Foreshore changes to be rushed through

Labour leader Phil Goff says the government isn't giving enough time for debate on its alternative to the Foreshore and Seabed Act.

A discussion paper will go out tomorrow, and the Prime Minister, John Key, says there will be four weeks of consultation.

Mr Goff says is seems the government intends to push through its changes in the same way it is opening the conservation estate to mining.

“These are areas that were preserved, protected under law by bi-partisan agreement in the parliament over many many years. Suddenly the proposal is there, we’re going to mine and there’s six years there for the public to make submissions. Likewise with foreshore and seabed,” Mr Goff says.

He expects the government will try a sleight of hand, saying it is repealing the law but leaving the underlying customary rights regime in place.

TAINUI TAKES ON HAMILTON CITY OVER VARIATION 21

Waikato Tainui is in the High Court challenging a Hamilton City Council district plan change that blocks further development of Tainui's Base retail complex at Te Rapa.

Variation 21, which was rushed through in September under the old Resource Management Act, aims to restrict all office and box store development to a commercial service zone in the central business district.

Tainui Group Holdings chief executive Mike Pohio says the case is over the council's deliberate failure to consult.

“They did not believe that any consultation with Waikato Tainui prior to the issuing of variation 21 would have made any changes. That is a key issue if Waikato Tainui are to make a submission. If in issuing variation 21 there wasn’t going to be change, what’s the chance of any change through the submission making process,” Mr Pohio says.

If it is allowed to stand, Variation 21 will mean a major financial loss to Tainui and its 50,000 members.

The hearing finishes tomorrow.

NGATI REHIA KAUMATUA JUDAH HEIHEI DIES

Ngati Rehia and Ngapuhi are mourning Te Hurihanga Judah Hei Hei, who was buried today at his whanau wahitapu – Te Ahirau - at Te Tii in the Bay of Islands.

Mr Heihei, a diabetic, died in an ambulance on Friday on his way to Kawakawa Hospital. He was 69.

He was a leading member of Te Taumata Kaumatua o Ngapuhi and was also prominent in the Hokianga Accord, which tries to build consensus between customary, recreational and commercial fishers in the north.

Ngati Rehia kaumatua Kingi Taurua says his whanaunga was a true gentleman who always put his whanau and hapu first.

He was descended from Tareha from Ngati Rehia who refused to sign the Treaty of Waitangi.

TAMIHERE RULES OUT MAYORAL RUN

Former Tamakai Makaurau MP John Tamihere is ruling out a run for mayor or deputy mayor of the Auckland super city.

Television Three yesterday claimed Mr Tamihere's team had sounded out Auckland mayor John Banks about running as his number two.

But the Waipareira Trust chief executive and radio talkback host says he has made no such approach, and ruled out a return to politics at this stage.

“My life is going extraordinarily well without getting involved in it. My social conscience work at Waipareira and whanau ora is going extraordinarily well. The commercial side of my life is going extraordinarily well. Why would you want to ruin that for the likes of political pundits like Willie Jackson, Matt McCarten, Matthew Hooten and the rest of the shooting match,” Mr Tamihere says.

He says anyone wanting to enter the mayoral race would need a lot of money, a high public profile and an organisation to match the resources National and Labour will be putting into the campaigns of John Banks and Len Brown respectively.

TE OHU KAIMOANA SEEKING STRATEGY AND ROLE

Te Ohu Kaimoana wants to take the lead in finding a balance between customary, commercial and recreational fishing interests.

The fisheries settlement trust outlined its growth and seafood strategy to the fifth Maori Fisheries Conference in Napier today.

Chief executive Peter Douglas says people in the various sectors need better information so they can see the impact of their activities have on the overall fishery.

Peter Douglas says more cooperation is needed throughout the fisheries sector.

BOY HIT IN FIRST DAY AT BOX OFFICE

The producer of Taika Waititi's new film says its popularity is due to its ability to connect with all people.

Boy premiered in Auckland last week.

Producer Ainsley Gardiner says she's confident Boy will do well because of word of mouth and positive media coverage from the Sundance and Berlin Film Festival ... bar one review.

“The negative one said he had scrubbed it of all its cultural specificity. Basically they were saying where were the grass skirts, where were the karakia, where are the whales, where are the fistfights and the drinking so we didn’t put a lot of stock in that particular review,” Ms Gardiner says.

