Waatea News: Māori Radio Station

A landmark High Court victory for community midwives is being hailed as a major breakthrough for maternity care in Aotearoa, with Māori midwifery leaders saying the ruling could help reshape a system long plagued by inequity, underfunding and workforce burnout.

Lisa Kelly, Chairperson of Ngā Māia and a practising Lead Maternity Carer midwife, says the outcome marks an important moment not only for midwives, but for whānau and kaupapa Māori birthing practices that have struggled for recognition and support within the mainstream health system.

The High Court ruling followed a class action led by the College of Midwives over longstanding concerns that community-based midwives were significantly underfunded compared with other parts of the healthcare workforce despite carrying enormous clinical responsibility and workloads.

The case focused on claims the Crown had failed to adequately resource Lead Maternity Carer midwives, contributing to workforce shortages, burnout, inequitable pay and growing pressure across maternity services.

Kelly says for many midwives the ruling represents recognition of years of unpaid labour, emotional strain and advocacy carried largely by a female workforce supporting whānau through pregnancy, birth and postnatal care.

Community midwives play a critical frontline role across Aotearoa, particularly in rural, isolated and underserved communities where access to maternity care is already under pressure.

For Māori midwives, the impacts have often been even more severe due to the additional cultural responsibilities involved in delivering kaupapa Māori models of care grounded in whanaungatanga, whakapapa and holistic wellbeing.

Kelly says kaupapa Māori birthing practices such as hapū wānanga and homebirth care are not simply service options, but important expressions of tino rangatiratanga and cultural safety for whānau Māori.

Health advocates have long argued Māori birthing approaches improve outcomes by strengthening whānau engagement, reducing trauma and reconnecting families with mātauranga Māori and tikanga around childbirth.

The High Court decision is expected to place significant pressure on the Government to revisit maternity funding structures and address longstanding concerns around sustainability in the workforce.

Kelly says fairer funding could help improve retention, reduce unsafe workloads and encourage more Māori into midwifery at a time when demand for culturally grounded care continues to grow.

Despite the ruling, concerns remain about the future sustainability of the maternity system, with workforce shortages, rural service gaps and inequities continuing across many regions.

Kelly says lasting change will require more than funding increases alone, arguing Te Tiriti obligations must be embedded throughout maternity policy, workforce planning and service design.

That includes stronger investment into Māori midwifery leadership, kaupapa Māori services, workforce development and community-led maternity models that place whānau at the centre of care.

The ruling is already being described as one of the most significant moments for the midwifery profession in decades and a major acknowledgment of the value community midwives bring to Aotearoa’s health system.

For many Māori health leaders, it is also being seen as part of a broader movement to restore mana, equity and Indigenous leadership within healthcare delivery.

#Midwifery #MāoriHealth #LisaKelly #NgāMāia #Homebirth #KaupapaMāori #TeTiriti #HealthEquity #MaternityCare #RadioWaatea #WhānauOra #MāoriMidwives

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Green Party MP for Wellington Central Tamatha Paul says tougher policing measures targeting rough sleepers risk criminalising homelessness rather than addressing the deeper social and economic causes driving people onto the streets.

Paul, of Ngāti Awa and Waikato Tainui, has emerged as one of Parliament’s strongest advocates for housing-led solutions, strongly opposing policies such as move-on orders that allow authorities to direct homeless people away from public spaces.

She says enforcement-focused approaches may temporarily move visible homelessness out of sight but do little to resolve the underlying issues of housing shortages, poverty, mental health challenges and addiction.

The debate comes as homelessness pressures continue growing across major centres including Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, with frontline organisations reporting increasing demand for emergency accommodation, food support and outreach services.

Paul says recent Government changes to emergency housing and public housing policy are contributing to rising hardship for vulnerable whānau already struggling with the cost of living and limited access to stable housing.

Housing advocates have raised concerns that tighter emergency housing criteria and reductions in motel accommodation support are leaving more people at risk of sleeping rough or living in unsafe temporary situations.

