Waatea News: Māori Radio Station

Māori Development and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka is facing a defining week across his portfolios, with major decisions spanning marae development, conservation law, Treaty redress and public trust.

The Government has announced up to $8.6 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to support Ngāti Te Whiti in establishing Ngāmotu Marae in central New Plymouth, near Moturoa and the coastal walkway. The development will include a wharenui, wharekai, meeting spaces, community facilities, infrastructure works and parking. It is expected to support around 46 jobs during construction and longer-term opportunities in cultural tourism, local enterprise and community-led development.

For Ngāti Te Whiti, who have been without a marae in their own rohe for more than 150 years, the project is being framed as both cultural restoration and regional development. Potaka says marae are places where culture, decision-making and community life are lived every day, while supporters say the development will strengthen identity, resilience and connection in the heart of the city.

But the Minister is also under pressure over the Conservation Amendment Bill, after the Government moved to remove controversial provisions that would have allowed the disposal or exchange of public conservation land. Potaka says the Government listened to public concerns and will take those clauses out of the Bill, but environmental groups argue the provisions should never have been included in the first place.

The reversal follows strong opposition from conservation advocates, iwi, community voices and political opponents who warned the proposed changes could weaken protections over some of Aotearoa’s most treasured landscapes. Critics are now calling for a broader reset of the Bill, saying public trust depends on conservation law being strengthened, not opened up to uncertainty.

At the same time, the introduction of the Te Here ā Nuku Nelson Tenths Bill marks a significant step toward addressing one of the country’s longest-running historic injustices. The Bill will transfer legal title for about 3,000 hectares of land at the top of the South Island from the Crown to Te Here ā Nuku Trust, following court findings that the Crown had held the land in trust for the original owners rather than owning it outright.

The Bill follows more than 15 years of litigation and generations of advocacy by customary owners. For iwi, meaningful redress will be measured not only by legislation, but by the ability to rebuild connection to whenua, restore intergenerational opportunity and ensure the Crown honours its responsibilities beyond the courtroom.

Together, the issues place Potaka at the centre of a difficult political test: how to promote economic development while protecting the environment, advancing Māori aspirations and maintaining public confidence.

The week has shown the complexity of his portfolios. Marae investment is being celebrated as a practical expression of Māori development and regional resilience. The Nelson Tenths Bill is being welcomed as a long-overdue step toward justice. But the conservation backdown has exposed deep public unease about whether the Government’s reform agenda can be trusted to protect whenua, taiao and Te Tiriti commitments.

For Potaka, the challenge now is not only to defend each decision, but to show how they fit together. The public will be watching whether economic growth, environmental protection and Māori redress are treated as competing priorities, or as responsibilities that must be held together with transparency, accountability and trust.

#TamaPotaka #MāoriDevelopment #Conservation #NgāmotuMarae #NgātiTeWhiti #NewPlymouth #TeHereANuku #NelsonTenths #TreatyRedress #TeTiriti #Environment #RegionalDevelopment #Aotearoa #WaateaNews #PoliticsNZ

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Te reo Māori is set to play an even greater role on the international sporting stage following the development of Te Reo Māori ki Karahiko 2026, a landmark language resource designed to support New Zealand’s Olympic, Commonwealth and high-performance sporting environment.

At the heart of the project is respected Māori language expert Rapaera Tawhai, who has served as a researcher, writer, translator and project leader, helping create a modern sporting vocabulary that reflects both the richness of te reo Māori and the demands of elite international competition.

The initiative aims to embed te reo Māori across New Zealand’s high-performance sports system, giving athletes, coaches, officials, broadcasters and sporting organisations the confidence to use the language consistently at home and on the world stage.

Rather than simply translating existing English sporting terms, the project has focused on developing authentic Māori language that accurately reflects the concepts, culture and realities of modern high-performance sport. The result is a living resource that draws on mātauranga Māori while remaining relevant to today’s Olympic and Commonwealth sporting environment.

One of the most significant aspects of the work has been developing terminology for both Olympic and Para sport. The project team sought to ensure the language reflects inclusion, respect and the unique experiences of Para athletes while maintaining linguistic integrity and cultural authenticity.

Creating terminology for emerging sports, specialised disciplines and rapidly evolving areas of competition also presented challenges. Each term required careful consideration to ensure it would not only be understood today but remain meaningful and adaptable for future generations.

The project represents an important step in the normalisation of te reo Māori within one of the country’s most visible international platforms.

As more athletes embrace te reo Māori during interviews, medal ceremonies, team announcements and international competition, the language is increasingly becoming part of New Zealand’s sporting identity.

