Te Maori: Kawerau is really pumping

There are good things happening in Kawerau. Photo/File

Greetings to you all.

I had a really busy but awesome week recently. It started in Kawerau then on to Taranaki, to Tauranga, to Taupo then finally home.

My trip to Kawerau was really good. From what I have heard, the students of the new school (Tarawera High School) have come through some difficult times over the past few years and are now pumping! Can I acknowledge the principal, the board, the teachers and the students. I hope that the new buildings will be starting soon and take the school on to the next stage.

For such a small town there are some wonderful things being done in this community.

I went to the Brothers at Arms Gym, a facility prepared by Raymond Moon, Richard Moon and Hayden Tamatea. They were all from Kawerau and even though they had gone elsewhere after school, they returned to Kawerau, determined to help our children. They teach Brazilian jujitsu and mixed martial arts to children and adults. When I went there, they had just returned with 10 gold medals from 12 grades in a competition! Congratulations on the work you do for the community.

I want to acknowledge the community boards of Kawerau, Opotiki and Whakatane. Why? The reason is that the regulations around alcohol licences are made by the councils. If the councils decide to have doors closed at bars at two in the morning for example, then that is it. These councils have come together to have a standard policy for all boards on the licences. It is a clear indication of their desire to address issues to do with alcohol and the aspects associated with that such as drink-driving. They have done a good job.

I returned back to Taranaki to open the hui of those associated with the Adult and Community Education sector. They do valuable work in the community. The hui was at Parihaka, which is just a small community in Taranaki and despite that there is a huge history associated with that place. I myself have had many visits to Parihaka when I was living there and it was great to revisit that icon of our history.

I came back to Tauranga to the hui of Te Tumu Whakarae, Maori who are involved with health boards throughout the country. We had a great interaction on health issues, which was fitting as I headed to Taupo to watch those crazy people involved in Iron Man and what an amazing group of people they are. It was great to see so many Maori, indeed a number from home, men and women. I could see the pain as well as the exhilaration on their faces, no doubt signs of how their bodies were feeling. Well done e hoa ma.

I welcome your feedback. Email your thoughts to mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz Phone (07) 350 3261.

Maori translation:

Kei nga kaipupuri o te mauri o te hunga kua ngaro ki te po, tena tatou katoa.

He rawe taku wiki kua hipa. I timata ra ano i Kawerau, a ki Taranaki, ki Tauranga, ki Taupo tae mai ki te kainga.

He rawe taku hikoi atu ki Kawerau. Ki taku i rongo ai, kua puta nga tamariki o te Kura hou (Tarawera High School) ki te whai ao whai muri mai i nga uauatanga kua paa kia ratou i ng? tau kua hipa. Ka mihi ra ki te Tumuaki, ki te Poari, ki nga kaiako tae atu ki nga tamariki. Ko te tumanako, akoakenei ka timata te mahi hanga whare hou mo tenei kura, a, he awhina nui pea tera kia huri te kei o te waka ki te paerangi. Kia kaha ki a koutou.

Mo te taone ahua paku nei ara ano nga mea papai e whakahaeretia ana i te hapori.

I tae au ki Brothers at Arms, ko tetahi whare hakinakina i hangaia e Raymond ratou ko
Richard Moon, ko Hayden Tamatea. No Kawerau tonu ratou, a, ahakoa i puta ki wahi ke
i muri mai i te kura, i puta te whakaaro kia hoki ratou ki Kawerau ki te tautoko i te hunga
tamariki. Ko ta ratou ko te whakaako i te Bazilian jujitsu me mixed martial arts ki nga tamariki pakupaku tae atu ki nga pakeke. I te wa i tae atu au, i whakahoki mai nga tauira i nga metara tekau i nga momo wahanga tekau ma rua. E hika ma, tena koutou e whakaaro nui nei mo te hapori.

Ka mihi ra ki nga Kaunihera a rohe o Kawerau, Opotiki me Whakatane. He aha ai? Ko te
tikanga, ko nga tukanga whakahaere a waipiro nei kei roto i nga ringaringa o nga kaunihera. Mena ka puta te whakatau o nga kaunihera kia kati nga kuaha o nga papara
kautu hei te rua karaka i te ata, koia tera, kaore i ko atu i ko mai.

Ko te mea nui ki a au ko te whakakotahitanga mai o nga whakaaro o nga kaunihera kia
ahua orite te korero mo nga taone nei i nga tikanga whakahaere mo te unu waipiro. He hiahia no ratou kia iti iho ko te porohaurangi a etahi me nga ahuatanga ka puta i te kaha unu waipiro ara ko te taraiwa haurangi nei me era momo mea. Ka pai hoki a ratou mahi.

Ko te mahi i Taranaki, hei whakatuwhera i te hui o te hunga whakahaere i te wahanga Adult and Community Education ara ko ACE. He rawe te mahi a tenei huna i wainga i te hapori. I Parihaka tenei hui, ara ko tetahi wahi paku nei i Taranaki engari ina ke te nui o nga korero mona. Ko au tetahi i taetae atu ki Parihaka i te wa i noho na au ki Taranaki, a, he rawe tonu toku hokinga ki tera kainga.

I hoki penei mai ki Tauranga ki te hui o Tumu Whakarae, he hui o nga Maori kei nga Poari a Hauora o te motu nei. He rawe a matou korero, whakawhitiwhiti whakaaro mo nga take a hauora.

I haere au ki te matakitaki i a Ngati Porangi o Iron Man, katahi nei tera hunga!!! He rawe tonu ko te kitenga atu i nga Maori ka mutu ko nga mea o te kainga tonu, tane mai,wahine mai. I kite atu au i te mamae me te harikoa o etahi, a, kaore e kore he tohu
tera ahuatanga i te ahua o te tinana. Mo te nuinga ka ahua nui ake i te tekau ma rua haora te roa o te kauhoe, o te paihikara, o te oma, e hoa ma me kaha mihi tatou ki tera hunga. No reira koia nei taku kei nga waewae kakama, kei nga tinana pakari, kei nga ngakau maro, tena koutou katoa.