Paul argues homelessness should be treated primarily as a housing issue rather than a public order problem, warning punitive approaches can deepen trauma and push people further away from support services.

Critics of her position say councils and police still need tools to maintain public safety and respond to anti-social behaviour in city centres and transport hubs.

Paul says concerns around safety are legitimate but believes homelessness itself should not be conflated with criminality. She says responses must distinguish between genuine offending and the visibility of poverty in public spaces.

She argues long-term public safety is more effectively achieved through stable housing, mental health support, addiction services and stronger community-based care systems.

Māori remain disproportionately represented in homelessness statistics, reflecting wider inequities linked to housing affordability, income insecurity, colonisation and systemic disadvantage.

Paul says any serious attempt to eliminate homelessness must include large-scale public and transitional housing investment alongside kaupapa Māori solutions led by Māori communities themselves.

She says a comprehensive housing-led strategy would include rapid expansion of state housing, stronger tenant protections, wraparound support services and sustained investment into prevention rather than crisis management.

International evidence from countries using Housing First models has shown stable housing combined with support services can significantly reduce chronic homelessness and improve long-term wellbeing outcomes.

Paul believes New Zealand could dramatically reduce visible street homelessness within a relatively short timeframe if political priorities shifted toward large-scale housing investment and coordinated national action.

However, she says lasting change will require governments to treat housing as essential social infrastructure rather than relying heavily on market-based solutions alone.

The issue is expected to remain a major political battleground as pressure grows over housing affordability, urban inequality and visible homelessness in city centres across Aotearoa.

#TamathaPaul #Homelessness #HousingCrisis #PublicHousing #Wellington #MāoriHousing #HousingFirst #NZPolitics #Aotearoa #RadioWaatea #SocialHousing #WhānauOra

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A leading Māori business advisor says the Government’s upcoming Budget will likely focus heavily on fiscal restraint and economic stability, but warns long-term resilience for Aotearoa will depend on whether investment reaches communities, innovation and future-focused development.

Te Aho Pihama, Head of Māori Advisory and a kaupapa Māori–grounded business leader, says current economic pressures mean the Government is expected to prioritise controlling debt, managing inflation and restoring business confidence.

However, Pihama says resilience cannot be measured purely through short-term savings or balance sheet discipline, arguing sustainable growth must include stronger investment in people, productivity, housing, education and Māori enterprise.

From a Māori economic perspective, Pihama says Budget decisions will be closely watched for signals around whether Māori are seen as active economic partners or simply treated as stakeholders on the sidelines.

Māori businesses and iwi entities now represent a rapidly growing part of the national economy, with the Māori economy estimated to be worth more than $70 billion and expanding across sectors including primary industries, technology, infrastructure, tourism and investment.

Pihama says targeted investment into Māori capability, skills, procurement pathways and capital access could strengthen economic participation while also delivering intergenerational benefits for whānau and communities.

At the same time, concerns remain around whether Budget restraint could reduce funding in areas that disproportionately affect Māori, including health, housing, education and community development.

Pihama says kaupapa Māori approaches to economic development place strong emphasis on long-term wellbeing rather than short-term political cycles, with decisions measured across generations rather than annual returns.

Discussion around the future of Kiwibank and proposals involving BNZ have also drawn attention ahead of the Budget.

NZ First has floated ideas around strengthening locally-owned banking capability, including potential structural changes aimed at increasing competition in the banking sector.

Pihama says stronger local banking competition could create opportunities for Māori economic development if it improves access to capital, lending flexibility and investment pathways for Māori businesses and whenua-based enterprises.

New Zealand’s banking sector remains heavily dominated by Australian-owned banks, with ongoing criticism around profit levels, limited competition and barriers facing smaller businesses and community-led development projects.

Pihama says any meaningful reform would need to move beyond political slogans and deliver practical outcomes that improve financial inclusion and support long-term local investment.

