Ngai Tahu-built Christchurch council chamber opens
Ngai Tahu leader Mark Solomon says the new Christchurch City Council headquarters shows what iwi can achieved through public private partnerships or PPPs.
Finance Minister Bill English says in future PPPs must be an option for any government infrastructure project costing more than $25 million.
Mr Solomon says the former mail centre on Worcester Boulevard has been redeveloped as a joint venture between the council and Ngai Tahu Properties, and the ongoing rentals will give the tribe a better return than leaving its money in the bank.
“The total cost of the building was around $113 million. Both partners put up the same amount, refurbished the building and have presented the headquarters to the council. But it is my argument that it is the first PPP between a local authority and an iwi,” he says.
Mr Solomon says over the next 20 years, up to $60 billion of infrastructure work needs to be done.
SYSTEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT DRIVING KAINGA TO THIRD WORLD
Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP Parekura Horomia says many communities in his electorate are facing third world conditions because of systemic unemployment.
Mr Horomia says while the Maori jobless rate nationally is just over 16 percent, predominantly Maori communities like Flaxmere and Wairoa are experiencing unemployment of closer to 50 percent.
He says on an average income of $18,000 a year there is no way many of his constituents can save or invest in their futures.
KAPA HAKA ROOPU HOPE TO AVOID POOL OF DEATH
Contestants in next February's Te Matatini kapa haka festival in Gisborne next year are on tenterhooks as they find out when their roopu will perform.
The draw for the 42 team places will be done live tonight on Maori Television, overseen by Matatini chair Selwyn Parata.
Host Julian Wilcox says there will be concern that some gun teams could be eliminated early if a so called “pool of death” emerges with a lot of good teams end up in the one pool.
The optimum time to perform in the three-day festival is a subject of much debate.
PRICE RISES HITTING SOUTH AUCKLAND IN THE PUKU
A south Auckland budget advisor says last month's food and energy price rises are now hitting Maori families.
Food prices rose 1.6 percent in July with the major contributors being fresh milk and a winter increase in vegetable prices.
Energy prices were raised from July 1 to cover the introduction of the Emissions' Trading Scheme.
Makere Biddiss of Whare Mauriora Budgeting Service in Otahuhu says it's all taking a toll, expecially on whanau where breadwinners lost jons in the recession, and even the price of a loaf becomes an issue.
More than half of her clients are now relying on food grants.
TERTIARY TEACHERS PLAN FOR MAORI FUTURE
More than 300 tertiary educators from around the country are at Pipitea Marae in Wellington to discuss how institutions can better meet the needs of Maori.
Hui organiser Ngahiwi Apanui, the kaihautu Maori at the National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence, Ako Aoteoroa, says the Maori population will continue to grow faster than the general rate.
He says educators need be ready for when those rangatahi are ready for tertiary training, and they also need to be able to respond to the demands of iwi.
“I think what you will see in the next 15 or so years is that iwi will take an increasing ownership in tertiary education because they will want the skills and knowledge to be able to implement those long term visions they have for their particular iwis,” Mr Apanui says.
QBOOKS CREATE BUZZ FOR KIWA ON IPAD
The head of a Maori-owned digital media company Kiwa Media believes there is huge international potential for its QBook application for the Apple iPad.
Rhonda Kite says Kiwa's approach to the electronic book encourages reader interaction and allows for multiple language versions.
There are now 18 QBook titles, including Lynley Dodd's Hairy MacLarey and Hannah Rainforth's Barnaby Bennett, which comes in English, Maori and Japanese versions.
Ms Kite says the technology was well received at the London and Singapore book fairs, as publishers grapple with the challenges of digital publishing.
“It's an insatiable market potentially out there and we’re not scared of working in languages and that gets back to our experience in dubbing cartoons into Maori and we’ve been doing that for seven years and have led the way for the technology and the methodology around that in New Zealand. It doesn’t scare us working in multiple languages and I think that’s one of the biggest assets we bring to the marketplace,” Ms Kite says.
