Iwi have role in housing provision

A member the social housing independent advisory group says iwi can help the government face an upcoming housing crisis.

The group's initial report to the Minister of Housing earlier this week says an increasing number of people, including many Maori, need housing assistance but can't get it where and when they need it.

Paul White from Te Rarawa, who has been a Housing New Zealand regional manager and board member, says iwi can fill some of the gaps, but they need more surety than they get now.

“There's plenty of innovation out there but iwi groups are saying that they support for longer periods of time, they need flexibility if they are going to start to make a contribution to solving housing problems amongst Maori,” Mr White says.

He says many older Maori city dwellers would move back to their turangawaewae if housing was available.


TERTIARY TEACHER SAYS TASK IN PRESCHOOLS

The winner of the first Ako Aotearoa tertiary teaching excellence award for Maori medium teaching says the best place to invest in Maori language revitalisation in in the pre-school sector.

Te Kahautu Maxwell is a senior lecturer in te reo Maori, tikanga and Maori performing arts at the University of Waikato who makes his students use their learning in real life situations like making speeches on marae or composing and performing kapa haka.

He says adult education is important for Maori development, there is only limited funding for Maori language promotion and it is best spent in pre school environments.

“Whether it is in kohanga reo or kindergarten, those are the best times where we can make an impression, plant the seed and nurture that seed to produce strong totara in our forest of learning, so lots of energy and investment needs to be directed into our early childhood,” Mr Maxwell says.

MIDFIELDER’S DISCIPLINE AN INSPIRATION TO OTHERS

Former All Whites captain Heremaia Ngata says Winston Reid's move to West Ham United will inspire rangatahi on and off the pitch.

He says the 22 year old Te Rarawa and Tainui midfielder's rise from the Danish league through the World Cup to the English premier league is an example of what can be achieved with discipline and hard work.

He says rangatahi here in Aotearoa should take note.

“Determination, eating the right food, all those sorts of things you can apply not only in sport but in other works of life so forging a career either academically or on the sporting field, I hope this opens some eyes as to what you can achieve with a bit of hard work,” Mr Ngata says.

AUCKLAND IWI WANT SAY IN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Auckland hapu and iwi are seeking formal co-management of the new super city's natural resources.

Paul Majurey, the chair of the Tamaki Collective, says the group of 10 tribal authorities is looking at the Wellington and Hawkes Bay regional council models where committees with equal numbers of iwi and elected representatives will make all resource management decisions.

He says the collective already has an agreement to co-manage Auckland's volcanic maunga, and in the next step could be a similar arrangement for the Manukau and Waitemata harbours, where iwi have kaitiaki or guardianship responsibilities.

“There's a recognition around the collective table that each hapu iwi has its tino rangatiranga with the Crown of it own affairs but lso a recognition of share whakapapa, shared waka, shared interests, that there is no line n a map where there is not a recognition of those shared interestsm” Mr Majurey says.

HEART ATTACK A WAKE UP FOR HENARE

Tau Henare says a heart attack in June was a real wake up call about his lifestyle.

The National list MP is is back on the job after a month to recuperate.

He says when he woke up the morning after the attack with a stent in a major artery, he was a non-smoker.

Mr Henare says hearing his children crying when he had the 2am heart attack made him realise there is more to life than politics, money and sport.

HOHEPA TRUCKS ON LEGENDS

Fishing personality Bill Hohepa say filming a television series on old trucks introduced him to some real Maori characters.

The Snells Beach-based angler says the show was a chance to reminisce about the old Commers, Fords and Bedfords that kept the country moving in the past.

He says he also felt an affinity with an old Maori he interviewed who drove an S Bedford logging truck, who reminded him of the cramped nature of the cab.