Waatea News: Māori Radio Station

Jason Alexander is Chief Operating Officer of Hāpai Te Hauora and is leading the HOOKED campaign for Gambling Harm Awareness Week, which aims to expose the tactics gambling operators use to attract and retain players.

The post Jason Alexander | Chief Operating Officer of Hāpai Te Hauora appeared first on Waatea News: Māori Radio Station.

I whāriki a Mark Pirikahu nō Ngāti Maika i ētahi maharatanga, i ngā tau i noho ia hei taringa areare ki a Matua Rauru Broughton.

He kaumātua whai mana a Rauru Broughton, he kaipāpāho Māori rongonui, he toa hoki mō te reo Māori. I whakapaua e ia tōna kaha ki te tuku i ngā taonga a kui mā a koro mā, me te whakamuramura i te hiranga o te whakatipu i te reo Māori i roto i tōna iwi, tōna hapū me ngā reanga kei te heke mai.

Ko te reo irirangi ā-iwi me te ao pāpāho Māori o ēnei rā he hua nō te momo i a Rauru. Moe mai rā e te taonga tikikura.

The post Mark Pirikahu | Moe Mai Rā e Te Taonga Tikikura, e Rauru. appeared first on Waatea News: Māori Radio Station.

Kia ora and welcome. I’m Matthew Tukaki, and this is a conversation about weight — but probably not the kind of conversation you’re used to hearing.

Because this isn’t about before-and-after photos. It isn’t about miracle diets, shame, guilt, or somebody telling you that all you need to do is eat less and exercise more.

This is about health, choices, cost, access — and two people taking two very different roads towards the same destination.

My guest is Rebel Reid, and Rebel is about to do something pretty significant. She’s heading overseas for gastric surgery, making the decision to leave New Zealand to undergo a major medical procedure as part of her weight-loss journey.

And then there’s me.

I’m staying right here in Aotearoa and beginning a different journey — using Wegovy, the prescription weight-management medicine that has become part of a rapidly changing conversation about how obesity and weight-related health are treated.

So over the coming months, Rebel and I are going to take you with us.

We want to compare the two experiences — surgery overseas versus medication at home.

What does it actually cost? Why would someone travel overseas for surgery? What happens before you get on the plane, and what happens when you come home? What support is available if something goes wrong?

And on my side, what does Wegovy actually cost week after week? What are the side effects? Does it change your appetite and your relationship with food? And, most importantly, does it work for me?

We’re also going to talk about something that often gets lost in the advertising and social-media hype around weight loss: the health journey itself.

The appointments. The blood tests. The conversations with doctors. The nervousness. The expectations. The setbacks. The wins. And the reality that neither gastric surgery nor a medicine like Wegovy is a magic wand.

There is also a much bigger question we want to explore.

Who gets access to these treatments?

Because if effective weight-management treatment exists but costs thousands of dollars, requires travelling overseas, or involves hundreds of dollars in ongoing medication costs, then weight loss isn’t simply a health conversation.

It becomes a conversation about money and inequality as well.

And for Māori and Pacific communities, where the burden of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other weight-related conditions can be disproportionately high, that’s an important kaupapa.

We’re not doctors, and this podcast isn’t medical advice. Rebel and I are sharing our own experiences and choices, and anyone considering medication or surgery should talk with appropriately qualified health professionals about what’s safe and suitable for them.

But we are going to be open.

We’ll talk about what we weigh, what we’re spending, what works, what doesn’t, how we’re feeling and what happens when the excitement of starting something new gives way to the reality of actually living it.

Two people.

Two very different approaches.

Rebel is getting on a plane. I’m starting treatment at home.

So which journey will prove more affordable? Which will be harder? What will our health look like six months from now — and will either of us get where we hope to go?

Rebel Reid, welcome.

Let’s start with the question everybody is probably going to ask: why gastric surgery — and why overseas?

The post #tekaupapa: The Weight of It: Two Journeys, One Goal appeared first on Waatea News: Māori Radio Station.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is putting health equity firmly into the political spotlight, arguing Aotearoa needs a properly staffed public health system, affordable dental care and services that work for Māori and communities too often left waiting for treatment.

