‘Forgotten their roots': Te Matatini risks alienating regions
Photo:
Supplied/Te Matatini
Te Matatini risks alienating the regions with its decision not to host the 2027 event in Te Tauhihu, Whakatū Nelson's Māori Ward councillor has warned.
It was announced on Monday that the next national kapa haka competition
will not be hosted in the Top of the South
, as had been planned since 2013.
Society heamana (chair) Tā Herewini Parata said the decision was not a reflection on Te Tauihu (the Top of the South Island).
"As the festival continues to grow in size and significance, the planning and delivery of Te Matatini must reflect that scale," he said.
"While this decision is heartbreaking for many, we have had to be realistic and seriously re-evaluate the risks of holding Te Matatini in its current format in our smaller regions."
The festival had seen "unprecedented growth" and despite Te Tauihu working hard to find solutions, Parata said concerns remained, particularly around accommodation and transport - about 70,000 people attended the 2025 event in Taranaki.
Te Matatini was now inviting expressions of interest for hosting the 2027 event.
Nelson's Māori Ward councillor said the news was "outrageously disappointing".
"We had quite a few options on the table that we've got plenty of time to be able to deliver on those, but… they're not interested in trying to keep Te Matatini connected to the regions," Kahu Paki Paki said.
Nelson Whakatū Māori Ward councillor Kahu Paki Paki says the decision to pull out of Te Tauihu risks alienating other regions around the motu.
Photo:
Andrew Board/Nelson Weekly
"They run the risk, a very serious risk, of isolating some of the regions that won't even get a chance to host."
He acknowledged that there were some "challenges" in hosting Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua, the national secondary schools' kapa haka festival, in 2024 but they had provided "good learning lessons" for local organisers and ultimately the event was a "great success".
Kapa haka was community-focused and community-building, and so the prospect of iwi and hapū around the motu missing out on hosting Te Matatini in favour of the main centres was "really sad", Paki Paki said.
"If Taranaki could do it, and they did it really well, there's no reason why we couldn't have done it just as well… they have forgotten their roots, they've walked away from the regions. It's a real shame."
Parata was not able to respond in time for publication, but on Tuesday morning he told
Waatea News
that he acknowledged that the decision was "disappointing" for Te Tauihu.
"There's over a million people in New Zealand that have got an opinion on Te Matatini - and their opinions are all right - however it's the board's decision to make," he said.
But he added that there was still "a lot of goodwill" for the regions.
"Maybe, I can't say outright, we need to look at the whole festival and ways of hosting Te Matatini in the smaller rohe."
That could include potentially reducing the number of kapa haka groups that participate down from the current 55 so areas like Te Tauihu could host the festival in the "near future".
Nelson and Tasman's mayors are also disappointed in the decision, but understood the capacity concerns from Te Matatini.
Tasman Mayor Tim King said even though the two youth kapa haka events Te Tauihu previously hosted were "very successful", there were still challenges with many people travelling daily between Nelson and Marlborough.
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the benefits of hosting Te Matatini outweighed the costs for the council, and that the organisation had supported hosting the event locally "at every step".
Both hoped Te Tauihu would be able to host the event in the future and would be keen to see the return of the youth competitions again.
"We… are keen for this uniquely New Zealand art to still be very welcome in the city and region," Smith said.
Sonny Alesana, chair of the local Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui Māori Cultural Council.
Photo:
Supplied
Sonny Alesana, heamana (chair) of the local Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui Māori Cultural Council, was hopeful the region could have the opportunity to host again sometime in the future.
"We are disappointed, but we also understand the pressure Te Matatini is under, both in terms of its growth and the financial implications of that," he said.
"We are committed to continuing to work with Te Matatini to ensure Te Tauihu does have its time in the sun and that smaller regions are not automatically disqualified from hosting."
Alexander Siebentritt, president of Hospitality NZ's Nelson branch said hosting Te Matatini would have had "very positive effects" for the local economy - the 2023 event in Tāmaki Makarau Auckland generated more than $26 million.
"We just simply have to carry on and focus on how we can find alternatives to fill these gaps."
He said the region was "fantastic" and able to cater to large events.
"This is a great opportunity for another great event to be hosted in our region, if there's anyone out there, I've just heard some dates in February 2027, became available."
Concerns about the region's ability to host the event in 2027 were thrown into the spotlight in March when Te Mauri o Te Matatini was not passed from Taranaki representatives to Te Tauihu.
Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Dunne's Weekly: Oppositions Seldom Win, But Governments Often Lose
That Oppositions do not win elections, but governments lose them is a well-established political maxim. Elections are essentially a judgement on the performance of the government of the day. Seldom does the capability of the Opposition to govern come into the calculation, if the government has lost public favour. Elections are therefore more about getting rid of an unpopular government than the risk of installing an often-unprepared Opposition in power. Moreover, voters often have short memories. A recent poll showed many people believe it is time for another group of parties to govern in New Zealand, despite it being less than two years since that same group was unceremoniously turfed out of office and does not yet seem to fully appreciate the reasons why. Indeed, although the Opposition has not yet released any specific policy, its general attitude seems to be that it will just pick up where it left off last time and resume the same sort of policy approach and style of government voters rejected so clearly at the last election. That is why Labour was able to get away last week with criticising the government's handling of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis without offering any alternative of its own, because, frankly, as the Opposition, its views do not matter. Next year's election will be more a referendum on the government's performance than a critique of the Opposition's alternative. This is not unique to New Zealand. Last year's Labour landslide victory in the British general election was more a repudiation of fourteen years of Conservative rule, than an endorsement of Labour. Now, having rejected the Conservatives so overwhelmingly, and to date being less than impressed with Labour's offering, it is hardly surprising that British voters are flocking in droves to the untried Reform Party. The New Zealand equivalent of that phenomenon has been the increase in support for minor parties, New Zealand First and the Greens in particular. So much so that the next election, and which parties form the next government, could come down to how well the minor parties perform, rather than the major parties they could be expected to align with in government. Given that context, it is not altogether surprising that there is mounting speculation the current government could be the country's first one-term government in 50 years. But, so far, the evidence for that happening is not strong. The National/ACT/ New Zealand bloc has led in most opinion polls since the end of 2021. Today, the latest rolling average of polls shows the coalition government ahead of its rivals by just under 4%, and still able to form a majority government. At the same point in the electoral cycle three years ago, the then Labour Government was trailing the then-Opposition National/ACT/ New Zealand bloc by just under 5%. Nevertheless, National's position is precarious. Its vulnerability, which this column has highlighted many times previously, is its increasing dependence on its coalition partners to get across the electoral line. Until recently, the Prime Minister has shrugged this point aside, saying it is just one of the realities of MMP. However, in recent weeks there has been a perceptible change in the government's tempo, with a slew of major policy announcements from National in a variety of areas, from a new infrastructure plan, a new funding model for general practices, an end to building open-plan classrooms, and even the controversial changes to electoral enrolment provisions, National has shown a new determination in seeking to dominate the political agenda on its terms. No longer does it seem happy to let its coalition partners control the policy agenda as they appear to have done throughout the government's term. With the election just over a year away National looks to have moved centre-stage in terms of the government's performance. It knows that to win the next election the coalition government needs to first lock-in the support of those who voted for it last time, before trying to drag in additional other voters from across the political divide. So, National's current moves are a deliberate attempt to claw back supporters who may have deserted it for ACT or New Zealand First, because they have seen them as more boldly defined. Without locking-in that core government support into National's column, National's position will become shakier and its prospects more uncertain. Things are not quite as challenging for Labour, however. Because it is in its first term in Opposition and because one-term governments are a rarity – only two (both Labour) in the last century – while there may be increasing hope, there is not yet any real expectation that it can win in 2026. That immediately relieves some of the pressure of expectation of returning to office so quickly. Similarly, because governments lose elections rather than Oppositions win them, the level of scrutiny on Labour's promises will always be less than that on the government's promises. That will change a little as the election nears, but for Labour, right now, the longer it can keep getting away with criticising the government and not offering any constructive alternative, the better. None of this means a Labour-bloc victory at the next election is unlikely or impossible. With polls showing increasing disapproval of the country's current direction, it must be acknowledged there is a greater chance of this occurring. And yet again, it will be a case of the government losing, rather than the Opposition winning.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Trump hits NZ with surprise 15 percent tariff
business world 27 minutes ago In a surprise out of the White House, New Zealand exports are being slapped with a 15 percent tariff rate. Trade Minister Todd McClay spoke to Charlotte Cook.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Rotorua Lakes Council sets ‘ambitious' 50% turnout goal for 2025 elections
Rotorua wants to hit 50 percent voter turnout in this year's local elections. Photo: LDR/Chris Gorman Rotorua Lakes Council has set an ambitious goal of lifting voter turnout above 50 percent in October's local election . Less than half of eligible residents voted last time, a gap council leaders say must close if the community wants real influence over looming big-ticket decisions. Rotorua was among the stronger-performing districts in a disappointing national turnout in 2022. According to the Department of Internal Affairs, Rotorua's final voter turnout was recorded as 47.9 percent. Kaikōura led the country with 64.3 percent while South Taranaki recorded just 27.6 percent. The result improved on the previous three local elections and was above the national average of 41.5 percent. But it still meant fewer than half of eligible voters had their say. Reaching the 50 percent milestone is now the target, something only 20 of the 65 councils managed in 2022. Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive Andrew Moraes. Photo: LDR/Andrew Warner Council chief executive Andrew Moraes admitted it was "an ambitious target" but said it was vital. "Hitting 50 percent would buck national and international trends," Moraes said. "Rotorua is the 14th biggest council in the country. If we achieve a big turnout, it is good not just for us but for the sector, showing people are engaged with our work." He acknowledged the goal may be "quite challenging", with incumbent mayor Tania Tapsell seeking re-election and removing the attraction of a guaranteed new council leader. Moraes released the council's pre-election report much earlier than usual and has been taking his message to marae, community groups and resident organisations across the district. "Look, I have not set the target based on past trends," he said. "I just want improvement. It is up to the people to vote." Rotorua voter turnout was above the national average in 2022. Photo: LDR/Supplied The pre-election report outlined the major challenges facing the next council, including rates affordability, funding of public facilities, tourism infrastructure, sports fields, revitalisation of the central business district, and water reforms, alongside navigating new planning laws. Major projects already under way or planned include the museum restoration, wastewater and sewerage upgrades, organic waste collection, and stormwater works. Moraes said the election was a "huge opportunity" for the public to make a "positive difference" in their community. "I am building an organisation focused on delivering what the public wants," he said. "If voters choose the representatives they want to set the direction, I will ensure the next council can deliver on their priorities. That is my promise to the people of the district." To vote, residents must enrol . Electoral Commission data shows about 89 percent of eligible Rotorua voters are currently enrolled, slightly above the national figure of 88.62 percent. August 1 is the final day to enrol to receive voting papers by mail. After that, voters will need to contact the council for alternative options. Overall enrolments close October 10. Voting runs from September 9 until noon on October 11. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
