Wednesday December 10, 2025
News:
Takapuna beach sacred pōhutukawa tree faces removal after consent win
Takapuna community members are calling for a reversal of a decision to remove a 400-year-old pōhutukawa, considered a “living cemetery” by local iwi.
The ancient tree is one of the few remaining in Te Uru Tapu, Sacred Grove, near Takapuna Beach. It has been the centre of a long-running dispute since it fell onto the private lawn of The Sands apartment complex in 2022, yet it continued to grow. The Resource Consent lodged by Takapuna Sands Body Corporate and apartment owners was approved in September.
The cultural significance of the rākau can be traced back to funerary practices before settlers arrived in New Zealand.....
See full article HERE
Peter-Lucas Jones | Changes flagged in funding to Māori radio
Leading a transformative shift in Māori media-investing over $11 million to foster a reo-first, tikanga-led news and current affairs ecosystem that prioritises collaboration, regional journalism, and a distinctly Māori worldview.
Māori radio has become a cornerstone of modern Māori storytelling, but its origins trace back to a fight for language, identity, and representation.
The first iwi radio stations emerged in the early 1980s, during a surge of Māori activism centred on revitalising te reo Māori.....
See full article HERE
Engagement with Māori - DOC
Find out what you need to know about engagement with Māori as part of the permissions application process.
Our Treaty of Waitangi responsibilities
We have a responsibility to ‘give effect to the principles’ of the Treaty of Waitangi in our work. This means when we assess your application, we must understand how your proposed activity may affect Māori interests.
Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and DOC
We engage with iwi and hapū on most applications to understand how your activity may affect their interests and to support informed decision-making. This engagement is factored into the processing timeframes for your application.....
See full article HERE
Reforms to New Zealand planning system draw cautious optimism – Māori need a strong voice
For Māori – whānau, hapū, iwi and Māori planners – the timing and scope of the reforms raise both opportunities and caution.
See full article HERE
Peter-Lucas Jones | Changes flagged in funding to Māori radio
Leading a transformative shift in Māori media-investing over $11 million to foster a reo-first, tikanga-led news and current affairs ecosystem that prioritises collaboration, regional journalism, and a distinctly Māori worldview.
Māori radio has become a cornerstone of modern Māori storytelling, but its origins trace back to a fight for language, identity, and representation.
The first iwi radio stations emerged in the early 1980s, during a surge of Māori activism centred on revitalising te reo Māori.....
See full article HERE
Engagement with Māori - DOC
Find out what you need to know about engagement with Māori as part of the permissions application process.
Our Treaty of Waitangi responsibilities
We have a responsibility to ‘give effect to the principles’ of the Treaty of Waitangi in our work. This means when we assess your application, we must understand how your proposed activity may affect Māori interests.
Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and DOC
We engage with iwi and hapū on most applications to understand how your activity may affect their interests and to support informed decision-making. This engagement is factored into the processing timeframes for your application.....
See full article HERE
Reforms to New Zealand planning system draw cautious optimism – Māori need a strong voice
For Māori – whānau, hapū, iwi and Māori planners – the timing and scope of the reforms raise both opportunities and caution.
> Opportunity for clearer tikanga and land-use frameworks: Consolidated regional plans and a less cluttered planning system could make it easier for Māori communities to engage meaningfully in planning and resource-management processes. In a system where “dual planning worldviews” – both Western and Māori – are acknowledged as valid, this clarity could support iwi/hapū aspirations for mana whenua, environmental kaitiakitanga, and papakāinga development. There is longstanding advocacy for such an approach in Māori urban planning practice.
> Risk of Māori values being sidelined under “standardisation”: Because the reform emphasises property rights, faster consents, and fewer consent requirements for low-impact activities, there is concern that culturally significant sites – wāhi tapu, landscapes, and taonga species – might become more vulnerable if local protections are diluted.
> Need for iwi / hapū participation early and deeply: Given the shift to nationally consistent rules, mandatory regional spatial plans, and standardised environmental standards, Māori will need to ensure their voices are heard before plans become locked in – not just during later consent processes. If Māori perspectives are not integrated from the start, there is a real danger environmental and cultural priorities get lost in a one-size-fits-all system.
