Waatea News Update

News from Waatea 603 AM, Urban Maori radio, first with Maori news

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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Monday, September 21, 2009

Bob the Builder offering tourist trinket for planning tick

Former Tauranga MP Bob Clarkson claims strong local Maori support for a major development on the outskirts of the city.

Mr Clarkson has bought more than 200 hectares near Bethlehem where he plans a multi-stage development, starting with 42 luxury houses along the bank of the Wairoa River.

The project will require plan changes, and as a sweetener he's offering to fund a Maori tourism venture including waka tours and a centre for making and selling carvings.

“Dare I say it we’re having more hassles with the councils than we’re having with the Maoris. I want them to run it. The Ngati Kahu Maoris are not particularly wealthy. I believe they’ve got a claim in and good luck to them, but at this moment they haven’t got that much money but they’ve got the expertise. They’ve got a waka or several waka, they’ve got the carving ability and all that, so let’s get them going,” Mr Clarkson says.

The venture would provide an attraction for the many cruise ships that visit Tauranga.

MARAE TAUGHT TO BACK UP PRECIOUS PHOTOS

Te Papa is showing hapu how to copy and store their photographs on their marae as insurance against fire or other disaster.

Gavin Reedy, an iwi development officer with the museum's Te Paerangi national services unit, says photographers and paper conservators will guide hapu through the preservation of their taonga.

He says hapu have been asking for the training since Te Huki marae in northern Hawkes Bay burned down more than two years ago.

The first workshop will be tomorrow at Parawhenua Marae at Ohaeawai in Northland.

ADY NGAWATI TAKES IT SLOW TO WIN WAITAKERE MARATHON

Tapping in to local knowledge has helped a Maori athlete win the women's section of the toughest road marathon in the country.

Saturday's Legend Marathon sent runners over the infamous Waiatarua route in West Auckland used by trainer Arthur Lydiard to prepare athletes like Peter Snell and Murray Halberg for Olympic medals.

It took Ady Ngawati from Ngapuhi and Ngati Hine 3 hours, 4 minutes 51 seconds

She'd never seen the route before the race, so she got tips from a mate who lives and trains in Waitakere to run conservatively because it was a long course.

Ngawati Has a few more New Zealand races this spring before heading to Hawaii in early December to compete in the world Champs.

FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE FOR MOTITI OFF BAY OF PLENTY COAST

Motiti Island off the Bay of Plenty coast is to get its own flying doctor service.

The Western Bay of Plenty public health organisation has a $50,000 grant from the government's rural health innovation fund to provide the service from Tauranga to the island, which has a population of about 250 mainly aging Maori.

It's the idea of Jill Palmer from Matakana Island Maori health service Te Awanui Hauora.

She says it is expensive for island residents to get medical help, with a $100 plane fare on top of any consultation costs.

The flying doctor will run a regular clinic on the island's marae, and be available for emergency call outs from Tauranga 10 minutes flight away.

NGATI KAHU NEED DUE DILIGENCE ON CLARKSON PLAN

Taurangamoana hapu Ngati Kahu is refusing to be bulldozed by Bob the Builder.

Former Tauranga MP Bob Clarkson has unveiled plans for a major development along the Wairoa river.

He's offered to fund a Maori tourism venture in exchange for supporting his scheme to build luxury homes on the riverbank and mixed housing further back.

Ngati kahu manager Lou Gates says as a river-based hapu can merit in the tourism business, but it won't be rushed.

“What he offered at the time of going to press was a very short one page letter saying he has consulted with us and we were happy to proceed he was wanting us to sign off on that. But we said no, we’ve got to proper due diligence report really and look at the issues and that will identify what the real cost is to us,” Mr Gates says.

Ngati Kahu wants a full cultural impact assessment report.

TE AUTE ALUMNI PUT TOGETHER FIRST XV TO ADVOCATE FOR SCHOOL

Old boys of Te Aute College are banding together to find ways to revive the Hawkes Bay Maori boarding school.

Spokesperson Te Anga Nathan says in a generation the roll has dropped from 240 boys to 100, compounding financial woes caused by the Crown's mismanagement of the school's endowment lands.

He says a gala dinner in Wellington next month will unveil the Te Aute First 15 ... old boys who have helped lead Maori into the 21st century.

While the First Fifteen is a secret until October 14, prominent Te Aute old boys include entertainer Sir Howard Morrison, former Waitangi Tribunal chair Sir Taihakurei Durie and Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples.

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