Boy earned more at the box office on its first day than Whale Rider, The World's Fastest Indian and Sione's Wedding.

Benefits seen in language agency merger

Former Maori language commissioner Patu Hohepa is backing his successor's call for Te Taura Whiri to be merged with funding agency Te Mangai Paho.

Erima Henare recommended the merger as a way to cut down administration costs and get more money to community and iwi language development initiatives.

Dr Hopeha says the combined organisation would have greater clout.

“By having the two working closer together, there will be a greater sharing of getting te reo Maori more and more into radio, television, schools and I hope it will also shift some of the thinking of Te Puni Kokiri,” Dr Hopeha says.

RURAL STUDENTS READY FOR TERTIARY STUDY

Rural Maori students are more prepared for university than their urban cohorts.

That's one of the findings of the Auckland University Starpath project, which looked at barriers to tertiary study for Maori.

Director Liz McKinley from Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Ngai Tahu preparation is the key to success as students make the transition from high school to tertiary study.

“The students from more rural areas do have to manage a lot of change at the same time. However they know that and I think the schools know that. I think they’re better prepared because they do the preparation before they come. They not only get their enrolment done from the school end, they organised all their accommodation,” Dr McKinley says.

Many students don't know about the Maori support centres in universities, and better communication is needed.

HERAMAIA SIDESTEPS WAY INTO WARRIORS

Sports commentator Te Kauhoe Wano says Aaron Heramaia is fast becoming the Warriors' ace in the hole.

The diminutive halfback turned hooker was outstanding as the Auckland-based team posted its biggest win over NRL powerhouse the Brisbane Broncos on Sunday.

Mr Wano says Heremaia showed promise as an 18 year old, winning a Bartercard championship with the Hibiscus Coaast Raiders before heading to Australia and England.

After a year in the Warriors' feeder club the Vulcans, Heremaia's trimmed down frame makes him a potent ruck runner.

“Little step in traffic he’s got and then he still has some pace to burn if he does make a gap, throwing good passes so it’s looking pretty good for the Warriors at the moment,” Mr Wano says.

The Warriors' other Maori players, Russel Packer, Lance Hohaia and Kevin Locke all shone in the 48-16 demolition of Brisbane

EXPERIENCE SHARED FOR CHINA FISHING PUSH

Maori fishing companies are looking to China and other offshore markets as they plot a course ahead.

Iwi and fishing interests are in Napier for the fifth Maori Fisheries Conference.

Te Ohu Kaimoana chief executive Peter Douglas says this year's Shanghai expo has focused attention on one of the largest markets for seafoods.

Speakers pointed out it was not one large market but a series of significant regional markets for particular products, which needed to be handled carefully.

“The idea that you might be able to have a small visit where you might be able to sell 50 cases of this or that isn’t the best way to go about your business in the Chinese market. The best way to do it is to do it in a collaborative sense, making use of people’s experience, connections,” Mr Douglas says.

The acrimony and conflict which marred the Maori fisheries sector in the past has gone, and iwi are now looking at ways they can do business together.

The hui finishes today.

PARTY AMBUSHED ON WELFARE CHANGES

Associate social welfare minister Tariana Turia says the Maori Party did not see details of the welfare reforms before they were announced last week.

Mrs Turia says with many Maori out of work and whanau struggling to cope, it's not the right time to be overhauling the system.

She had no chance to object to measures such as making solo parents look for part time work as soon as their youngest child turns six.

“They came out and then we asked to see them, they were sent over to us. We didn’t agree with the way they were couched,” Mrs Turia says.

She was upset by Welfare Minister Paula Bennett's statement the dream is over for many beneficiaries, as being on a benefit was anything but a dream.

WIND ENERGY POTENTIAL USE FOR REMOTE MAORI LAND

The chief executive of the Wind Energy Association sees potential for Maori to be a growing part of a sector that will one day provide up to a fifth of the countrys electricity needs.

The organisation started its annual conference in Palmerston North yesterday, and Frazer Clarke says Maori landowners are well positioned to get involved.

One major land trust south of Kawhia has already got projects under way.

“Taharoa C are scratching the surface of potential opportunities that might exist; good land holdings in potentially good windy locations, good opportunity to diversity from farming and forestry, potential to take advantage of that wind resource and the land,” Mr Clarke says.

Auckland iwi looking at collective settlement

Iwi with claims to Tamaki Makaurau are optimistic a new offer could lead to a collective settlement.

