Waatea News Update

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

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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Green backs Taipa occupation

The Green Party is backing a Ngati Kahu group which has been occupying different sites in Taipa for the past year.

The group led by brothers John and Wi Popata moved on to a privately-owned section yesterday, after being cleared by police from an adjoining council reserve last week.

Greens co-leader Meteria Turei says when Maori can't get land back through negotiations or the law, occupation is one of the only tools they have.

“These are measures of last resort. It’s not like they have a genuine choice about what to do in order to save this land, so for all that it’s causing ruckus and huge amount of drama, I have huge sympathy with what they are trying to do which is protect their land for their kids and their kids’ babies,” Ms Turei says.

The Waitangi Tribunal's Mangonui Sewerage Report says Ngapuhi and Te Rarawa fought a battle at Taipa in 1843 over who had the right to sell the land, and the Crown acquired all Maori interests in the area in a series of transaction over the next 20 years, including those of Ngati Kahu.

AUCKLAND MAORI BOARD DEFINING ITS ROLE

The chair of the Auckland Maori statutory board says its first job will be to define its job.

David Taipari from Ngati Maru was appointed to the post this week by the other members of the nine-member board, which was selected by an electoral college picked by Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples from the mana whenua iwi in the Auckland super city area.

Mr Taipari says its empowering act doesn't set out things like who the board is accountable to, so that's on the agenda for next week's meeting.

“We ourselves are going to be sitting down and clearly working out who our accountabilities are to because we’re there to represent mana whenua and mataawaka so there will be a protocol qwe will have in place to ensure we are being accountable because to have no accountability could be very dangerous,” Mr Taipari says.

THOMAS IN FINAL THREE FOR TEAR FUND WORLD JAUNT

A wahine from Te Rarawa and Te Aupouri has made the finals of a competition that will send young people on a 12 week tour of aid projects in diasdadvantaged communities around the world.

26-year-old Katy Thomas, a childrens' televison presenter, says she jumped at the chance to be considered for the Tear Fund Downunder World Challenge.

The three finalists are up on Facebook, and based on visitor votes the winner will be off to places like Peru, Uganda, Nepal and the Philippines.

She says the winner will be set challenges by the Facebook fans on what will be 12 non-stop weeks.

WAIPAREIRA OPENING WHANAU ORA CENTRE IN APRIL

Waipareira chief executive John Tamihere says the west Auckland trust's new $25 million whanau ora centre will be able to deal with 20,0000 patients a year.

Waipareira is a deliverer of integrated health and social services under its membership of the National Urban Maori Authority.

But Mr Tamihere says it is funding the upgrade of the former Waitemata City Council in Henderson out of its own resources, rather than waiting for the government to stump up.

“We can't wait so what you’ve got to do is evolve and develop things that will work. Funding follows success,” he says.

The centre will include the Wai Health GP service, dentists, radiologists, drug and alcohol counseling, budgeting advice, a food bank, student tutoring and training courses in small business and computers.

ATAARANGI STUDENTS CONCERNED AT CENTRE CLOSING

Te Aataarangi students plan to use tomorrow's hui by the Ministerial panel reviewing Maori language spending to protest the closing of day classes in Tamaki makaurau.

Arapeta Barber says night classes don't suit all those who want to learn the language, and te Ataarangi's method of using coloured rods to illustrate language principles has proven a remarkably effective way of language transmission.

He says present and former students need to use their new skills, and the hui will be a way to give support to those to come.

The Maori language review panel hui is at Unitech in Auckland,

COMPUTER CLUBHOUSE SEEKING MENTORS

Computer Clubhouse is looking for adults to mentor young people through the use of multimedia technology.

The international organisation, which creates after school computer labs in low income areas with large Maori and Pacific island populations in an attempt to address the digital divide, launched its mentoring campaign at a mobile clubhouse in Auckland's Aotea Square today.

Chief executive Mike Usmar says it's looking for adults who are willing to help rangatahi develop their creative potential.

Rangatahi involved in Computer Clubhouse are more committed to staying at school and become highly motivated to establish career pathways.

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