With pressure continuing across hospitals and primary care, health is shaping up as a major issue for whānau heading towards Election 2026.

Davidson joins Waatea as the Greens push for a health system built around equity, access and public provision, rather than one where income, geography or ethnicity can determine how quickly people receive care.

One of the Greens’ central concerns is workforce capacity.

The party has criticised health positions being left vacant while hospitals and frontline services face pressure, arguing that workforce shortages ultimately affect patients through longer waits and greater workloads for the people who remain.

For Māori, the workforce issue has another dimension.

Building the Māori health workforce and ensuring services are culturally safe can influence whether whānau seek care early, remain engaged with treatment and have confidence in the health system.

The Greens have consistently argued for stronger investment in publicly delivered healthcare. Davidson has previously criticised increased reliance on private hospitals for elective procedures, saying the public system needs the resources and capacity to deliver care itself.

Dental care is another area where the Greens want significant change.

The party supports bringing dental treatment into the public health system and making it universally accessible.

In April, the Greens pointed to research they say demonstrates a universal public dental service could cost society less than continuing with a system where people delay treatment because they cannot afford it.

For whānau already struggling with housing, groceries, electricity and other household costs, a trip to the dentist can become another expense pushed down the list.

The consequences can extend well beyond teeth, with untreated oral-health problems potentially affecting nutrition, employment, education and wider wellbeing.

Davidson has previously made free dental care a prominent Green Party issue, arguing that access to oral healthcare should not depend on someone’s ability to pay.

The debate is particularly important for Māori because health equity involves more than simply having a hospital or clinic available.

It includes whether services are accessible, whether people can afford to attend, whether they receive treatment early enough and whether healthcare recognises Māori realities and delivers culturally safe care.

The Greens have previously opposed the removal of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, arguing its disestablishment would weaken efforts to address persistent Māori health inequities and undermine Te Tiriti responsibilities within the health system.

Cancer care has also been highlighted by Davidson, with the Green co-leader acknowledging additional treatment funding while arguing that major inequities in access and outcomes remain unresolved.

As political parties roll out their election platforms, voters will hear plenty about billions of dollars, hospital buildings, waiting lists and workforce numbers.

For whānau, the test may be considerably simpler.

Can I get a GP appointment when my tamariki are sick? Can I afford the dentist? Will there be enough nurses and doctors when I reach hospital? And will the system understand and respect me when I ask for help?

Those are the questions that turn health policy from numbers on a government spreadsheet into something experienced every day by families.

For Marama Davidson and the Greens, the argument heading towards Election 2026 is that fixing the health system requires more than treating people once they become seriously unwell.

It means addressing access, affordability, prevention, workforce capacity and inequity together — and ensuring Māori are not once again left carrying the heaviest burden when the system falls short.

#MaramaDavidson #GreenParty #Election2026 #Hauora #MaoriHealth #HealthEquity #FreeDental #DentalCare #HealthWorkforce #Nurses #Doctors #PublicHealth #CulturalSafety #TeTiriti #TeAkaWhaiOra #WhanauOra #Tamariki #HealthNZ #Aotearoa #TeAoMaori #MaoriNews #WaateaNews #RadioWaatea

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Te Pāti Māori President John Tamihere joins Waatea as the party puts Te Tiriti o Waitangi at the centre of its Election 2026 platform, proposing stronger constitutional protections, greater accountability over Crown decisions and a fundamental shift in the relationship between Māori and the state.

For Te Pāti Māori, Te Tiriti is not simply another policy area alongside health, housing, taxation and education.

It is the framework through which those policies should be developed.

That position has become increasingly important as the party campaigns against Government moves it says have weakened Māori participation and removed practical mechanisms through which Te Tiriti obligations are recognised. In July, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer described the removal of Mana Whakahono ā Rohe mechanisms from planning reform as part of a wider pattern of reducing Māori participation in public decision-making.

Among the most significant proposals is making Waitangi Tribunal recommendations binding on the Crown.