> Possibility for more housing and papakāinga – if accessible and equitable: By streamlining planning, the reforms may support easier development of affordable housing or Māori-led papakāinga. But only if barriers – like access to land, funding, and mechanisms for Māori-led development – are addressed in parallel.
Some Māori planning experts and advocates have long argued that any reform of land-use and resource planning in Aotearoa must explicitly recognise Māori worldviews, values, and rights.
As the new legislation proceeds and regional plans begin to be drafted, iwi and hapū will need to engage strongly – to assert kaitiakitanga, protect wāhi Māori, and ensure future generations can enjoy the environment in ways aligned with tikanga....
See full article HERE
Rāhui extended after 322ha burnt in second Tongaririo National Park fire
Just one month after a fire devastated Tongariro National Park, burning around 3,000 hectares, a new blaze has broken out and is now tearing through the area.
Hau kainga o Tongariro, Te Ngaehe Wanikau (Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro), said the rāhui from the previous fire had been extended on all affected lands, including the current whenua that has been affected.
“The rāhui encompasses the exact statement that was given out for the first rāhui; this is an extension of that,” says Wanikau.....
See full article HERE
Articles:
Geoff Parker: Courtesy Becomes Control
Barrie Davis: Children of the Miffed
Matua Kahurangi: The pounamu laws reveal a racist system hiding in plain sight
Propaganda:
The Changing Face of Māori Media — Challenges, Change and Opportunity
Why the Māori Economy Is Key to New Zealand’s Success - Tukaki
Louisa Wall & Tory Whanau Demand Integrity in Government
> Risk of Māori values being sidelined under “standardisation”: Because the reform emphasises property rights, faster consents, and fewer consent requirements for low-impact activities, there is concern that culturally significant sites – wāhi tapu, landscapes, and taonga species – might become more vulnerable if local protections are diluted.
> Need for iwi / hapū participation early and deeply: Given the shift to nationally consistent rules, mandatory regional spatial plans, and standardised environmental standards, Māori will need to ensure their voices are heard before plans become locked in – not just during later consent processes. If Māori perspectives are not integrated from the start, there is a real danger environmental and cultural priorities get lost in a one-size-fits-all system.
> Possibility for more housing and papakāinga – if accessible and equitable: By streamlining planning, the reforms may support easier development of affordable housing or Māori-led papakāinga. But only if barriers – like access to land, funding, and mechanisms for Māori-led development – are addressed in parallel.
Some Māori planning experts and advocates have long argued that any reform of land-use and resource planning in Aotearoa must explicitly recognise Māori worldviews, values, and rights.
As the new legislation proceeds and regional plans begin to be drafted, iwi and hapū will need to engage strongly – to assert kaitiakitanga, protect wāhi Māori, and ensure future generations can enjoy the environment in ways aligned with tikanga....
See full article HERE
Rāhui extended after 322ha burnt in second Tongaririo National Park fire
Just one month after a fire devastated Tongariro National Park, burning around 3,000 hectares, a new blaze has broken out and is now tearing through the area.
Hau kainga o Tongariro, Te Ngaehe Wanikau (Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro), said the rāhui from the previous fire had been extended on all affected lands, including the current whenua that has been affected.
“The rāhui encompasses the exact statement that was given out for the first rāhui; this is an extension of that,” says Wanikau.....
See full article HERE
Articles:
Geoff Parker: Courtesy Becomes Control
Barrie Davis: Children of the Miffed
Matua Kahurangi: The pounamu laws reveal a racist system hiding in plain sight
Propaganda:
The Changing Face of Māori Media — Challenges, Change and Opportunity
Why the Māori Economy Is Key to New Zealand’s Success - Tukaki
Louisa Wall & Tory Whanau Demand Integrity in Government
This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. New material is added regularly. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE.
Tuesday December 9, 2025
News:
Waikato-Tainui snaps up $10m of ex-state homes for iwi buyers
Waikato-Tainui purchased 18 properties in South Auckland and Waikato for over $10m.
The properties will be sold to tribal members at cost to boost homeownership among iwi.
The properties will be sold to tribal members at cost to boost homeownership among iwi.
If no offers are received by the sale deadlines, the properties will be sold on the open market.....
See full article HERE
Crown-Māori Statistical Design Forum: Expression of interest
Stats NZ invites expressions of interest from iwi, Māori organisations, Māori data practitioners, and individuals with expertise in te ao Māori, Māori data governance, or kaupapa Māori research, to join the Crown-Māori Statistical Design Forum (the Forum).
The Forum will provide an opportunity for iwi Māori to contribute directly to the design and planning of official statistics programmes like the census, and key programmes that support its successful delivery. The Forum will also play an important role in ensuring iwi Māori perspectives are integral to Aotearoa New Zealand’s statistical system.....
See full article HERE
Key Māori leader Rahui Papa, Education Minister Erica Stanford hold joint press conference despite opposite views on Treaty issue
In a perhaps unexpected move, iwi leader Rahui Papa and Education Minister Erica Stanford put on a united front on Monday as they held a joint press conference addressing controversial recent changes to education policy.
Crown-Māori Statistical Design Forum: Expression of interest
Stats NZ invites expressions of interest from iwi, Māori organisations, Māori data practitioners, and individuals with expertise in te ao Māori, Māori data governance, or kaupapa Māori research, to join the Crown-Māori Statistical Design Forum (the Forum).
The Forum will provide an opportunity for iwi Māori to contribute directly to the design and planning of official statistics programmes like the census, and key programmes that support its successful delivery. The Forum will also play an important role in ensuring iwi Māori perspectives are integral to Aotearoa New Zealand’s statistical system.....
See full article HERE
Key Māori leader Rahui Papa, Education Minister Erica Stanford hold joint press conference despite opposite views on Treaty issue
In a perhaps unexpected move, iwi leader Rahui Papa and Education Minister Erica Stanford put on a united front on Monday as they held a joint press conference addressing controversial recent changes to education policy.
Both were united in wanting to lift Māori achievement with Papa saying the parties agreed on the goal but not necessarily how to get there.
As she stood on the steps of Parliament, Stanford was flanked by esteemed Māori leaders, including Dame Georgina Kingi and her “good friend” Dr Reuben Collier.
It is understood Stanford met with the Iwi Chairs Forum before the petition handover.....
See full article HERE
Te Maruata hui sets direction for new triennium
Over 90 Māori elected members from across New Zealand gathered in Wellington recently for the first Te Maruata hui of the new triennium, as LGNZ’s Te Maruata network continues to grow in record numbers.
Te Maruata is the national committee of Māori elected members within LGNZ, operating as a Māori advisory group to provide guidance and support on Māori issues in local government.
The hui saw Rōpū Whakahaere elections held, with Dinnie Moeahu and Aubrey Ria elected as Te Maruata co-chairs. Dinnie Moeahu says Te Maruata is an important resource and support mechanism for Māori elected members.....
See full article HERE
Articles:
Geoff Parker: Rebuttal to Ella Henry and Andrew Judd - The Treaty Wasn’t a Favour - It Was a Lifeline
Elliot Ikilei: When 87% say 'no' and the media calls them the problem
Bob Edlin: Socialist Equality Group can’t see a split in the Maori Party....
Propaganda:
Is the Māori economy a force or a fizzle?
Brown and sorted
Summer reading: A year of resistance and hope
Making an uncommon land
As she stood on the steps of Parliament, Stanford was flanked by esteemed Māori leaders, including Dame Georgina Kingi and her “good friend” Dr Reuben Collier.
It is understood Stanford met with the Iwi Chairs Forum before the petition handover.....
See full article HERE
Te Maruata hui sets direction for new triennium
Over 90 Māori elected members from across New Zealand gathered in Wellington recently for the first Te Maruata hui of the new triennium, as LGNZ’s Te Maruata network continues to grow in record numbers.
Te Maruata is the national committee of Māori elected members within LGNZ, operating as a Māori advisory group to provide guidance and support on Māori issues in local government.
The hui saw Rōpū Whakahaere elections held, with Dinnie Moeahu and Aubrey Ria elected as Te Maruata co-chairs. Dinnie Moeahu says Te Maruata is an important resource and support mechanism for Māori elected members.....
See full article HERE
Articles:
Geoff Parker: Rebuttal to Ella Henry and Andrew Judd - The Treaty Wasn’t a Favour - It Was a Lifeline
Elliot Ikilei: When 87% say 'no' and the media calls them the problem
Bob Edlin: Socialist Equality Group can’t see a split in the Maori Party....
Propaganda:
Is the Māori economy a force or a fizzle?
Brown and sorted
Summer reading: A year of resistance and hope
Making an uncommon land
Sunday December 7, 2025
News:
UN on racial discrimination in New Zealand
The UN's Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva has published its findings.
The committee expressed grave concern over the 2019 terrorist attack in Christchurch and was 'especially concerned about the persistence of racist hate-speech by some politicians and public figures.' Also highlighted was 'its concern over continuing reports of racially motivated attacks' on Māori, Pasifika and other ethnic and religious groups.
The committee expressed grave concern over the 2019 terrorist attack in Christchurch and was 'especially concerned about the persistence of racist hate-speech by some politicians and public figures.' Also highlighted was 'its concern over continuing reports of racially motivated attacks' on Māori, Pasifika and other ethnic and religious groups.
The committee has asked that New Zealand 'uphold its commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi', work to counter any misinformation and engage in 'full consultation and partnership with Māori'......
See full article HERE
Controversial flag exhibit stolen from Hastings art gallery
A controversial piece of artwork that prompted 101 complaints in a week has now been stolen from a Hastings art gallery.
The installation, Flagging the Future, at Te Whare Toi o Heretaunga Hastings Art Gallery asked gallery visitors to “please” walk on top of a quasi-NZ flag.
Councillor Steve Gibson expressed his displeasure with the exhibition earlier this week. Since then there have been small protests outside, 101 complaints to the Hastings District Council and the gallery and at least one trespass notice issued.
The flag was stolen from the Civic Square gallery on Thursday, a Hastings District Council spokesperson confirmed.....
See full article HERE
'Full circle': Canterbury Tuahiwi School opens new whare for 250 tamariki
It was ''a full circle'' moment for Rachael Williams and Dot Singh at the opening of a new whare at Te Kura o Tuahiwi in Canterbury on Friday, 5 December.
As well as the new whare, Tūranga Tuarua, six new teaching spaces were built earlier this year, classrooms have been refurbished, and landscaping has given the school a new look as it prepares to grow to 250 tamariki.
Te Kura o Tuahiwi is a special character school, between Kaiapoi and Rangiora, with full immersion te reo and bilingual classes.....
See full article HERE
Articles:
Steven Gaskell: Another “Final” Settlement - Until the Next One
Propaganda:
Nearly 24,000 sign petition to reinstate school Treaty duties, to be presented to Parliament
Electric shocks, sewage and mould: Māori schools take brunt of property failures
Controversial flag exhibit stolen from Hastings art gallery
A controversial piece of artwork that prompted 101 complaints in a week has now been stolen from a Hastings art gallery.
The installation, Flagging the Future, at Te Whare Toi o Heretaunga Hastings Art Gallery asked gallery visitors to “please” walk on top of a quasi-NZ flag.
Councillor Steve Gibson expressed his displeasure with the exhibition earlier this week. Since then there have been small protests outside, 101 complaints to the Hastings District Council and the gallery and at least one trespass notice issued.
The flag was stolen from the Civic Square gallery on Thursday, a Hastings District Council spokesperson confirmed.....
See full article HERE
'Full circle': Canterbury Tuahiwi School opens new whare for 250 tamariki
It was ''a full circle'' moment for Rachael Williams and Dot Singh at the opening of a new whare at Te Kura o Tuahiwi in Canterbury on Friday, 5 December.
As well as the new whare, Tūranga Tuarua, six new teaching spaces were built earlier this year, classrooms have been refurbished, and landscaping has given the school a new look as it prepares to grow to 250 tamariki.
