NZ to share rongoa tips with WA

New Zealand is offering to help Western Australia develop its indigenous health services.

Mita Ririnui, the associate Minister of Health, signed an agreement with the state health department in Perth this week.

He says it will allow information sharing, including what has worked in the evolution of Maori health providers and what hasn't.

Information is expected to flow the other way from indigenous west Australians.

"They're a very traditional people. A lot of their focus is on traditional healing practices and that seems to have attracted a lot of attention from government agencies including private sector as to what rongoa or natural medicines they are using for a range of health needs," Mr Ririnui says.

The Australian health system has complex funding arrangements which must be worked through, with aged care a federal responsibility and primary and public healthcare done by the states.
 
COURT RULES FARM WHARE OUT OF CODE

New Plymouth District Council wants to work with a north Taranaki whanau to get the proper concents for an illegally-built wharenui.

In a judgment released yesterday, Judge Graham Hubble ruled that Tongaporutu farmers Russell and Parani Gibbs needed a building permit, even if they were building on Maori reserve land.

Simon Pickford, the council's customer and regulatory services manager, says the building looks sound, but the council needs to be sure.

"Our concern is that this is a wharenui that is potentially going to have people meeting in it, and even sleeping in it potentially, so we want to make sure all the things we would look at as we normally would do for a new building, making sure that it is safe for people to use and that it is compliant with the Building Act," Mr Pickford says.

The council could seek a $10,000 a day fine against the Gibbs if they don't cooperate, but he says that would only be a last resort.
 
RMA REVIEW THREAT TO MAORI INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNING

The Greens' Maori spokesperson is warning a National Party shake-up of the Resource Management Act will shake Maori out of the planning process.

National has signalled it will review the RMA within 100 days if it wins the election.

Metiria Turei says the Act is not perfect, but it does allow communities to have some say in what happens in their area.

"If National attacks the RMA, the one of the first things that will go is Maori involvement in decision making, Maori consultation and some of the processes around identifying what is important to Maori and holding those areas, whether it is wahi tapu or rivers, those sorts of things, back from development, so it's a direct attack again on Maori having control of what goes on in their rohe," Ms Turei says. 

MASON DURIE TO GET HONORARY DOCTORATE

Otago University is tomorrow honouring one of its most distinguished alumni.

It's giving an honorary doctorate in laws to Mason Durie from Rangitane and Ngati Raukawa, Massey University's deputy vice-chancellor Maori and professor of Maori research and development.

Darren Russell, the director of Maori Development at Otago, says since graduating from the university in 1963 with bachelors degrees in medicine and surgery, Professor Durie has blazed a trail for Maori in medicine and other fields.

"Amongst Maori and non-Maori communities, particularly those in health, social policy, now obviously education research and development, he's provided enormous leadership, significant contributions academically, professionally, models such as Te Whare Tapawha which recognises dimensions of health have become pivotal in responding to Maori health," Mr Russell says .

Professor Durie has showed other academics new ways to get communities involved in their research so the benefits are shared widely.
 
MESSAGES TAILORED FOR MIDDLE NZ IRK SHARPLES

It's still early in the election season, but Maori party co-leader Pita Sharples is already fed up with what he sees as the tired old tactics used by some of his rivals.

Dr Sharples says National has opted for division, sending coded messages to its supporters by going after the most vulnerable in society.

An example is the party's social welfare policy released this week, which includes new restrictions on solo parents.

"It's always that way. It's easy meat. It's easy meat for middle class middle New Zealand to down on benefits, treaty claims, anything where people are seen to get some benefit that excludes themselves," Dr Sharples says.

He says the Labour Party is not much better, with its policy of using tax credits to help working families leaving many types of beneficiaries in the cold.
 
HIP HOP TEAM INFLUENCING THE PLANET

Medals may be slow coming from Beijing, but a West Auckland Hip Hop team has been showing the moves which won it gold it in Las Vegas.

Sweet and Sour arrived back this week for a series of exhibition performances, having swept away the opposition in the varsity division of the World Hip Hop Champs.

A Hamilton crew, Supremacy, took bronze in the same division.

Ennaolla Paea, the director of Street Dance NZ, says the teams of young Maori and Pacific street dancers add kapa haka and Pacific dance to the traditional hip hop moves.

She says it's a style other countries are watching closely.

"I was quite interested seeing dance crews from other countries who were reflecting particular styles that we do here so in fact instead of our crews going over there to be inspired they actually inspired other peoples," Ms Paea says.

As well as trouncing 75 crews from 25 countries, Sweet and Sour appeared on NBC News and live on the ABC breakfast show.