He Waka Tipua Report Offers Insights Into Potential Waka Origins
"In consultation with Imi and Iwi, the Matanga Advisory Panel was commissioned to leverage the various areas of expertise to inform and guide background research and documentation. In April, the panel of whakairo, voyaging, waka construction, weaving and tikane/tikanga experts visited the island to view the site and the remains of the waka," said Glenis Philip-Barbara, Pou Mataaho o Te Hononga Deputy Secretary Māori Crown Partnerships at the Ministry.
"He Waka Tipua reinforces the views as to the national and international significance of this unique waka discovery and presents more questions. The report says it is likely this waka is from a time before significant cultural separation in the Pacific; from a time before geographic distance and the decrease of long-distance voyaging meant independently developed techniques and artistic styles emerged.
"He Waka Tipua lays down a collective challenge for us all to navigate the next chapter of this work together. The recovery and conservation of the waka will require considerable investment. A unique opportunity exists for the island to work together with others to understand more about our origins, all while balancing the need to uphold the mana and the wairua of the waka," Phillip-Barbara continues.
"A research plan for the recovered materials is currently being prepared. This includes the dating and provenance of organic materials taken from the waka find site. We expect a progress report in the last quarter of 2025. The Ministry will then present the final Archaeological Report to Imi, Iwi, and Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga in February 2026. It will also be published on the Ministry website.
"There are many unanswered questions about the origin, age and journey of the waka. We are grateful for the funding of $1 million allocated to the waka project as part of Budget 2025 as it will help alleviate cost pressures and also help us to plan ahead for the next stage.
"The Ministry will continue to be guided by Imi and Iwi, and we'll work closely with the Department of Conservation, the Dix Family and others to ensure the care and conservation of the recovered waka is foremost in our thinking." Philip-Barbara concludes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
3 days ago
- Scoop
Remembering Vietnam: National Commemoration Honours 60 Years Since First NZ Combat Troops Deployed
Vietnam Veterans' Day will be marked by a national commemoration on Monday 18 August held at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington. "Nau mai ki Pukeahu, please join us at this year's national commemoration to mark Vietnam Veterans' Day at Pukeahu," says Glenis Philip-Barbara, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage Deputy Secretary Māori Crown Partnerships. "2025 marks 60 years since 161 Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery arrived in Vietnam. The Battery was based in Biên Hòa air base, and attached to the US 173rd Airborne Brigade. "This year also marks 50 years since the end of Aotearoa New Zealand's involvement in the Vietnam War. "The civilian surgical team was the last unit to leave Vietnam in March 1975, followed by embassy staff who were evacuated from Saigon in April 1975," says Philip-Barbara. Thirty-nine New Zealanders lost their lives during the conflict, including two civilians serving with the Red Cross and civilian surgical team. Many others were wounded with some impacts of war continuing to affect New Zealanders and the people of Vietnam to this day. "The Vietnam War had a significant political and cultural impact for New Zealand and the world. This national commemoration is an opportunity to reflect on the service and sacrifice of New Zealanders and all those impacted by the Vietnam War," says Philip-Barbara. About the event: People wishing to attend this year's commemoration are asked to arrive at the Hall of Memories at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park by 10.45am for an 11.00am start. Please note that the Carillon Tower is currently closed for seismic strengthening. The Hall of Memories was strengthened in 2015 and is safe to enter.
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
South overrepresented in lame stats
People sending sheep and cattle to southern meatworks have an overrepresentation in the number of fines being issued for livestock arriving lame. New guidelines will improve systemic flaws in transporting livestock, an industry spokeswoman says. Data obtained from the Ministry for Primary Industries, released under the Official Information Act, shows 42.5% of the total infringements issued last year for lame sheep and cattle, both dairy and beef, were for livestock that arrived at meatworks in Otago and Southland. Ministry data shows the cattle and sheep processed at meatworks in Otago and Southland account for 27.6% of the animals processed in New Zealand last year. National Livestock Transport & Safety Council vice-chairwoman Shona Robertson, of Tapanui, gave a presentation, "Livestock transport — black and white? Try 50 shades of grey", at the New Zealand Veterinary Association conference in Wellington in June this year. Livestock transport had systemic flaws, she said. The "black and white" regulations often did not reflect what happened on the ground. "Livestock transport involves working with live animals in unpredictable, high-pressure situations — and that creates grey areas that regulations don't always account for." To bring more clarity and consistency around what good practice looked like, the council would soon be releasing new national guidelines to support all parts of the supply chain, she said. Many issues, such as animals arriving lame or injured, animals being too tall for a trailer deck height or animals not having the appropriate vet certification, stemmed from a lack of understanding across the supply chain, she said. Improving communication and education was key for all stakeholders, such as farmers, stock agents, processors, transporters and vets. "If each party had a clearer understanding of the challenges others face in their part of the journey, we could reduce the number of avoidable issues." Open conversations and a willingness to collaborate were essential, she said. "Practical, real-world solutions won't come from working in silos — they'll come from the industry coming together to solve shared problems." Mrs Robertson said the council was focused on driving greater collaboration and alignment across the sector. "By working together, we can lift standards, reduce blame and improve outcomes for both animal welfare and the people responsible for it." Livestock drivers were not trained veterinarians but were expected to make quick assessments about animal fitness during loading, a process that often took up to 30 minutes, with animals moving at pace up a ramp. "By that point, the animals have already been raised, selected and prepared by the farmer. So it's crucial that proper preparation is done on-farm, and that stock selection is based on a sound understanding of what's fit for transport." The quality of loading infrastructure played a big role, she said. Good facilities, including safe ramps and adequate sorting pens, helped reduce stress on animals and made it easier for drivers to do their job safely and efficiently. MPI data shows 73 fines were issued for lame sheep and cattle arriving at meatworks in New Zealand last year. Of those 23 were meatworks in Otago and eight were meatworks in Southland. The South had a greater representation in the infringements issued between 2021 and 2023. Of the 275 fines issued in New Zealand in that time, 20.4% were in Otago and 24% in Southland. Of the fines issued nationally for lame sheep and cattle arriving at meatworks last year, 71 were issued to a livestock owner, or a person in charge of the livestock other than a transporter, for allowing stock to be taken to a meatworks without a veterinary certificate of fitness for transport. Two fines were issued last year to transporters for failing to comply with relevant conditions of a veterinary certificate. Generally, an infringement incurs a penalty of $500. Veterinary Centre vet Dave Robertson, of North Otago, also spoke at the conference, giving his perspective on issuing veterinary transport certificates for livestock. A transport certificate was a legal document issued after a vet had given an animal a comprehensive clinical examination, he said. If a vet issued a certificate, they accepted responsibility for an animal's condition when it reached a processor, Dr Robertson said. Transport was inherently stressful for livestock. The distance and time an animal spent travelling should be as short as possible. An animal should go directly from the farm to the nearest suitable slaughter premises. Certified animals should be capable of travelling and arrive at their destination in a state similar to that when loaded. An animal's condition should not deteriorate during the journey. A vet should consider other options where appropriate, such as on-farm slaughter, processing stock for pet food or giving stock further treatment. Animals must be able to put all feet down when standing. When assessing animals for lameness, he graded them on a scale of one to three, Dr Robertson said. The highest grade of three was given to animals unable to carry their own weight, which were not suitable for transport. Animals with grade 2 lameness could be transported if certificate conditions were attached, such as being transported to the closest works, being the last on and first off a trailer and travelling on a lower deck. A line of sheep could be culled for lameness but required a certificate, Dr Robertson said. Any emaciated, non-weight bearing sheep were excluded from being transported. Sheep with shearing cuts, acute mastitis or dog bites could not be transported, he said. Infringements could also be issued at a meatworks for breaching other regulations including transporting livestock to meatworks with wounds, bleeding, discharging skin, eye cancer, or ingrown and bleeding horns. A cow giving birth in transit, or in the yards, or with injured or diseased udders and transported without a certificate could also result in an infringement. His general guidelines for issuing a transport certificate was ensuring animals were not bleeding and had no pus discharge, loose bits of skin tissue, or udders with exposed tissue, which could be surgically ligated and removed to allow healing for a subsequent reassessment, Dr Robertson said. Active, moist discharging skin wounds were not suitable for transport including fly strike. Certificates were valid for seven days from issuing. Arranging meatworks space before the vet arrived was preferred, he said. MPI animal welfare and National Animal Identification and Tracing compliance district manager Hannah Ballantyne said the ministry was aware the infringement numbers were higher in the South than other areas from 2021. The proportion of fines in the South reflected the relatively high volumes of animals being processed in the area, she said. MPI veterinarians would continue to identify and report instances of lameness in animals that arrive at meat processors. If the reporting identified a concerning trend, the ministry would take action, she said. "That is not the case here."
NZ Herald
06-08-2025
- NZ Herald
Numerous errors found in new Ministry-funded maths resources
The first page of errors that have been corrected include wrong answers, some off by significant margins. The listed answer to one problem was 1,024 and had to be changed to the correct answer of 19,875. A financial mistake in one of the books, supplied by 'Maths - No Problem' was off by $1000. In a separate workbook, the number four in te reo Māori was labelled rua, the word for two, instead of whā. A mistake involving te reo had to be corrected. In a statement, acting Ministry of Education curriculum centre leader Pauline Cleaver said as students and teachers have engaged with materials throughout the year, a 'small number of minor errors' were identified. 'These have now been resolved, and updates are being shared with schools via Tāhūrangi [the curriculum centre].' Cleaver added it was 'not uncommon' for minor errors to be spotted in the first print run of new educational resources, and while suppliers regularly review and update materials, schools are also encouraged to report any issues. From this year, Years 0-8 schools have been able to order Ministry-funded maths resources to support them to teach the revised mathematics and statistics curriculum. It comes after the Government's directive to teach an hour a day of reading, writing and maths in its policy to 'teach the basics brilliantly'. The issue was raised by the Ministry of Education in a recent bulletin for school leaders, which regularly lists updates about changes in the education sector. In this, it wrote it was aware of 'some errors' in the maths resources being funded by the Ministry of Education. 'Our resource providers regularly review their print and digital resources to correct any errors that have been reported, and to ensure accuracy,' the bulletin added. It is asking school leaders to inform the ministry of any potential further errors. A dedicated reporting channel has been provided to support schools through any issues that may arise. The Ministry of Education is promising to continue to keep schools informed, and has said any future updates or corrections will continue to be documented. Azaria Howell is a multimedia reporter working from Parliament's press gallery. She joined NZME in 2022 and became a Newstalk ZB political reporter in late 2024, with a keen interest in public service agency reform and government spending.