Te Kura o Tuahiwi is a special character school, between Kaiapoi and Rangiora, with full immersion te reo and bilingual classes.....
See full article HERE
Articles:
Steven Gaskell: Another “Final” Settlement - Until the Next One
Propaganda:
Nearly 24,000 sign petition to reinstate school Treaty duties, to be presented to Parliament
Electric shocks, sewage and mould: Māori schools take brunt of property failures
This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. New material is added regularly. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE.
5 comments:
Can citizens see the NZ Justice Dept response to the UNHEC?
Why should NZ taxpayers have to fund a separate Maori Statistics division? Do Chinese or Indians or Pacific peoples have their own divisions within Dept of Statistics?. No - I don’t think so! For chrissakes we’re all NZers. This constant emphasis on separatism and difference is just nuts and an absolute waste of taxpayers’s money. This country is practically broke. Time to get real and show some respect for our tax money instead of frittering it away on self important maori cultural fantasies.
Re Anon 9.53. Maori create endless complications. On the one hand many work to fake maori numbers and so increase the scope for more maori seats and the associated grossly distortionate overhang advantage. Whilst others exercise their contempt of all things civilised by boycotting the census.
I trust advocates for Tongaririo National Park will vehemently oppose thr rahui. Such was used to initiate the current effective maori control of the Wiatakere Ranges, to the great detrement of all serious trampers and thousands of experience seeking owner Aucklanders..
The changing face of Maori media? It’s the same karakia isn’t it?
Here we go again: an unsigned Waatea editorial huffing about the poor, beleaguered state of Māori media.
The logic is familiar: Māori media is fragile, the Crown is unsympathetic, and the only moral response is to demand more taxpayer money.
Everything is framed as an external threat. Nothing as a structural problem. Certainly nothing as a Māori responsibility.
The article provided follows the same formula. Māori media is a cultural taonga buffeted by forces beyond its control. The move from traditional broadcasting to digital is described as evolution rather than contraction. Shrinking audiences are “changing consumption habits.” Budgetary strain is a political failing. And, of course, the conclusion is always the same: Māori media must be “supported,” “protected,” and “resourced.” By whom? The Crown, naturally.
The soft-focus treatment avoids the truth: Māori media contracts because demand is low, costs are high, and audiences are smaller than the rhetoric suggests. What makes Māori media different is the insistence that funding is not a policy choice but a cultural right.
This is where Waatea News’ recent editorial glides past the obvious.
Taxpayer funding is described as “sustainable,” “support for Māori voice,” or “investment in identity.”
Tribal funding? Not once. Iwi are portrayed as cultural guardians, never financial ones. If Māori broadcasting is vital, why do iwi—collectively worth billions—never bankroll it? Responsibility undermines entitlement.
If iwi were expected to pay, the argument that the Crown is duty-bound collapses.
Then there is the tension no one admits: journalism demands scrutiny; tikanga demands deference. Trying to fuse the two produces outlets that struggle to challenge the institutions they orbit—iwi corporates, political actors, or cultural orthodoxy—while insisting they speak truth to power.
Crown funding makes this easier to ignore: taxpayers cover the bills, iwi cover the rhetoric, and Māori media can posture as a guardian without confronting its structural contradictions.
The unanswered questions remain: If importance is measured by demand, why are audiences small? If identity is the rationale, why aren’t iwi funding it? If journalism is the mission, why is dissent so rare? And if Waatea and others insist Māori media is essential, then why does its survival always depend on someone else’s money?
And that’s the comedy no one admits. The money tap isn’t a right, it’s a political choice dressed as divine entitlement. UNDRIP doesn’t demand it, the Treaty doesn’t require it, and taxpayers never voted for it.
Yet every plea is delivered with the confidence of someone collecting what the universe owes them. Every fresh cash injection—requested with the swagger of a fourth free refill at McDonald’s—elicits the same blink: “Sorry… why?” Eventually the public notices the gravy train isn’t a train at all—it’s an old Hilux with three flat tyres, wheezing up the hill. No amount of righteous chanting will turn it into an electric locomotive.
— PB
Re: Tongaririo fires. It needed a clear out of those awful flax weeds.
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