Supporters of the initiative say the benefits extend well beyond elite competition. The resource is expected to support schools, sports clubs, commentators, coaches and community organisations, encouraging greater use of te reo Māori across every level of sport.

For Māori athletes, the project provides another opportunity to express identity, whakapapa and culture while representing Aotearoa internationally. It also allows the country’s sporting organisations to better reflect New Zealand’s bicultural foundation in the way they communicate with both domestic and global audiences.

As preparations continue for future Olympic, Commonwealth and international competitions, Te Reo Māori ki Karahiko 2026 is expected to become an important tool in ensuring te reo Māori is heard wherever New Zealand athletes compete.

The initiative reflects a broader vision of sport as more than competition alone. It recognises that language, culture and identity travel alongside athletes, strengthening the connection between performance on the field and the values that define Aotearoa on the world stage.

#TeReoMāori #RapaeraTawhai #Olympics #CommonwealthGames #HighPerformanceSport #ParaSport #MātaurangaMāori #SportNZ #TeAoMāori #LanguageRevitalisation #Aotearoa #EliteSport #MāoriLanguage #WaateaNews #Karahiko2026

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Kia kaua tātou e wareware ki te whetū o Puanga, e tohu ana hoki i te aranga mai o te Tau Hou Māori.

Koia te akiaki a Ahorangi Rangi Mātāmua i mua i te hararei tūmatanui o Matariki. Hei tāna, ehara i te mea ko Matariki anake ka whakanuia e ngā iwi katoa o te motu.

Ka whakahaerehia te whakanuitanga ā-motu o Matariki 2026 ki Takaparawhau i Tāmaki Makaurau ā te 10 o Hūrae, mā Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei e manaaki. Ko te kaupapa ko “Matariki Herenga Waka – Mō te Katoa”, e whakakotahi ana i ngā iwi huhua.

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He hōtaka kaupapa Māori kua whakarewahia hei āwhina i ngā kaimahi ki te whakapakari i ō rātou pūkenga ki te tautoko i ngā whānau mā te mātauranga Māori me ngā tikanga whakatipu tamariki a ngā tūpuna. Ko te ingoa o te kaupapa nei, ko Ngākau Aroha mō ngā Kaimahi.

Nā Tūpuna Parenting tēnei hōtaka i whakatū, ā, ko Liz Harte rāua ko tōna whaea, a Helen Harte, ngā kaikōkiri. Anei ngā whakamārama a tētahi o ngā pouwhakahaere o te kaupapa, nā Ngaroma Whiting.

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Latest Kōreo from the rohe and motu. Ngā kaupapa nui, ngā reo o te hapori. Listen Live or Online on Waatea Digital

The post 29 o Hune 2026 Ngā Kawepūrongo a Waatea | 3pm appeared first on Waatea News: Māori Radio Station.

Latest Kōreo from the rohe and motu. Ngā kaupapa nui, ngā reo o te hapori. Listen Live or Online on Waatea Digital

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Latest Kōreo from the rohe and motu. Ngā kaupapa nui, ngā reo o te hapori. Listen Live or Online on Waatea Digital

The post 29 o Hune 2026 Ngā Kawepūrongo a Waatea | 1pm appeared first on Waatea News: Māori Radio Station.

Latest Kōreo from the rohe and motu. Ngā kaupapa nui, ngā reo o te hapori. Listen Live or Online on Waatea Digital

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Māori health researcher and GP Professor Sue Crengle says Aotearoa cannot close the lung cancer gap while the health system continues to deliver services that treat everyone the same, despite vastly different levels of risk, access and need.

Crengle, of Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe and Waitaha descent, is a senior University of Otago researcher whose work has focused on Māori health equity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, quality of care and health services.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in Aotearoa, and Māori continue to carry a disproportionate burden. Te Aho o Te Kahu has previously reported Māori mortality rates from lung cancer are three to four times higher than non-Māori, while University of Otago research has highlighted Māori are four times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-Māori.

Crengle says the reasons are complex and cannot be reduced to individual behaviour alone.

Higher exposure to risk factors, later diagnosis, barriers to primary care, cost, transport, racism within the health system, comorbidities, and unequal access to specialist treatment all contribute to poorer outcomes for Māori.

She says early diagnosis remains one of the biggest challenges. Lung cancer is often detected late, when treatment options are more limited and survival rates are lower.

For many Māori whānau, barriers begin well before diagnosis. They can include difficulty getting timely GP appointments, the cost of visits, whakamā about symptoms, lack of culturally safe communication, long travel distances, and delays moving through referral and diagnostic pathways.