Looking ahead to Budget announcements, Pihama says the strongest signals would include investment in Māori innovation, rangatahi development, infrastructure, digital capability and sustainable economic transformation.

He says kaupapa Māori values-based leadership offers an opportunity to rethink how economic success is measured, placing greater focus on wellbeing, collective prosperity, environmental stewardship and intergenerational outcomes.

Pihama says meaningful partnerships between Government, iwi, Māori business leaders and communities will be critical if the Budget is to deliver outcomes that genuinely strengthen both the wider economy and Māori futures.

#Budget2026 #MāoriEconomy #TeAhoPihama #NZPolitics #KaupapaMāori #EconomicDevelopment #Kiwibank #Aotearoa #MāoriBusiness #RadioWaatea #Whānau #IntergenerationalWealth

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He kaupapa rangahau hou i kōkirihia ki Ōpawa, arā, ki Blenheim, e aro ana ki te tūraru waipuke. He kōtuitanga tēnei i te pūtaiao me te mātauranga Māori.

E ai ki te rangahau i Wairau Bar, arā, i te Pokohiwi o Kupe, e 75% o ngā whenua pāpaku ka pāngia e te waipuke nui hei te tau 2130.

E ai ki a Matthew Gifford o Toka Tū Ake, mā te pūtaiao me te mātauranga Māori e puta ai te māramatanga. E aro ana te pūtaiao ki ngā raraunga, ā, e aro ana te mātauranga Māori ki ngā pānga o te waipuke ki te ahurea me te tuakiri hoki.

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I whakaae te Kaunihera o Te Hiku o te Ika ki te mahi ngātahi me ngā kaunihera o Whangārei me Kaipara ki tētahi ratonga wai ā-rohe.

Ka whakatūria he rōpū whakahaere hei whakahaere i te wai māori me te wai para, ā, ka tīmata tēnei whakaritenga hei te tau 2027.

Ko te whāinga kia ea ngā ture hou a te Kāwanatanga, kia tohaina ngā utu, ā, kia whakamāmā hoki i te haepapa whakahaere wai puta noa i Te Tai Tokerau whānui.

E whai ake nei ko ngā whakamārama nā te Kahika o Te Hiku o te Ika, nā Moko Tepania.

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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

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New police powers allowing officers to move rough sleepers on from public spaces are facing growing criticism from homelessness advocates and urban planning experts who warn the laws risk punishing poverty rather than solving the country’s housing crisis.

The new “move-on” powers are designed to give police greater authority to clear public areas where rough sleeping, begging or anti-social behaviour is considered disruptive.

The Government says the measures are intended to restore order and improve public safety in city centres and public spaces increasingly affected by visible homelessness.

However, critics argue the laws do little to address the underlying causes driving homelessness across Aotearoa, including rising rents, housing shortages, mental health pressures, addiction, family violence and growing economic hardship.

Urban planning expert Dr Tim Welch says the move-on powers effectively criminalise poverty by targeting vulnerable people already struggling without stable housing or adequate support services.

Advocates warn forcing rough sleepers to move from one location to another risks making homelessness less visible rather than reducing it, while potentially disrupting access to support networks, healthcare and outreach services.

There are also concerns the laws could increase distrust between homeless communities and authorities, making it harder for support agencies to engage with vulnerable people in need of assistance.

Critics say international evidence suggests punitive approaches to homelessness often fail to reduce rough sleeping long-term and can instead deepen instability and marginalisation.

Officials and housing experts have previously warned that enforcement-focused responses alone are unlikely to succeed without major investment in housing supply, mental health services and long-term support programmes.

Dr Welch says policymakers risk overlooking evidence showing homelessness is primarily driven by structural issues rather than individual behaviour.

Advocates argue that many people sleeping rough are already experiencing trauma, poverty, addiction or untreated mental health challenges and require stable housing and wraparound support rather than policing.

Housing organisations are instead calling for greater investment in:

Māori remain significantly overrepresented in homelessness statistics, with advocates warning the impacts of punitive enforcement are likely to disproportionately affect Māori communities already facing housing inequities.

Critics also fear the laws could place additional pressure on already stretched emergency services, community providers and local councils without addressing the root causes behind increasing homelessness.

The debate comes as New Zealand continues grappling with worsening housing affordability and cost-of-living pressures affecting thousands of households nationwide.

Advocates say meaningful reductions in homelessness will require long-term investment in affordable housing, poverty reduction and social support systems rather than simply removing vulnerable people from public view.

#Homelessness #HousingCrisis #Aotearoa #Poverty #PublicHousing #RoughSleepers #SocialJustice #MāoriHousing #NZPolitics #RadioWaatea

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The Public Service Association and Te Puni Kōkiri are heading into mediation today over a disputed restructure that could see more than 20 percent of the Māori development agency’s workforce cut.

At the centre of the dispute are allegations Te Puni Kōkiri failed to properly consult staff and the PSA before announcing plans to disestablish 27 additional roles on top of earlier staffing reductions.

PSA Te Kaihautū Māori Jack McDonald says the union is entering mediation focused on protecting workers, preserving kaupapa Māori capability within the public service and ensuring Te Puni Kōkiri can continue fulfilling its responsibilities to Māori communities.

The PSA argues consultation failures are a major issue in the dispute, saying proper engagement with workers and unions is not only a legal requirement but essential when decisions have significant impacts on Māori-focused services and communities.

The union has previously launched legal action alleging the agency breached collective agreement obligations by presenting restructuring plans before meaningful consultation had taken place.

McDonald says the mediation process represents an opportunity for Te Puni Kōkiri to reconsider aspects of the proposal and work toward a fairer and more constructive outcome for affected workers.

Concerns remain that the proposed cuts could significantly weaken the Crown’s lead agency responsible for kaupapa Māori policy advice and Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations across government.

The PSA says Te Puni Kōkiri plays a critical role supporting Māori social, economic and community development programmes while advising ministers and government agencies on Māori outcomes.

The dispute also reflects wider concerns about the growing loss of Māori-focused roles and specialist capability across the public service as agencies face budget pressures and restructuring.

McDonald says the mediation sends a broader message about the importance of protecting Māori expertise, kaupapa Māori programmes and Treaty-focused work within government institutions.

There are fears ongoing cuts across the public sector could reduce the Crown’s ability to effectively partner with Māori communities and uphold Te Tiriti responsibilities.

The outcome of today’s mediation is expected to be closely watched by unions, Māori organisations and public sector workers across the country amid growing debate around Government priorities and public service restructuring.

#TePuniKōkiri #PSA #MāoriDevelopment #TeTiriti #PublicSector #NZPolitics #KaupapaMāori #Aotearoa #MāoriNews #RadioWaatea

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New Zealand First minister Shane Jones is continuing to push a strong regional development and economic nationalism agenda as debate intensifies around Budget 2026, fuel security and the future of Northland infrastructure.

Jones, known for his outspoken advocacy for provincial New Zealand and industry investment, has recently been at the centre of reported tensions within Government over support for key sectors and regional economic priorities.

The discussions come as New Zealand faces mounting economic uncertainty, global instability and growing concerns around long-term energy resilience.

Jones says the passing of respected Māori scholar and educator Sir Tāmati Reedy is also a reminder of the importance of Māori leadership, language revitalisation and cultural development in shaping the country’s future.

Sir Tāmati played a major role advancing te reo Māori, Māori education and public sector leadership over several decades, leaving a legacy many Māori leaders say continues to influence kaupapa Māori development today.

At the same time, Jones is intensifying calls for stronger government backing of industries he believes are critical to economic recovery and regional employment growth.

The Regional Development Minister has repeatedly argued sectors including energy, mining, forestry, aquaculture and heavy industry require greater investment to strengthen economic resilience and create jobs outside major urban centres.

