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RNZ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Rangatahi use Māori speech competition Ngā Manu Kōrero to tackle big issues
Rangatahi are feeding their wairua through kōrero as they take the stage for Ngā Manu Kōrero - a kaupapa Māori speech competition. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ Rangatahi are proving they have something to say - and the courage to say it - as they take the stage for Ngā Manu Kōrero, a kaupapa Māori speech competition. Ngā Manu Kōrero is regarded as "the most significant event on the Māori education calendar", allowing rangatahi to express their views, lay down their challenges and honour the "special and unique existence of being Māori", organisers say. Celebrating its 60th year, students from across the motu will compete at a regional level, eyeing for a spot to represent their rohe at nationals. Under the blanket of kotahitanga, Ngā Manu Kōrero Tāmaki ki te Waitematā, hosted at Ngā Puna o Waiōrea, brought together students from kura kaupapa Māori, kura rumaki and kura auraki, each speaking on a kaupapa they care about - from political commentary to cultural identity, language revitalisation and the legacy of colonisation. Kaea Paniora from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae, represented her kura in the Korimako section, she says what stood out to her most about the day was the unity. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ Kaea Paniora from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae, represented her kura in the Korimako (Senior English) section. Her kaupapa for this years whakataetae, 'Help me find my place'. "I roto i tēnei kōwhiringa he āheinga tōku ki te kōrero mō ngā take o te wā mai i ōku tirohanga, me ngā kaupapa nui kua aupēhi i te reo Māori. "This topic allows me to talk about the big issues of the day from my perspective and the things that have repressed the Māori language." Within her speech Paniora spoke about the discrimination she faced as a young wahine Māori and the challenges of finding belonging in a system not built for her. "As a wāhine Māori, I am misrepresented, overpoliced and undervalued," she said. She pointed out harrowing statistics, outlining the disparities faced by Māori in Aotearoa. " Stats NZ say I'm likely to die 7.3 years earlier than non-Māori. Māori are 17 percent of the population, but over 50 percent are prisoners. Wāhine Māori are five times more likely to die by suicide after giving birth ." "This is the legacy of racism and colonisation, and it's everywhere. "The discrimination is real, the assumptions are damaging, and the stereotypes are perpetuated through every corner of society. They are in my face every day, and it seems like there is little hope for what lies ahead." Paniora was among the rōpū who performed with Stan Walker at the Aotearoa Music Awards. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ She also called out National MP Chris Bishop for his reaction to Stan Walkers performance at the Aotearoa Music Awards earlier this year. Paniora was one of the many rangatahi who performed alongside Stan. "He sat alcohol-in-hand, looking down at us, judging, stereotyping a group of young Māori, future leaders of our hapū and iwi. How dare he judge me, judge us, judge my people, my ancestors," she said. "This vitriol from someone elected to make decisions about my future helped me find my place." Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae students Kaea Paniora (right) and Rereaio Kahi (left). Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ Offstage, Paniora said what stood out most to her about the day was the unity. "We have kura kaupapa, kura rumaki, kura auraki - all together in one place. So kids like me can showcase our skills to the rohe, to Tāmaki Makaurau, and some will be lucky to represent our schools at nationals." Also competing was Te Au Āio Ani Mereti, a senior student from St Mary's College, who delivered her kōrero in the Pei Te Hurinui Jones (Senior Māori) section. "My kaupapa was Mā taku ahurea tōku wairua e puāwai - through my culture my spirit can flourish," she said. She spoke about all of the things that feed her wairua, like kapa haka. "It's just something that was personal to me coming from a Kura Auraki. It was important for me to talk about that and encourage our whānau to kia kaha te ako i ngā āhuatanga o te ahurea." Te Au Āio Ani Mereti (bottom-centre) a senior student from St Mary's College, delivered her kōrero in the Pei Te Hurinui Jones (Senior Māori) section. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ Mereti said kaupapa Māori spaces like Ngā Manu Kōrero were crucial for rangatahi. "It's sometimes hard when there are adults around for rangatahi to feel like they can say something. This is a space made for us - to actually have a kōrero and talk about our ideas. "It's important to us because we are the future." She also responded to adults who claim rangatahi weren't politically aware. "If anyone is saying we don't care - kei te hē rātou. We're here speaking about these kaupapa. We are the ones speaking up. Even at the hīkoi, it was rangatahi at the front." She said it was "obvious" for rangatahi to care about political issues, because it was their future. "Our kaumātua are here to teach us. And at one point it's going to be us who are the kaumātua. So, we want our mokopuna and our future to look bright." Waiheke Kahi (Ngāti Porou, Waikato, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Whakaue) junior student at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ Waiheke Kahi also took to the stage for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae but in the Te Rāwhiti Ihaka (Junior Māori) section. "Ki āku whakaaro he wahi pai tēnei mea te Manu Kōrero. E torutoru noa ngā papa tūwaewae mō ngā rangatahi Māori i tēnei ao, ko te Manu Kōrero tētahi." Kahi spoke on the kaupapa 'Ka maumahara tonu tātau ki a rātou', honouring those who came before him. "I think Manu Kōrero is a great place. There are very few stages for young Māori in this world, and Manu Kōrero is one of them," he said. Te Au Āio Ani Mereti alongside a contingent of supporters from St Marys College. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ Looking ahead to Matariki, all three students said it was a time to be with whānau, reflect and keep traditions alive. "Matariki is just time for whānau, time for kai," Mereti said. "It's one of the first indigenous celebrations in Aotearoa, so it's important we celebrate who we are and where we come from." Paniora said they hoped for the new year was to "keep on striving." "No matter how much the government is suppressing us at the moment, no matter the oppression, no matter the hate from those in power - keep striving, Māori mā. He waka eke noa." Under the blanket of kotahitanga, Ngā Manu Kōrero Tāmaki ki te Waitematā brought together rangatahi from kura kaupapa Māori, kura rumaki and kura auraki, each speaking on a kaupapa they care about - from political commentary to cultural identity, Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ Ngā Manu Kōrero Nationals will be held in September in Whanganui, hosted by Whanganui me Taranaki rohe. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Warning of phone scammers impersonating cops