The Tribunal currently investigates claims, makes findings and can generally recommend remedies, but most recommendations are not binding.

Te Pāti Māori wants to dramatically strengthen that position.

Such a change would shift the Tribunal from an institution whose findings governments can frequently choose whether to implement towards one carrying significantly greater legal authority.

That would represent a major constitutional change and would inevitably trigger debate over the relationship between the Tribunal, Parliament, the courts and the executive.

The party has already strongly criticised governments for failing to act on Tribunal findings. In its response to the Tribunal’s 2024 report on Treaty principles and Treaty clause policies, Te Pāti Māori demanded that its recommendations be implemented.

The party is also proposing an independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Te Tiriti.

The concept would create a permanent watchdog examining whether government decisions, legislation and policy are consistent with Te Tiriti.

Alongside that sits a proposal requiring Treaty Impact Statements for new legislation, effectively forcing governments to identify the implications for Te Tiriti before Parliament passes new laws.

For Tamihere, the argument is likely to be that accountability should happen before damage occurs rather than relying on Māori to challenge Crown decisions years later through litigation, Tribunal claims or protest.

But the party’s ambitions go considerably further than strengthening existing institutions.

At the centre is constitutional transformation and greater recognition of rangatiratanga and mana motuhake.

That raises some of the biggest questions facing Election 2026.

What would a modern constitutional relationship based more directly on Te Tiriti look like?

How would kāwanatanga and rangatiratanga operate alongside each other?

And what powers should sit with Parliament, iwi, hapū and Māori institutions?

These are not minor administrative reforms. They go directly to how political authority is distributed in Aotearoa.

The political significance becomes even greater if Te Pāti Māori makes stronger constitutional protection for Te Tiriti a bottom line in future government negotiations.

That would potentially force Labour and the Greens to decide how far they are prepared to travel on constitutional reform if the three parties collectively hold the numbers required to form a government after November’s election.

It also means voters need considerably more detail.

There is a difference between supporting Te Tiriti as a founding constitutional document and agreeing on precisely how that should be reflected in law.

The mechanisms, legal consequences, transitional arrangements and relationship with parliamentary sovereignty would all require substantial debate.

Te Pāti Māori is simultaneously making the case that constitutional and economic change are connected.

Its recently announced tax agenda proposes substantial income-tax reductions for most earners while shifting more of the burden towards high wealth, property and corporate activity.

That combination demonstrates the broader proposition Tamihere and Te Pāti Māori are taking into Election 2026: mana motuhake must have an economic dimension as well as a constitutional one.

The party’s current policy platform describes sovereignty, empowerment, housing, care and a fairer distribution of wealth and resources as interconnected priorities.

For Māori voters, the coming election is therefore about considerably more than which party promises the largest tax cut or the biggest spending package.

It could become a referendum of sorts on the future place of Te Tiriti, tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake within the institutions governing Aotearoa.

For John Tamihere and Te Pāti Māori, the proposition is clear: Te Tiriti should not depend on the political preferences of whichever government happens to hold office.

The challenge now is explaining exactly how that vision would work in practice — and whether potential coalition partners are prepared to make constitutional change part of any agreement to govern.

#JohnTamihere #TePatiMaori #Election2026 #TeTiritiOWaitangi #TeTiriti #WaitangiTribunal #ManaMotuhake #TinoRangatiratanga #ConstitutionalReform #MaoriPolitics #MaoriRights #IndigenousRights #Coalition2026 #MaoriEconomy #TaxPolicy #Aotearoa #TeAoMaori #MaoriNews #WaateaNews #RadioWaatea

The post #election2026: Te Tiriti as the Bottom Line: John Tamihere on Te Pāti Māori’s Push to Reshape the Crown–Māori Relationship appeared first on Waatea News: Māori Radio Station.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell is balancing challenges inside the council with an ambitious economic agenda outside it, as staff wellbeing, the cost of tourism and major development projects become key issues for the city.

Rotorua Lakes Council is pushing ahead with plans aimed at strengthening the district’s economy and restoring Rotorua’s position as one of Aotearoa’s leading visitor destinations, while also confronting questions about the wellbeing of the people working inside the organisation.