The iwi met yesterday to develop a response to the offer, which includes a new mana whenua body to hold title to many of Auckland's volcanic cones.
There will also be settlements negotiated with individual iwi over the next couple of years.

Paul Majurey from Marutuahu says the offer, which comes after six months of intense negotiations gets around some of the problems thrown when the Crown tried to strike a deal only with the Ngati Whatua o Orakei hapu.

“It is an advance because there were shared interest contests between the tribes and we’ve moved a long way since then into a collective approach to recognise there are different tribal interests around Tamaki Makaurau and this is a collective approach that seems to provide a solution,” Mr Majurey says.

The iwi hope to reply to the Crown by the end of the week.

MAORI PARTY SILENCE ON TE HURIHANGA NOTED

Hauraki-Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta is calling on the Maori Party to break its silence on the government's decision to axe a Hamilton-based rehabilitation programme for serious young offenders.

The government says there be no more money for Te Hurihanga after June because it costs too much.

Ms Mahuta, who helped set up of the programme, says it has kept young Maori with bad track records out of prison.

“I think they are going to divert the funding probably to whanau ora, but this is a whanau ora concept so I’m surprised the Maori Party hasn’t supported it and if this is going to be another Child Youth and Family-run facility then we will continue to see young Maori slip through the cracks,” Ms Mahuta says.

PROPER CEREMONY NEEDED FOR MAORI FLAG RAISING

The chair of the Auckland District Maori Council wants kaumatua and kuia to be present when a Maori flag is hoisted on Auckland Harbour Bridge on Waitangi Day.

Titewhai Harawira says after all the hard work that went into choosing the tino rangatiratanga flag as the official ensign, the Minister of Maori Affairs has failed to properly organise the flag raising ceremony.

“Pita Sharples has done nothing to organize and ensure that our kaumatua and kuia have an opportunity to bless that flag and to go to the transport department the ensure one lane is left open to allow our kaumatua and kuia to be present on such an important occasion to ensure our flag is raised with dignity,” Mrs Harawira says.

If he doesn't get the ceremony right in Auckland, Dr Sharples could be in for a rude reception at Waitangi.

MANUKAU FLAG DECISION CALLED RACIST AND DIVISIVE

Green co-leader Metiria Turei has slammed Manukau City Council's decision not to fly a Maori flag at its offices on Waitangi Day.

A council committee last night reconfirmed its policy of only flying the New Zealand and Manukau City Council flags, as well as flags belonging to sister cities or overseas visitors.

Councilor Jami-Lee Ross of Ngati Porou that the Maori flag represents protest and separatism.

But Ms Turei says the council is creating further division.

“Refusing to fly even a Maori symbolic flag because it’s divisive actually creates and enhances that division. It’s an act of racism in my and it’s very disappointing it’s the decision of Manukau which describes itself as being New Zealand’s biggest multi-cultural city,” Ms Turei says.

TE OHU KAIMOANA TRIMMING DOWN AS ASSETS HANDED OVER

Success is catching up with Te Ohu Kaimoana.

The Maori fisheries trust told iwi at its annual meeting that it has now allocated more than 80 percent of settlement assets, representing almost half a billion dollars in quota and cash.

Fred Cookson from the audit and risk committee says because its income from leasing out quota has fallen, it is increasingly reliant on investment income to find its activities.

“We've got $100 million invested into bonds. As those bonds mature we’re rolling them into lower rates and that’s reflected the impact of global recession as far back as 2008 and as those flow through we’re still quite comfortable because we didn’t suffer any loss on the value of the portfolio,” Mr Cookson says.

As well as helping coordinate the activities of iwi fishing interests, Te Ohu Kaimoana has subsidiary trusts which promote Maori economic development and stewardship marine and freshwater fisheries.

HAAMI CHAPMAN PICKED FOR COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION

Forty years working with underprivileged groups in south Auckland has earned a Te Rarawa man a finalist's spot in tonight's New Zealander of the Year awards in Auckland.

Haami Chapman from Te Rarawa is up for the Local Heroes Award, which recognises people who make enormous contributions to their communities.

He's worked with a broad range of groups he's worked with over the years, and says solutions have to come from within communities.

He works with gangs, individuals, whanau and community groups.

Goff looking for right message

Labour leader Phil Goff acknowledges he has work to do among Maori after a poll found the party's support is rising but his own is falling.