Photo: RNZ Police are warning New Zealanders to keep an ear out for cold callers impersonating police officers. Waitematā's acting Detective Senior Sergeant Ben Bergin said scammers would pose as officers and try to extract personal details from the victim. "The story changes slightly, but it will usually involve some sort of investigation and this 'officer' will report having located a valuable item of yours, such as a passport," he said in a statement. "He will need your help or ask for your personal information. The caller speaks with an English accent and provides a bogus ID number to the victim." Police arrested a number of people last year for a similar scam, which involved the scammers asking victims to withdraw cash as part of an "investigation." "We strongly advise that you hang up," he said. "From time-to-time, Police officers may contact you as part of their genuine duties. It can be a bit surprising to receive a call unexpectantly, so stop and think if you get a far-fetched story shared down the telephone line."
RNZ News
09-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Drilling for Auckland's mythical harbour crossing
This jack-up barge is providing information about the seabed in the Waitematā harbour to inform plans of a second city harbour crossing. Photo: Davina Zimmer Is it a Pak'nSave for yachties, or maybe a new venue for manu competitions? The yellow platform on sticks in the Waitematā harbour is the topic of discussion on a series of Reddit and Facebook threads. But instead of suppling everyday bargains or a big splash, this mysterious vessel is providing information about the seabed to inform plans of a second city harbour crossing. We've been here before. There was the Skybridge, then the Northern Pathway, and let's not forget mayoral hopeful John Tamihere's double-decker 18-lane proposal . Yet despite the many plans, reports and debates, no government has managed to get a shovel in the ground. So, what makes it different this time? "There's never been any substantive geo-technical drilling in the Waitematā before, so this is really the first time that we're seeing a picture of what the rock conditions are underground," Sian France, a geologist and the investigations lead of the Waitematā Harbour Connections Alliance said. Today, The Detail gets a closer look at this jack-up barge, finding out more about the drilling process, the geological testing and how it's helping further plans for the long awaited new crossing. The project should take about seven months, which sounds like a long time, but Mark Ware, project director for NZTA, says there's a lot more to it than drilling a couple of holes. NZTA project director Mark Ware. Photo: Davina Zimmer "Each hole takes between four and five days. So you're drilling upwards of 75 metres in the marine area below the surface and 65 on land," he says. Ware is hoping for a decision on the crossing by mid next year. "Depending on what that decision looks like it will then take us a number of years to finish off the designs, procure our services and contractors, so we're looking to be in the ground or under the seabed by 2029-2030." But for this to go ahead, governments over the next couple of parliamentary terms will need to be on board. With an election happening next year and no legislation securing the plan, there is the risk that it could be scrapped in favour of a new idea. "Hopefully we've got a strong enough case that any government coming in sees the benefit of actually undertaking the work that we're doing and building an alternative harbour crossing," Ware says. The drilling is done with a steel pipe that has industrial grade diamonds on the end of it, which cuts through the rock. Sections have to be removed 1.5 metres at a time. Then geologists like Georgia Woodside and Sian France get the extracted material ready for testing. From left to right: Sam Woodford, Georgia Woodside and Sian France. Photo: Davina Zimmer "Often when it comes out it's got a bit of drilling fluid or a bit of clay from the hole so we wash it off so it's clear what we're looking at and then we box it up, taking great care not to break it because it can be used for different kinds of testing," Woodside says. That testing includes looking at the rock formation, and what it's made of. "For example, here [Waitematā Harbour] we've got the East Coast Bays Formation, so that's saltstone and sandstone interbedded," Woodside explains. All of this information is logged and used to inform how the crossing will be built. "It's all about how the ground will respond to construction activity," France says. "So, if you pile for a bridge, if we bring a tunnel boring machine in for a tunnel, how will the ground respond? Will it stay open by itself? Do we need additional engineering means to support it? How do we design and build it in a safe manner?" France says all this prior investigation is important to avoid later cost blowouts, because by the time shovels are in the ground it's too late. "You've missed the opportunity to really manage cost risk and so that's a really huge part of getting Geotech investigations done upfront. "We're trying to minimise surprises; there's a whole bunch of really good stats that come out of construction projects in the UK that essentially demonstrate that a very small percentage of overall spending on Geotech will significantly reduce the likelihood of having construction overruns." Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here . You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter .
