Oil sector rule change upsets Ngaruahine

Oil and gas claimants from south Taranaki's Ngaruahine iwi say the Government should hold off changing the Crown Minerals Act until the Waitangi Tribunal has had a chance to rule on their claims.

Daisy Noble says Crown officials stood at a hearing in April and assured the tribunal that Maori interests were protected by both the Crown Minerals Act and the Conservation Act.

But she says the Government now wants to change those acts to encourage more exploration and extraction.

She says years of work are being thrown away, which is why she's asking the Waitangi Tribunal to ask the Government to taihoa.

Ngaruahine want a Taranaki oil and gas commission set up, including iwi participation, which would give the region's people some say in how the resource is developed.

WARDENS PICK UP AFTER ELECTION MESS

South Auckland Maori wardens are backing a call for voting for the new Auckland super city council to be extended by a week.

Election officials have set up a special voting booth at the Mangere East library after New Zealand Post admitted one of its staff didn't deliver voting papers to several Mangere streets, but Manurewa - Papakura ward candidate Waina Emery says the problem goes wider, and an extension is needed.

Thomas Henry from the Mangere maori wardens says Mrs Emery has a point, and his office has been inundated with people affected.

The Maori Wardens are directing people to the special voting booth.

PRIME APPOINTED TO HAND OUT MARAE GRANTS

Life's just become more of a lottery for Kevin Prime.

The Ngati Hine elder and prominent Northland conservationist has been appointed to the Lotteries Commission committee which hands out grants for marae building and heritage work.

South Auckland kaumatua Brian Joyce has been named the committee's presiding officer.

Mr Prime, who has considerable experience giving out money as chair of the ASB Community Trust, says it's an honour to be picked.



VOTING PAPER NON-DELIVERY SHOULD BE MATTER FOR POLICE

The MP for Mangere, Su'a William Sio, wants police to investigate the non-delivery of local government voting papers.

He says he's troubled New Zealand Post has only found out now that it had not delivered packs to several South Auckland streets.

Mr Sio says the problem could be much larger than is being admitted, and it means the rights of many Maori and Pacific voters are being denied.

He says setting up a special voting booth at the Mangere library is not enough of a solution.

WEBS SITE OFFERS TRANSLATIONS FOR MEDICAL JARGON

A new website has been launched to help people who don't understand what their doctor is talking about.

Susan Reid from the New Zealand Centre for Workforce Literacy Development says more than half of all adults find it hard to obtain and understand the health information they need to make appropriate health decisions.

She says it's even worse for Maori, with 80 percent of men and 75 percent of women struggling with medical jargon.

The new website healthliteracy.co.nz, tries to put things in words people use normally.

The website also gives people simple questions they can ask their doctor.

NRL STARS FILL RANKS OF NZ MAORI LEAGUE TEAM

Maori Rugby League chair Howie Tamati says professionalism will be the hallmark of the squad to take on England in Auckland in a fortnight.

The Maori team will be coached by ex Kiwis Ritchie Blackmore and Mark Horo.

Willie Heta from the Otahuhu Leopards is the only player from the New Zealand club scene, with the rest of the squad made up of NRL first graders like Kevin Locke, Timana Tahu, Clinton Toopi and Russel Packer.


New Zealand Maori play England in a doubleheader at Mt Smart on October 16, which also features the Kiwis against Samoa in what are warmup games for this year's Rugby League Four Nations Trophy.