Crengle has been involved in Māori-led research exploring lung cancer screening, including work to design a process that is equitable, effective and acceptable for Māori. International evidence shows low-dose CT screening can reduce lung cancer deaths, and researchers argue any future screening programme in Aotearoa must be built with Māori from the start rather than added on later.

She says whānau awareness is also critical. Māori need clear, trusted information about symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing blood, unexplained weight loss, chest pain, breathlessness and repeated chest infections.

But awareness alone is not enough if services remain hard to reach.

Crengle says whānau must be supported by culturally safe primary care, Māori health providers, cancer navigators, clear referral pathways and practical help with transport, appointments and treatment information.

At the centre of the issue is whether equal treatment creates equitable outcomes.

Crengle says a system that offers the same service to everyone can still disadvantage Māori because it ignores the different starting points created by colonisation, poverty, racism and unequal access to care.

She says equity means giving people what they need to achieve the same standard of health, not simply offering identical services and expecting identical results.

For Māori lung cancer outcomes to improve, she says the system must invest in Māori-led screening, earlier diagnosis, faster treatment, whānau-centred support, stronger Māori data, and health services that are accountable for closing inequities rather than merely recording them.

The message is clear: if Aotearoa wants to save Māori lives, the health system must stop pretending one-size-fits-all care is fair care.

#Tags

#RadioWaatea #MāoriHealth #SueCrengle #LungCancer #CancerEquity #HealthEquity #MāoriCancerCare #WhānauOra #CancerScreening #Aotearoa #TeAhoOTeKahu #UniversityOfOtago #HauoraMāori #EarlyDiagnosis #HealthSystem #SEO

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Houkura Chair David Taipari says the future of Māori representation in Auckland’s governance is at a critical crossroads, as political debate intensifies over proposals to reduce the board’s influence and ultimately disestablish the Independent Māori Statutory Board.

Established under the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009, Houkura was created to ensure Māori have a meaningful voice in Auckland Council decision-making and to help the council meet its statutory obligations to Māori under the legislation.

As the Government considers changes that would remove voting rights for unelected members on council committees and has signalled its intention to repeal the legislation establishing the board, Taipari says there remains widespread misunderstanding about Houkura’s purpose.

He rejects suggestions that the board operates as a parallel system of government, saying Houkura does not govern Auckland or make decisions independently of elected councillors.

Instead, he says the board exists to provide advice, oversight and Māori perspectives to help ensure council decisions better reflect Auckland’s unique obligations to mana whenua and mataawaka communities.

Taipari argues the board’s role is grounded in legislation and partnership, not privilege.

He says Houkura helps ensure Māori voices are considered alongside other communities during decision-making processes affecting transport, environmental management, housing, infrastructure, economic development and cultural heritage.

The proposed removal of voting rights for appointed members on council committees would, he says, significantly weaken the board’s ability to contribute meaningfully to governance.

While elected councillors would continue making final decisions, Taipari says removing voting rights risks reducing Māori participation to consultation rather than genuine involvement in decision-making.

He believes the change would diminish the value Parliament originally intended when establishing the board following the creation of the Auckland Super City.

Taipari has previously described Houkura as part of Auckland Council’s conscience, reflecting its role in ensuring long-term decisions consider not only financial outcomes but also cultural, environmental and intergenerational impacts.

He says the board has helped strengthen recognition of Māori outcomes across council planning, influenced environmental restoration initiatives, promoted greater protection of wāhi tapu and culturally significant sites, and encouraged stronger partnerships with mana whenua across major infrastructure and urban development projects.

According to Taipari, many of the board’s contributions benefit all Aucklanders by improving environmental stewardship, community engagement and long-term planning rather than serving Māori interests alone.

As political pressure continues to mount, Taipari says Aucklanders should view Houkura as an important mechanism for improving governance rather than dividing it.

He says Auckland is home to the country’s largest Māori population, and meaningful Māori participation strengthens decision-making by ensuring a wider range of perspectives are considered before major policies are adopted.

Looking ahead, Taipari says the future of Auckland’s governance should continue evolving through partnership rather than reducing opportunities for Māori participation.

He says effective governance is built on inclusion, collaboration and recognising the unique place Māori hold within Tāmaki Makaurau’s history and future.

With debate likely to intensify in the lead-up to the General Election, the future of Houkura has become a broader conversation about Māori representation, local democracy and how Auckland chooses to govern its increasingly diverse population.

#Tags

#RadioWaatea #Houkura #DavidTaipari #IndependentMāoriStatutoryBoard #AucklandCouncil #TāmakiMakaurau #MāoriRepresentation #LocalGovernment #ManaWhenua #Mataawaka #TeTiriti #Governance #NZPolitics #Election2026 #Aotearoa #SEO

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