Tapsell joins Waatea as the council navigates those competing pressures and argues Rotorua needs new ways of funding the infrastructure and services required by a destination that supports both a significant resident population and large numbers of visitors.

Concerns about staff wellbeing present an immediate challenge for the council and its leadership.

Like many councils, Rotorua has been through considerable organisational change as it searches for savings and greater efficiency.

Council documents show around 150 Infracore staff were brought back into the organisation, while the operations of major venues and events were transferred to RotoruaNZ. The council says bringing Infracore in-house helped reduce an expected financial shortfall from about $3 million to around $1 million.

But restructuring and organisational change inevitably put pressure on staff, making workforce wellbeing, confidence in leadership and workplace culture important issues alongside financial performance.

For Tapsell, the challenge is demonstrating that a more efficient council can also be a healthy organisation for the people expected to deliver its services.

Rotorua’s push for a visitor accommodation levy goes to a much bigger question confronting tourism destinations across Aotearoa.

Who should pay for the infrastructure visitors use?

Rotorua’s economy benefits significantly from tourism, but residents and ratepayers also contribute towards roads, public spaces, facilities and services used by visitors.

A visitor levy could potentially shift some of that burden away from local ratepayers by requiring tourists to contribute directly towards the destination they are enjoying.

For Rotorua, where tourism is fundamental to the economy, the argument is particularly significant.

The council has been working to rebuild Rotorua’s visitor economy and reconnect with international markets, while its economic development agency RotoruaNZ has taken responsibility for key venues and major events as part of efforts to improve their performance and revenue.

Economic diversification is also becoming increasingly important.

A long-term business park proposal around Rotorua Airport has the potential to turn strategically located land into a new employment and commercial precinct.

Such development would allow Rotorua to look beyond its traditional reliance on tourism and create opportunities in logistics, aviation-related activity, commercial services and other industries.

For whānau, the real test of projects like these will ultimately be employment.

New buildings and developments matter, but their economic value will be measured by whether they create sustainable jobs, apprenticeships, business opportunities and higher household incomes.

Rotorua’s recent development numbers suggest there has already been significant movement.

Council’s latest annual reporting says more than 500 new homes were built during 2024, the strongest growth in more than a decade, while residential consenting increased 40 percent against a national decline of 3.3 percent.

Major infrastructure investment is continuing alongside that growth, including wastewater upgrades and the Tarawera sewerage project.

Rotorua has also partnered with Ngāti Kearoa Ngāti Tuarā over the Karamū Tākina Spring, securing a water source the council says can supply around 60 percent of residents for the next 35 years.

These developments underline the importance of iwi relationships as Rotorua plans for future population and economic growth.

The political challenge for Tapsell is ensuring Rotorua’s economic strategy produces benefits that residents can actually see.

A stronger visitor economy, airport business park, new housing and infrastructure investment can all contribute to growth.

But for Māori whānau in a district where tangata whenua, Māori enterprise, tourism and the whenua are deeply interconnected, success will also be judged by whether that growth produces decent employment, affordable homes and opportunities for rangatahi.

Rotorua therefore faces two connected tests.

The council must ensure its own workforce is supported through change while simultaneously convincing residents that its ambitious programme of tourism, infrastructure and economic development will ultimately improve their lives.

The question for Tania Tapsell is not simply whether Rotorua can grow — but who benefits when it does.

#TaniaTapsell #Rotorua #RotoruaLakesCouncil #RotoruaNZ #TeArawa #MaoriEconomy #Tourism #VisitorLevy #TourismLevy #RotoruaAirport #EconomicDevelopment #Infrastructure #Housing #LocalGovernment #CouncilWorkers #WorkplaceWellbeing #Jobs #RangatahiMaori #Whanau #TeAoMaori #Election2026 #WaateaNews #RadioWaatea

The post #regional: Rotorua at a Crossroads: Tapsell Backs Tourism Levy and Big-Ticket Growth as Council Faces Pressure Within appeared first on Waatea News: Māori Radio Station.

Sports commentator Ken Laban joins Waatea to unpack a massive weekend of sport, with the Warriors climbing to the top of the NRL, Northland successfully defending the Ranfurly Shield, Auckland launching its Farah Palmer Cup campaign and Kiwi athletes producing big performances at home and around the world.

There is plenty for Laban to dissect, but for rugby league supporters across Aotearoa the headline is difficult to beat — the Warriors are sitting at the top of the NRL.

The Warriors moved to the top of the competition after a 14-point victory over the Newcastle Knights, strengthening the belief that 2026 could become one of the most significant seasons in the club’s history.

It is one thing to be fighting for a place in the eight as September approaches. It is something entirely different to have the rest of the competition looking upwards at the Auckland club.

For Laban, the question now is whether the Warriors can convert their regular-season momentum into finals success.

Their depth is also coming into focus, with Jett Cleary making his first-grade debut as the Warriors continue developing young talent alongside their established players.

Around the NRL, the weekend also produced problems for the Sydney Roosters after an injury to Sam Walker, while speculation surrounding Nathan Cleary’s future at Penrith added another major storyline as the competition approaches its decisive weeks.

There was also reason to celebrate further north, where Northland held off Tasman to successfully defend the Ranfurly Shield.

The Taniwha only recently brought the Log o’ Wood back to Te Tai Tokerau after beating Canterbury, ending a 48-year wait for one of provincial rugby’s greatest prizes.

Now they have successfully put it on the line.

The Shield has always been about considerably more than the 80 minutes played on the field. When it travels through provincial New Zealand, communities turn out to see something that connects generations of rugby supporters.

For Te Tai Tokerau, the challenge is now to keep the Shield — and use the momentum surrounding the Taniwha to strengthen rugby throughout the rohe.

Women’s rugby was another important part of the weekend conversation as the Auckland Storm unveiled a new-look Farah Palmer Cup squad.

The squad combines established experience with a significant group of newcomers, as Auckland looks to build another generation of wāhine rugby talent.

Experienced players including Eloise Blackwell and Aldora Itunu provide the campaign with considerable leadership, while a large contingent of potential debutants demonstrates the pathway continuing to develop underneath them.

For Laban, the growth of the women’s game remains one of the most important stories in New Zealand sport.

The Farah Palmer Cup is not simply about provincial silverware. It is also a pathway towards Super Rugby Aupiki, the Black Ferns and international rugby.

Basketball also provided drama, with the Tall Blacks producing an overtime victory over Iran.

The result added another highlight to a weekend in which New Zealand athletes were competing across an extraordinary range of sports.

For the Tall Blacks, performances like these reinforce New Zealand’s ability to compete against international opposition despite the enormous basketball programmes and populations of many rival nations.

There was further success on the world stage.

Aimee Fisher was among the Kiwi athletes delivering at world championship level, continuing her standing among New Zealand’s leading international paddlers.

New Zealand athletes also produced championship success elsewhere, giving Laban plenty to celebrate alongside the major domestic sporting stories.

The weekend again demonstrated how broad the country’s sporting footprint has become — from rugby league and rugby to basketball, paddling, combat sports and racing.

Not every result went New Zealand’s way.

The All Blacks were beaten by the Springboks, providing another reminder of just how unforgiving international rugby becomes when the world’s leading nations collide.

Any meeting between New Zealand and South Africa carries enormous weight, but performances become even more heavily scrutinised as teams look towards the longer-term international cycle.

For Laban, the result provides plenty to analyse around where the All Blacks are progressing and where vulnerabilities remain.

New Zealand’s combat sports contingent also faced a challenging weekend.

Lawrence Lui’s UFC debut in Shanghai ended in defeat, while Kasib Murdoch’s Road to UFC campaign also came to an end.

The results may not have gone their way, but reaching those stages demonstrates the increasingly visible pathway for fighters from Aotearoa into major international promotions.

As Laban regularly reminds listeners, sport is as much about what happens after defeat as what happens following victory.