Jones has also been a leading advocate for establishing a Special Economic Zone at Marsden Point, positioning Northland as a strategic industrial and energy hub.

Supporters of the proposal say the zone could attract major infrastructure investment, manufacturing opportunities and employment growth into the region.

However, critics have questioned how benefits would be shared locally and whether multinational corporations would gain disproportionately compared with Northland communities.

Jones says any future development model must ensure jobs, skills training and economic opportunities flow directly back into local communities and iwi.

Fuel security has also re-emerged as a national issue following new data showing shifts in petrol, diesel and jet fuel reserves amid increasing geopolitical instability globally.

Concerns have intensified following recent Middle East tensions and warnings from economists that global oil disruptions could significantly impact New Zealand’s economy.

Jones has long argued New Zealand became too vulnerable following the closure of the Marsden Point refinery, warning the country now faces increased exposure to international supply shocks.

Supporters of redevelopment at Marsden Point believe the site could play a major role strengthening fuel storage, energy resilience and industrial capability in the future.

The broader debate reflects growing political pressure over how New Zealand balances climate goals, economic growth, regional development and national security in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

Jones and New Zealand First continue positioning themselves as strong advocates for provincial infrastructure, domestic industry and economic self-sufficiency ahead of the next election cycle.

#ShaneJones #NZFirst #MarsdenPoint #RegionalNZ #FuelSecurity #TeReoMāori #SirTāmatiReedy #Northland #NZPolitics #RadioWaatea

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Climate activist Mike Smith is back before the courts in a landmark legal battle targeting some of New Zealand’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, while also raising serious concerns about what he describes as coordinated corporate lobbying aimed at weakening climate accountability.

Smith’s case seeks to hold major companies responsible for their contribution to climate change and the environmental damage already affecting communities across Aotearoa and the Pacific.

The long-running legal challenge is seen as one of the country’s most significant climate accountability cases, with potential implications for how corporations are held responsible for emissions and environmental harm in the future.

Smith says the core purpose of the case is to establish that major emitters have legal responsibilities when their activities contribute to climate-related damage, particularly as communities increasingly face flooding, coastal erosion, severe weather events and environmental disruption.

The case also comes amid growing scrutiny over lobbying activity by large corporations and industry groups during debates around climate policy and emissions regulation.

Smith has raised alarm about evidence emerging through the court process which he says points to extensive behind-the-scenes lobbying efforts by major companies, including Fonterra, to influence climate legislation and regulatory settings.

The concerns have intensified following Government moves to change aspects of climate-related legal frameworks in ways critics argue could make it more difficult for cases like Smith’s to proceed through the courts.

Climate advocates say restricting access to the courts risks undermining public confidence in democratic processes and weakens one of the few mechanisms available to communities seeking accountability from large corporations.

Smith argues the issue goes beyond climate policy alone and raises broader questions about transparency, corporate influence and public trust in political decision-making.

The activist says legal challenges play an important role in ensuring governments and corporations can still be scrutinised when environmental harm affects communities and future generations.

The wider debate comes as climate litigation is increasing globally, with courts in several countries hearing cases seeking to force governments and major companies to take stronger action on emissions and climate risk.

Environmental groups warn New Zealand risks falling behind internationally if legal avenues for climate accountability are narrowed while emissions-intensive industries continue receiving political influence and regulatory protection.

The case is also drawing attention to the disproportionate impact climate change is having on Māori and Pacific communities, many of whom are already experiencing the effects of rising sea levels, infrastructure damage and environmental degradation.

Smith says restoring public confidence will require stronger transparency around lobbying, greater independence in climate policy-making and ensuring the courts remain accessible for communities seeking justice.

The proceedings are expected to remain closely watched both nationally and internationally as pressure grows on governments and corporations to respond more aggressively to the climate crisis.

#ClimateChange #MikeSmith #ClimateJustice #Fonterra #Lobbying #EnvironmentalLaw #Aotearoa #ClimateAction #MāoriNews #RadioWaatea

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