The Te Karere Digipoll showed Labour gaining 12 points since November to draw level with the Maori Party, which dropped 10 points.

Mr Goff says it's a good result, but he's disappointed only 5 percent of Maori named him as their preferred prime minister.

“When I go out this year and talk abut how miserable the 25 cents an hour increase in the minimum wage was, when I talk about how we need to reverse the doubling of Maori unemployment in the last year, I would I hope I would find an audience in Maoridom who say yes, those are thing things that are important to us,” Mr Goff says.

RACE COMMISSIONER PUTS TREATY ON CONSTITUTIONAL AGENDA

The Race relations commissioner says any review of New Zealand's constitutional arrangement needs to take into consideration the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of indigenous Peoples - and that means giving proper recognition to the Treaty of Waitangi.

Joris de Bres says the agreement between the Maori Party and the National Party for a constitutional review this year will reopen debate about entrenching the treaty.

He says even though New Zealand has not adopted the UN declaration, it can't ignore the human rights spelled out in the document.

“One of the things they emphasise is the recognition of treaties so I guess in a way we’re drawing on that as well as on the UN bodies including the UN Human Rights Council which last year called for constitutional recognition of the treaty,” Mr de Bres says.

MAORI TEENS ATTRACTED TO GRIDIRON

Forget cricket, tennis and softball ... gridiron is the new summer sport for Maori and Pacific Island teenagers in West Auckland.

The Waitakere Typhoons' under-19 team has qualified for the Auckland finals, in just its first year in the competition.

The Typhoons' under-16 side will also make its final if it beats the South Auckland Raiders next weekend.

Michael Mau'u, who coaches both sides, says they're drawing on rugby and league talent in the area, especially from Kelston Boys High.

He says there's potential for Maori and Pacific Island players to do well in the American code, which already has a disproportionate number of American Samoan player in NFL ranks.

POWER PENNY PINCH MEANS MAORI LOSE CHANCE FOR REHAB

Managers of a Hamilton rehabilition programme says young Maori are the ones who will be most affected by its axing.

The Government says Te Hurihanga, an intensive live-in programme, is too expensive.

Cath Handley from the Young Horizons Trust says Maori males make up 90 percent of the participants.

She says Te Hurihanga's whanau-based approach was expensive but effective in breaking a pattern of offending which long term will cost society dearly.

“Part of restoring young people’s self esteem and getting them engaged is getting them to understand who they are and give them pride in who they are and that particularly relates to young Maori so we have a particularly strong cultural component,” Ms Handley says.

The two-year old programme cost about $160,000 for each participant, not the $600 thousand plus the Government is claiming.

TE OHU KAIMOANA MOVING INTO TIME OF TRANSITION

Te Ohu Kaimoana predicts it will run at a deficit this year as it completes its task of allocating Maori fisheries settlement assets to iwi.

At its annual meeting in Auckland over the weekend the trust reported its operating revenue dropped almost $2 million from $11.9 to $9.9 million, and projected income will fall below $7 million this year.

Fred Cookson, the chair of the trust's audit and risk committee, says the amount earned from the sale of annual catch entitlements is falling as quota is handed over iwi, and investment earning are also dropping because of lower bond rates.

He says Te Ohu Kaimoana is in a transitional phase.

“We've relocated to one floor of the building we are in, we’ve rationalized the operations to focus on what’s efficient for us getting the allocation completed, also into the next phase of what might be our existence, so that’s meant changes an that’s meant committing transitional costs that will put us into a deficit,” Mr Cookson says.

Te Ohu Kaimoana had allocated more than 80 percent of fisheries settlement assets to iwi, worth more then $480 million.

KAHURANGI GETS INVITE TO INDIAN SACRED ARTS FESTIVAL

The Kahurangi Maori Dance Theatre has been asked to take part in a festival of sacred arts in India next month.

Director Tama Huata says the longstanding Hawkes Bay kapa haka, which is an offshoot of his Maori performing arts academy, has two troupes or the road most of the year, one based in North America and the other touring New Zealand schools.

He says over the past 20 years it has developed a range of items which will be suitable for perfoming in Delhi.

ETS deal squalid politics - Moore

Former prime minister Mike Moore says the deal done to win the Maori Party's support for National's emissions trading scheme is squalid politics.

Five iwi whose treaty settlements included land with pre-1990 forests will be allowed to plant trees on Crown land to offset their carbon liabilities.