From the Warriors sitting on top of the NRL to Shield fever sweeping Te Tai Tokerau, women’s rugby pathways, international basketball, world championship performances and the enduring All Blacks-Springboks rivalry, it was another extraordinary weekend for sports followers.

But the biggest story heading into the new week belongs to the Wahs.

For years Warriors supporters have entered seasons hoping this might finally be the year.

In 2026, that conversation has changed.

The Warriors are no longer chasing the competition leaders — they are the competition leaders.

And with finals football approaching, Ken Laban’s question for supporters is becoming increasingly tantalising:

How far can the Wahs take this?

#KenLaban #WeekendSports #Hakinakina #Warriors #UpTheWahs #NRL2026 #OneNZWarriors #Northland #Taniwha #RanfurlyShield #TeTaiTokerau #AucklandStorm #FarahPalmerCup #WahineRugby #AllBlacks #Springboks #TallBlacks #AimeeFisher #KiwiSport #NZSport #RugbyLeague #Rugby #MaoriSport #WaateaSports #WaateaNews #RadioWaatea

The post #hakinakina: Ken Laban’s Weekend Sports Wrap: Wahs on Top, Shield Fever in the North and a Huge Weekend for Kiwi Sport appeared first on Waatea News: Māori Radio Station.

Ngāi Tahu is putting a bold alternative into the debate over the future of local government, proposing that 24 councils across Te Waipounamu be replaced by five larger authorities built around major river catchments rather than existing political boundaries.

Justin Tipa, Kaiwhakahaere of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, joins Waatea to discuss the iwi’s Head Start proposal, a plan that challenges whether the current structure of local government is capable of dealing with the mounting infrastructure, environmental and financial pressures facing South Island communities.

Rather than merging councils one at a time, Head Start proposes a fundamental redesign of the system.

The centrepiece of the proposal is straightforward but significant: replace 24 existing South Island councils with five larger councils.

Those authorities would be organised around major river catchments, creating boundaries that more closely reflect the natural systems connecting communities, waterways, infrastructure and the environment.

It represents a very different starting point from traditional council amalgamation.

Instead of asking which neighbouring councils should combine, Ngāi Tahu is asking whether the boundaries themselves make sense.

That becomes particularly relevant when issues such as flooding, drinking water, wastewater, land use, environmental restoration and climate adaptation rarely stop at a district council boundary.

For Ngāi Tahu, organising governance around catchments also connects with a much broader way of understanding the environment.

The principle of ki uta ki tai, from the mountains to the sea, recognises that what happens upstream ultimately affects communities, ecosystems and waterways downstream.

A catchment-based system could potentially allow decisions about water, infrastructure, environmental protection and development to be made across an entire natural system rather than divided between multiple authorities.

That could also create a more coherent relationship between local government and mana whenua.

But such a major structural change would require considerably more detail before communities could judge whether it would deliver better outcomes.

One of the biggest arguments for reform will inevitably be financial.

Councils across Aotearoa are facing enormous costs from ageing pipes, roads, water infrastructure, flood protection and climate resilience while ratepayers are increasingly resistant to large annual increases.

Larger councils could potentially reduce duplication, pool specialist staff and provide greater borrowing and planning capacity for major infrastructure.

But amalgamation does not automatically guarantee lower rates.

Transition costs can be substantial, services still need to be delivered locally and larger organisations can create additional layers of administration.

Head Start will therefore face a straightforward test from ratepayers: would five councils actually cost less and deliver more?

There is also the question of local democracy.

Te Waipounamu contains major cities, provincial centres, rural districts and small communities separated by considerable distances.

If councils become much larger, communities will want guarantees that decision-making does not simply migrate towards the biggest population centres.

A small rural community may care less about the size of its council organisation than whether its roads are maintained, its water infrastructure works and its elected representatives remain accessible.

That makes representation a critical part of the Head Start conversation.

The challenge is creating the scale required to manage major infrastructure without losing the local voice that gives local government its purpose.

For Ngāi Tahu, reform also provides an opportunity to reconsider the relationship between local government and mana whenua.

Ngāi Tahu’s takiwā extends across most of Te Waipounamu, while Papatipu Rūnanga maintain deep relationships with particular whenua, waterways and communities.

