Latest news with #ManatūTaonga
RNZ News
24-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Ministry for Culture and Heritage confirms 80 percent cut in senior historian roles
Secretary Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae. Photo: Ministry for Culture and Heritage / supplied The Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Manatū Taonga is going ahead with cutting the jobs of most of its historians. The disestablishment of four out of five senior historian jobs has been confirmed, among a total of 30 or so job cuts proposed last month to save money after the ministry's funding was reduced in Budget 2025. The proposal has been amended, to cut about 26 roles in all. One senior historian role is being retained. Also, two others will stay on till the end of the school year, "recognising that the ministry has made commitments to schools" and that this would "allow for the completion of the already scheduled programming and exploration of alternatives for the future of the education programme". Websites on New Zealand history the ministry runs also won a partial reprieve. Secretary Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae said he changed the proposals to ensure Te Ara online encyclopedia was still accessible and to complete the work on a Dawn Raids history, as well as "finding a way forward" for Te Tai Whakaea Treaty Settlement Stories. "I have... heard your strong feedback on the importance of our heritage content and production team and the taonga they have created and added to over the past three decades," he told staff in a confidential 'decision' document released to them on Thursday. "I agreed that Te Ara Taonga, Taonga Tūturu, Treaty settlements and Matariki are critical ministry outputs that must continue to operate with as little disruption as possible." It looked "like a slower version of shutting down websites", said a staffer who RNZ agreed not to name. The PSA union called it "cultural vandalism". "What we should be doing is employing even more historians because there's a lot of work to be done in preserving our culture," said national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons, calling them "senseless cuts". Fleur Fitzsimons. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone "We're concerned that the Te Ara encyclopedia won't be able to be maintained." Te Ara was established in 2001. The pressure remained on at the ministry, the document made clear. Leauanae calculated it needed to find $3m in savings this year. "To enable Manatū Taonga to adjust to our new financial position, I have made decisions to disestablish a number of positions. Decisions in this document confirm our functional shift away from content creation and programme delivery. "My preferred option will be the transfer of products or programmes, but alternatives may include the decommissioning or stopping of these programmes as a last resort." The reduced budget left the ministry unable to keep specialised positions in digital production and editing. As for cutting historians, "feedback received was not in support of removing any historian roles noting the uniqueness of the positions and their importance in maintaining and developing the taonga". But it was not feasible to keep them all on. However, a U-turn was made on proposal to cut the role of solicitor, which would now be retained. "Feedback was clear that demands on the legal team will only increase with the impacts of the Regulatory Standards Bill on our legislative modernisation work programme" among other things. The aim was to have the new structure in place by the middle of September. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
16-07-2025
- General
- Scoop
Christchurch Sites Considered For Erebus Memorial Site
Three possible Christchurch locations for an Erebus memorial site have been shared with families. The sites will honour the 257 people who lost their lives in 1979 when Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus in Antarctica while on a sight-seeing tour. The government committed to building a National Erebus Memorial in 2017, with Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage leading the project. A plan for a memorial in Auckland's Dove Meyer Robinson Park divided opinions with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens, and it was ultimately abandoned in 2023 after cyclone damage and land instability meant it was no longer safe to build on the site. Culture and Heritage secretary Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae said the following three potential Christchurch sites had been shared with the Erebus families and members of the group Operation Overdue. Avon Riverbank in the central city Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere St James' Church grounds in Harewood The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is seeking feedback from the Erebus families on each of the sites and said no decisions had been made about locating the memorial in Christchurch, nor which of the potential sights may be selected. "We are grateful to Erebus families for their continued engagement. Sharing these potential sites is an important step and we will carefully consider their feedback. "We are committed to building this memorial - for the people who lost loved ones, for New Zealanders, and for those here and overseas impacted by the Erebus tragedy," Leauanae said in a statement. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said the city was honoured to be considered as a possible location for the memorial. "As a city, we have experienced tragedy and understand the deep impact the Erebus disaster continues to have on people across Aotearoa," he said in a statement. "Christchurch is long connected to Antarctica, we feel a deep sense of responsibility to honour the lives of your loved ones with great care and quiet dignity."