Mr Moore says treaty settlements can't be reopened every time future governments make changes which affect everybody.

He says good government means treating people even-handedly.

“Picking and choosing businesses because of politicians’ representations will end in tears. It creates what economists call a moral hazard. And the idea the government can decide this business will get this money despite its Maori competitors, despite its non-Maori competitors, I think takes us down a very dangerous road. I don’t think it’s right and I suspect New Zealanders don't think its right either,” Mr Moore says

He says the emissions trading scheme fails to give businesses the predictability they need to invest and grow.

FLAVELL DEFENDS MAORI PARTY AS ONLY ONE WILLING TO DEAL

But Maori Party whip Te Ururoa Flavell says the party's ETS deal was in line with the normal parliamentary process of negotiation and compromise.

He says the Maori Party is taking flak, but it won valuable concessions, including a Treaty of Waitangi clause which allows future review.
He says if the party hadn't stepped up, National would have looked elsewhere.

“And that might have been to ACT, and they’re pretty firm in their agenda that they don’t believe climate change is all around us or it would have gone to the Labour Party and what would they have got to gain, they already had their scheme in place so the would be staying where they were. Would they have gone to the Greens, no so if they had not been able to get agreement anywhere else they would have had to stop everything,” Mr Flavell says.

He says not doing anything would have created problems for the future.

PUBLICITY ABOUT FIND COULD PUT ARTIFACTS AT RISK

Otakou Runanga is concerned the find of an extremely rare pre-European waka outrigger beside the Papanui inlet could put the site at risk from illegal fossickers.

Manager Hoani Langsbury says the outrigger, only the third found in this country, was uncovered in an official archaeological excavation.

But he says any remaining taonga Maori may now be at risk from unofficial fossicking.

“Within the last year we’ve had a site identified that had both cultural and European archaeological material in it and as soon as the media made the local community aware of the find the material disappeared in 24 hours. People just came through and stripped the site bare,” Mr Langsbury says.

Runanga representatives will patrol the area and won't hesitate to take action against scavengers who try to steal artifacts.

TOMOANA GETS TOP JOB AT TE OHU KAIMOANA

Ngati Kahungunu leader Ngahiwi Tomoana is the new chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana, after Sir Archie Taiaroa from Whanganui stepped down from the post.
Sonny Tau from Ngapuhi becomes the deputy chair of the trust.

Mr Tomoana says in his three years in the job Sir Archie had advanced the work of previous chairs Sir Tipene O'Regan and Shane Jones, with 95 percent of the Maori fisheries settlement assets now allocated to iwi.

He says the job ahead is to position Maori at the front of the industry and get iwi to work together.

“Iwi collectively own 35 to 40 percent of the assets but they don’t act like it. We all act like we’re one or two percenters and fringe players and it’s about uniting the efforts and energies, recognising the mana motuhake of every iwi as well,” Mr Tomoana says.

The allocation process should be complete by the middle of next year, with Cook Strait iwi Ngati Toa this week becoming the 50th iwi out of 57 to receive settlement assets.

ACC REFORMERS DEAF TO MAORI NEED

The country's audiologists says cutbacks in ACC funding of hearing aids will have a particularly harsh effect on Maori.

A bill before parliament would remove ACC cover for people whose noise-induced hearing loss is judged to be less than six percent.

Lesley Hindmarsh, the president of the New Zealand Audiological Society, says Maori make up a high percentage of the workers in noisy industries such as forestry, construction and manufacturing.

She says they are already poorly served by the accident compensation system.

“They just find the process of applying to ACC too difficult. They just don’t have that help to help them find their way through the paperwork to get their claims initiated in the first instance,” Mrs Hindmarsh says.

Without hearing aids, sufferers won't be able to distinguish consonants like s,t, f and th which are critical for understanding, especially in noisy environments.

BEATLES TUNE WILL RAISE MONEY FOR THERAPY CENTRE

The force behind Auckland's Hineraukatauri Music Therapy centre is humbled by the generosity of two leading Maori entertainers who have rerecorded a Beatles track to raise funds for the centre.

Hinewehi Mohi says Che Fu and Boh Runga's cover of Come Together should be out early next week.

Ms Mohi says the centre, which is named after her teenage daughter who has cerebral palsy, touches the lives of dozens of disabled people who find relief and inspiration from working with musicians and sound.

She says Runga, a patron, has brought a lot of other musicians on board.