Any new governance system would therefore need to determine how those relationships are recognised and how mana whenua participate in decision-making.

That could make Head Start more than a council restructuring proposal.

It could become part of a wider conversation about what Te Tiriti-based local governance should look like in the decades ahead.

There will inevitably be resistance.

Existing councils hold assets, liabilities, debt, infrastructure networks and established community identities. Combining them into five organisations would require major decisions about representation, staffing, rating systems and who ultimately carries existing financial obligations.

But Ngāi Tahu’s intervention also comes at a time when maintaining the existing system carries its own growing costs.

The Head Start proposal puts a provocative question before Te Waipounamu:

If local government was being designed from scratch today, knowing what we now know about infrastructure, climate change, catchments, community and mana whenua, would we create the 24 councils that currently exist?

For Justin Tipa and Ngāi Tahu, that is the conversation Head Start is attempting to begin.

And with council rates, infrastructure and local government reform increasingly becoming national political issues, the proposal ensures mana whenua are not simply responding to reform designed elsewhere.

Ngāi Tahu has put its own blueprint on the table. Now Te Waipounamu must decide whether five councils could deliver what 24 increasingly struggle to achieve.

#NgaiTahu #JustinTipa #HeadStart #TeWaipounamu #LocalGovernment #CouncilReform #CouncilAmalgamation #Rates #Infrastructure #ManaWhenua #PapatipuRunanga #KiUtaKiTai #TeTiriti #ClimateResilience #WaterInfrastructure #LocalDemocracy #MaoriDevelopment #MaoriEconomy #Election2026 #TeAoMaori #MaoriNews #WaateaNews #RadioWaatea

The post #regional: Head Start for Te Waipounamu: Ngāi Tahu Proposes Five Councils to Replace 24 appeared first on Waatea News: Māori Radio Station.

A new wellbeing journal is bringing mātauranga Māori and Western psychology together, offering a distinctly Māori way of understanding the changing emotional states people experience in everyday life.

Clinical psychologist Dr Jessica Gerbic has created Mauritau: A Journal to Find Balance with the 12 States of Mauri, a 208-page journal designed to help people recognise, understand and respond to changes in their wellbeing. It is due to be published by HarperCollins New Zealand on September 1.

Gerbic, of Ngāti Pūkenga and Ngāti Pikiao whakapapa, is the founder of Pūkenga Psychology and works across clinical practice and te ao Māori. Her wider mahi has focused on creating practical Māori wellbeing resources that can be used by individuals, whānau and communities.

At the centre of Mauritau is the concept of mauri, described through the journal as the pulse of wellbeing and the spark that makes each person unique.

Gerbic introduces readers to 12 states of mauri, providing a framework for recognising the natural movement of emotions rather than assuming wellbeing means feeling calm or positive all of the time.

Those states include Mauri Oho, representing a sudden awakening, through to Mauri Tau, a state of grounding and calm.

The journal encourages people to become more intentional about noticing where their mauri sits and how their experiences are affecting them.

That creates an approach to wellbeing based not simply on identifying what might be wrong, but on understanding what is happening within ourselves and what might help restore balance.

One of the significant differences in Mauritau is the breadth of the wellbeing framework.

Rather than viewing mental health in isolation, the journal encourages balance across mind, body, spirit, environment and whānau.

That interconnected approach reflects a wider understanding within te ao Māori that hauora does not begin and end with an individual.

Whānau relationships, connection to whenua and taiao, wairua and a sense of belonging can all influence wellbeing.

Gerbic has previously described her own practice of Mauri Tau as involving grounding, breathing, karakia and connection with Papatūānuku and the natural environment.

The journal also challenges the idea that people must choose between Western clinical psychology and mātauranga Māori.

Instead, Mauritau brings the two knowledge systems alongside each other.

Gerbic’s clinical background includes approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy, while her work also draws deeply on te ao Māori.

For Māori, that combination is particularly significant.

Mental health conversations have historically been dominated by Western clinical frameworks, despite Māori having their own concepts, language and practices for understanding hauora, relationships, wairua and emotional wellbeing.