RNZ News
16-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Christchurch sites considered for Erebus memorial site
Koru on the tail of Air New Zealand Flight TE901 at the site of the Mount Erebus crash. Photo: Colin Monteith / Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection Three possible Christchurch locations for an Erebus memorial site have been shared with families. The sites will honour the 257 people who lost their lives in 1979 when Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus in Antarctica while on a sight-seeing tour. The government committed to building a National Erebus Memorial in 2017, with Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage leading the project. A plan for a memorial in Auckland's Dove Meyer Robinson Park divided opinions with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens, and it was ultimately abandoned in 2023 after cyclone damage and land instability meant it was no longer safe to build on the site. Culture and Heritage secretary Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae said the following three potential Christchurch sites had been shared with the Erebus families and members of the group Operation Overdue. The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is seeking feedback from the Erebus families on each of the sites and said no decisions had been made about locating the memorial in Christchurch, nor which of the potential sights may be selected. "We are grateful to Erebus families for their continued engagement. Sharing these potential sites is an important step and we will carefully consider their feedback. "We are committed to building this memorial - for the people who lost loved ones, for New Zealanders, and for those here and overseas impacted by the Erebus tragedy," Leauanae said in a statement. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said the city was honoured to be considered as a possible location for the memorial. "As a city, we have experienced tragedy and understand the deep impact the Erebus disaster continues to have on people across Aotearoa," he said in a statement. "Christchurch is long connected to Antarctica, we feel a deep sense of responsibility to honour the lives of your loved ones with great care and quiet dignity." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Govt Cuts Will Undermine Access To New Zealand's History
The ability of New Zealanders to access and better understand New Zealand's history will be undermined by proposed cuts to the workforce at Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. The agency is proposing a net loss of 24 roles or 16% of the workforce. This follows Budget cuts which slashed funding by $8 million over the next four years. The proposed job losses follow last year's cuts which saw the workforce fall from 182 to 155. The cuts, if carried out, will decimate the agency's workforce of historians, with six of the ten historians proposed to be shown the door. "How can the Ministry continue to do its important work of preserving our history and ensuring New Zealanders can continue to access to it? said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. "This is yet another decision that exposes the short-sighted thinking behind the Government's funding cuts. "The proposal to cut historians threatens the existence of Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand, which is a vital online resource for New Zealanders and a window to the rest of the world to learn about our rich history. "For 20 years Te Ara has been the first port of call for information about New Zealand history. Millions of people visit Te Ara every year, including teachers, students, researchers, and New Zealanders with an interest in our history." Manatū Taonga is also proposing disestablishing the team that supports the website. Other casualties include those responsible for the education programme that supports Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, a resource schools depend on. A project to enhance understanding of the dawn raids following the official apology is also at risk. Manatū Taonga is proposing to disestablish the roles that enabled it to produce websites honouring the 28th Māori Battalion and recording the history of New Zealand's participation in the Vietnam war. "All these projects are vital for people to share their own experiences and for all of us to remember and understand our past and how it shapes us today. "The Ministry's purpose is to do work that 'enriches the lives of New Zealanders' - but the Government is clearly ignorant about how history and heritage contributes to that - it's appalling."
