Rakaia Incorporated won the 2016 Ahuwhenua Trophy BNZ Māori Excellence in Farming award (on May 20th).[1] Māori media outlets have been reporting on the fairness of custodial sentences imposed on two Māori men who were, in 2014, convicted of stealing/taking trout from a protected waterway. (The men had argued
Day: June 7, 2016
Willie Jackson has been appointed to Te Mātāwai by the National Urban Māori Authority. Christopher Mace has been reappointed as member of the board of the Tertiary Education Commission. Traci Houpapa has been appointed to the Council of Victoria University of Wellington. Anne Carter, Daphne Luke, and Edward Ellison
This week the Local Government and Environment Select Committee has been hearing oral submissions concerning the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill. Some iwi groups, and Te Ohu Kaimoana, are against this Bill, as they are of the view that it will undermine the Māori Fisheries Settlement. Jamie Tuuta, Chair of
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill passed its third reading in Parliament on Tuesday, and will now become law once Royal Assent is given. This new law will require that all rental homes have smoke alarms. Landlords will also be required to include in tenancy agreements declarations of the level
On Wednesday the Minister for Social Development, Anne Tolley, introduced The Children, Young Persons and Their Families (Advocacy, Workforce, and Age Settings) Amendment Bill into Parliament. This is part of restructuring the services of the Children, Young Persons service (CYF) within the Department of Social Development. The Bill introduces
On Tuesday the Associate Minister of Health, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, released draft regulations and a consultation document which aims to standardise the look of cigarette packets. This release coincided with ‘World Smokefree Day’, and the regulations are those associated with the Smokefree Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill, which
Statistics New Zealand is reviewing the statistical standard for iwi, and consultation on this topic is now open. The review provides an opportunity to reconsider the present concepts, definitions and criteria used across official Government datasets, which were established in 1994. Submissions close on 12 June. http://www.stats.govt.nz/methods/classifications-and-standards/current-classifications-and-standards-review/review-statistical-standard-iwi.aspx
On 22 May the Crown entered into a relationship agreement with the Parihaka community. This short agreement signals an agreement for both parties to work together for common good, and to achieve shared goals. (Note it is not a Treaty settlement in its own right, but has been negotiated
Last Wednesday Te Wairoa iwi and hapū Treaty of Waitangi negotiators initiated a Deed of Settlement with the Crown to settle all historic Treaty of Waitangi breaches. The proposed settlement includes commercial and financial redress of circa $100 million, and further cultural redress. The grouping, Te Tira Whakaemi o
Last Wednesday the Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament, and was referred on to the Māori Affairs Select Committee. The settlements include a redress package of circa $29.5 million for Ngāi Te Rangi, and $3.1 million to Ngā Potiki. Cultural
Last Wednesday the Te Awa Tupuna (Whangauni River Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament, and was referred on to the Māori Affairs Select Committee. This settlement, if passed into law, will establish the Whanganui River as a separate legal entity, and will provide for the recognition
This week there have been media reports on matters arising within the Te Arawa River Iwi Trust. [By way of background, this Trust was established in 2009 to help bring into being the 2010 Waikato River Settlement, which provides for iwi co-governance of the river. The Te Arawa River
Last week we advised on the Government’s overall Budget 2016/17 and specifically on fiscal changes within Vote: Māori Development and Vote: Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. We have now reviewed other funding areas within the Budget, to identify further impacts on direct Māori-focused funding allocations.[1] This information and our assessments