Mauritau creates another pathway — one where mātauranga Māori is not simply added as a cultural extra, but sits within the foundation of how wellbeing is understood.

Gerbic’s work through Pūkenga Psychology has been driven by a broader objective of making Māori wellbeing resources accessible to everyday people.

That matters because tools supporting hauora do not only belong inside hospitals, clinics or therapy rooms.

They can also sit in homes, workplaces and communities, helping people build a stronger vocabulary for recognising what they are experiencing before distress reaches crisis point.

Mauritau is not a replacement for professional mental-health care when that is needed. Instead, its contribution is in providing another practical tool for reflection, awareness and connection.

As conversations continue about improving Māori mental health outcomes, Mauritau offers a simple but important proposition:

Understanding our wellbeing can also mean understanding our mauri — and recognising that moving between different emotional states is part of being human.

#Mauritau #JessicaGerbic #DrJessicaGerbic #MataurangaMaori #Mauri #MauriTau #MauriOho #Hauora #HauoraMaori #MaoriHealth #MentalHealth #MentalWellbeing #Psychology #MaoriPsychology #TeAoMaori #Whanau #Wairua #Taiao #IndigenousWellbeing #IndigenousPsychology #PukengaPsychology #MaoriNews #WaateaNews #RadioWaatea

The post #wellbeing: Mauritau: New Māori Wellbeing Journal Brings Mātauranga and Psychology Together appeared first on Waatea News: Māori Radio Station.

The search is on for the next generation of Māori farming excellence, with entries now open for the 2027 Ahuwhenua Trophy Dairy Competition and Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award.

The prestigious awards will once again put the spotlight on the strength, innovation and leadership of Māori across Aotearoa’s dairy sector, recognising both established farming enterprises and rangatahi building their careers on the whenua.

Joining Radio Waatea to discuss the competition is Rito Tapuke, Pou Māori Judge for the Ahuwhenua Trophy, as organisers encourage Māori dairy farmers and young people working in the industry to put themselves forward.

The Ahuwhenua Trophy has become one of the most significant celebrations of Māori achievement in primary industries, showcasing farming operations that combine strong commercial performance with environmental responsibility, governance, innovation and Māori values.

The competition provides an opportunity to demonstrate how Māori agribusiness continues to evolve while maintaining the relationship between whenua, whakapapa, people and future generations.

For many Māori farming enterprises, success is measured by more than the financial return generated in a single season.

The challenge is building productive and sustainable businesses capable of supporting whānau, creating employment, protecting the whenua and growing assets that can be passed on to generations of uri yet to come.

Alongside the main competition, the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award recognises emerging Māori talent within the sector.

The award provides young farmers with an opportunity to demonstrate their practical skills, knowledge and leadership while gaining greater exposure to career and development opportunities within agriculture.

That pipeline of rangatahi is increasingly important as the primary sector confronts workforce shortages, changing technology, environmental expectations and the need to develop the next generation of farm managers, governors and agribusiness leaders.

It also provides an opportunity to show rangatahi that careers connected to the whenua can extend far beyond traditional perceptions of farm work.

Modern Māori agribusiness encompasses science, technology, environmental management, finance, governance, animal health, sustainability and leadership.

For Rito Tapuke and the judging team, the competition is also an opportunity to identify and share examples of what is working across Māori farming.

Finalists can become case studies for other whānau, trusts and incorporations looking to strengthen their own operations.

The awards also provide a national platform for Māori farmers whose achievements can otherwise happen far from the public spotlight.

As entries open for 2027, the invitation is going out across the motu: step forward, tell your story and show Aotearoa what excellence in Māori dairy farming looks like.

Because the Ahuwhenua Trophy is ultimately about more than finding the country’s best Māori farming operation.

It is about celebrating the people growing the Māori economy from the whenua up — and preparing the next generation to take it even further.

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The post #national: Search Begins for Aotearoa’s Best: Ahuwhenua Trophy Opens 2027 Dairy Competition appeared first on Waatea News: Māori Radio Station.