RNZ News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
More cuts proposed at Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Photo: RNZ / Quin Tauetau The axe is hovering over historians and staff at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage who create digital content used by schools and the public. Manatū Taonga, which lost $2m in the Budget, told staff on Thursday it proposed to shed 24 roles, about 15 percent of its staff. "Our current level of resourcing is not sufficient to keep the content we have up to date, and our context has shifted significantly, meaning the ministry's core focus no longer supports the creation of content," said the change proposal obtained by RNZ. Three of its seven historian jobs and most of its digital production roles would go, unless consultation now underway changed the plan. A former chief historian for 14 years, Professor Jock Phillips, said the proposal put websites "absolutely central" to the education of New Zealanders at risk. Laulu Mac Leauanae. Photo: Ministry for Culture and Heritage / supplied "If you look at the usage, it's phenomenal - particularly in schools but also internationally," Phillips said. "You need people to keep those up to date, keep up with what's happening, keep up with new knowledge. And it would be an absolute tragedy to see those not properly maintained." A ministry staffer who RNZ agreed not to name said the downgrade had been a long time coming. "Our senior management have talked about wanting to be a 'policy shop' for some time, which means they've always wanted to get rid of the awkward community-engaged parts of the ministry," they said by email on Friday. "The cuts required by government are just an excuse to do what senior management have wanted to do for a while - get rid of community engagement with actual humans." They said this included school groups doing lessons at Pukeahu National War Memorial, helping with Te Tai Whakaea Treaty Settlement Stories led by iwi, and with Pacific Histories in response to the Dawn Raids apology . "We do a shitload on the smell of an oily rag because we are committed to sharing the stories of all New Zealanders and we feel this work matters," they said. The change proposal showed the ministry's 'heritage content and production' unit faced among the biggest shake-ups, its 11-person team reduced to just four, including three historians going. A lot of the ministry's digital publishing capacity would be decommissioned, merged or farmed out. The options were "migrating to static sites, decommissioning and archiving sites, merging with other sites or finding another organisation to operate sites". Also, the highly specialist job of carillonist would be cut, to be replaced by contractors "as and when required". "We are not able to hold highly specialist roles that are not directly aligned to legislation, regulation or other mandated work," the proposal said. The ministry just spent another $6m strengthening Wellington's carillon bell tower. Chief executive Laulu Mac Leauanae told RNZ the ministry would carefully consider staff feedback on the proposal, and "out of respect for those affected" would not comment further. He wrote in the change document: "This proposed reduction reflects our fiscally constrained environment and the need to reduce roles across the ministry." The proposal comes just one year after Manatū Taonga's last restructure finished; this cost $700,000 in redundancy payments. It had about 190 staff three ago, and 151 now. That would drop further under what was proposed, with business groups cut from five to three, and two senior manager jobs going. Seven roles would be disestablished in a kaupapa Māori group set up just two years ago, and its remaining jobs would be merged into another group. "The ministry's context has evolved," Leauanae said in the document. "While I am proposing these changes, as a ministry we remain fully committed to our responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi." Jock Phillips. Photo: Victoria University of WellingtonNew Zealand. RNZ asked if having fewer people left to do this indicated a deprioritisation, but the ministry did not address that. The operational business group, Te Hua, would absorb about eight of the jobs not cut in the Māori unit. Te Hua itself, where the historian jobs would go, would shift away from creating and maintaining "a vast repository of historical information", the proposal said. "Ten years ago, a team of more than 30 people worked on creating and maintaining this content" but resources were more limited now. The staffer listed a dozen types of project that Te Hua worked on, such as helping create over 2000 oral histories of West Coast rugby fans in the 1940s and East Coast whariki mat weavers, among others, and helping uncover waka in the Chatham Islands . Phillips warned stripping away expertise would inevitably be damaging. "The thing that concerns me most is the websites that the historians have produced over the years - Te Ara Encyclopaedia of NZ, Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, NZHistory, Te Akomanga digital history curriculum support - they are absolutely central to the education of New Zealanders. If we don't understand ourselves, we are a very diminished society." Te Hua would shift towards monitoring and legislation, with a whole new unit under that name set up. Among other things, the new unit would consider the impacts on heritage of the government's fast-track legislation, it appeared. "Due to the requirement to reduce our baseline, the work programme in Te Hua must be focused on activities that are required due to legislation, regulation or other mandate," Leauanae wrote. The proposal is to cut 35 roles and create 11. Staff have till June 23 to express interest in voluntary redundancy. The ministry had a staff headcount of 140 in 2019-20, 192 soon after Covid-19, and 151 at the latest count. While it hired 23 contractors and consultants in 2023-24 at a cost of $1.4m, that dropped sharply to just $400,000 in the nine months to March 2025. The Public Service Association lamented proposed cuts to roles that supported websites honouring the 28th Māori Battalion and recording the history of New Zealand's participation in the Vietnam war. "This is yet another decision that exposes the short-sighted thinking behind the Government's funding cuts," it said. 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