Kiwa Media is talking to investors about pushing the QBook technology into more international markets.
Finance Minister Bill English says in future PPPs must be an option for any government infrastructure project costing more than $25 million.
Mr Solomon says the former mail centre on Worcester Boulevard has been redeveloped as a joint venture between the council and Ngai Tahu Properties, and the ongoing rentals will give the tribe a better return than leaving its money in the bank.
“The total cost of the building was around $113 million. Both partners put up the same amount, refurbished the building and have presented the headquarters to the council. But it is my argument that it is the first PPP between a local authority and an iwi,” he says.
Mr Solomon says over the next 20 years, up to $60 billion of infrastructure work needs to be done.
SYSTEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT DRIVING KAINGA TO THIRD WORLD
Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP Parekura Horomia says many communities in his electorate are facing third world conditions because of systemic unemployment.
Mr Horomia says while the Maori jobless rate nationally is just over 16 percent, predominantly Maori communities like Flaxmere and Wairoa are experiencing unemployment of closer to 50 percent.
He says on an average income of $18,000 a year there is no way many of his constituents can save or invest in their futures.
KAPA HAKA ROOPU HOPE TO AVOID POOL OF DEATH
Contestants in next February's Te Matatini kapa haka festival in Gisborne next year are on tenterhooks as they find out when their roopu will perform.
The draw for the 42 team places will be done live tonight on Maori Television, overseen by Matatini chair Selwyn Parata.
Host Julian Wilcox says there will be concern that some gun teams could be eliminated early if a so called “pool of death” emerges with a lot of good teams end up in the one pool.
The optimum time to perform in the three-day festival is a subject of much debate.
PRICE RISES HITTING SOUTH AUCKLAND IN THE PUKU
A south Auckland budget advisor says last month's food and energy price rises are now hitting Maori families.
Food prices rose 1.6 percent in July with the major contributors being fresh milk and a winter increase in vegetable prices.
Energy prices were raised from July 1 to cover the introduction of the Emissions' Trading Scheme.
Makere Biddiss of Whare Mauriora Budgeting Service in Otahuhu says it's all taking a toll, expecially on whanau where breadwinners lost jons in the recession, and even the price of a loaf becomes an issue.
More than half of her clients are now relying on food grants.
TERTIARY TEACHERS PLAN FOR MAORI FUTURE
More than 300 tertiary educators from around the country are at Pipitea Marae in Wellington to discuss how institutions can better meet the needs of Maori.
Hui organiser Ngahiwi Apanui, the kaihautu Maori at the National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence, Ako Aoteoroa, says the Maori population will continue to grow faster than the general rate.
He says educators need be ready for when those rangatahi are ready for tertiary training, and they also need to be able to respond to the demands of iwi.
“I think what you will see in the next 15 or so years is that iwi will take an increasing ownership in tertiary education because they will want the skills and knowledge to be able to implement those long term visions they have for their particular iwis,” Mr Apanui says.
QBOOKS CREATE BUZZ FOR KIWA ON IPAD
The head of a Maori-owned digital media company Kiwa Media believes there is huge international potential for its QBook application for the Apple iPad.
Rhonda Kite says Kiwa's approach to the electronic book encourages reader interaction and allows for multiple language versions.
There are now 18 QBook titles, including Lynley Dodd's Hairy MacLarey and Hannah Rainforth's Barnaby Bennett, which comes in English, Maori and Japanese versions.
Ms Kite says the technology was well received at the London and Singapore book fairs, as publishers grapple with the challenges of digital publishing.
“It's an insatiable market potentially out there and we’re not scared of working in languages and that gets back to our experience in dubbing cartoons into Maori and we’ve been doing that for seven years and have led the way for the technology and the methodology around that in New Zealand. It doesn’t scare us working in multiple languages and I think that’s one of the biggest assets we bring to the marketplace,” Ms Kite says.
Kiwa Media is talking to investors about pushing the QBook technology into more international markets.
posted by Adam | 7:49 pm
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