fix, which they’re confident of doing, it could continue on and it could exceed the tens of thousands that are the framework of what we’re looking at at the moment,” Mr Mather says.

Maori Television's signal will also be available on the new freeview satellite service to be launched later this year.

MINTO BLASTS POVERTY POLICY

Low wages and incomes are hampering Maori development.

That's the word from social activist John Minto from Global Peace and Justice Auckland.

Mr Minto says the Government's response to a series of reports highlighting continued child poverty in this country is patronising, and its policies aren't addressing those most in need.

He says it has done little to address National's policies of the 1990s, which drove tens of thousands of working class families into poverty and held them there.

Mr Minto says the situation is particularly hard on Maori.

“Maori are disproportionately represented among low income earners in New Zealand. So Maori minimum workers are people who are buffering particularly with policies based around low wages and low incomes, and that’s where I think the real problem is,” Mr Minto says.

He says the government should have a baseline policy that the wage for a 40 hour a week job should be enough to raise a family.

PASIFIKA MUSCLE JOINS WESTIE WARDENS

A cross cultural approach will be used from this weekend to help curb bad behaviour in West Auckland.

Jack Taumaunu from the Waitemata Wardens says a group of Pacific Island volunteers will join patrols through Ranui and the Henderson Town centre.

He says the two groups were brought together by the Police Pacific Islands liaison officer.

“To me it's a breakthrough. We should have had it a while back. It’s wonderful to see the amalgamation of the two. They’re volunteers by the way. We’re the ones working under Project Respect, and they really want to tie in with us to see if they can make a difference,” Mr Taumaunu says.