Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Twyford and Parker propose new urban development policy statement, Tamihere unveils transport plans, and Māori King issues challenge on child abuse. For a lead today, a nudge towards one of those deeply dense announcements that could end up having a huge impact on the cities … Read more
New Zealand’s largest construction company and controversial owner of the disputed Ihumātao land near Auckland airport has made a $164m profit, a big turnaround from its losses last year. Business editor Maria Slade analyses what it all means. What has Fletcher Building announced? The construction and building products company with operations on both sides of … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Law changes likely over prison mail system, sharp drops in Northland vaccinations, and PM still has no plans to visit Ihumātao. Law changes are looking likely over what mail prisoners can send and receive. One News has reported on the announcement made by PM Jacinda Ardern, which … Read more
The land protection movement at Ihumātao may have wrongly been pitted as rangatahi versus rangatira, but there’s no denying it has given rise to a new generation of leaders and values. Have Treaty settlements and tribally controlled assets changed how iwi leaders see land, and is it time for recalibration? The tension that gave rise … Read more
RNZ journalist Te Aniwa Hurihanganui was about to catch a plane home from Auckland when an Air New Zealand worker saw her name on her passport and asked, how on earth did you spell that as a kid? It wasn’t the first time. I had just spent three days at Ihumātao, the 32-hectare land-block in … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Major new IPCC report released, Queenstown’s mayor puts a halt on airport expansion plans, and abortion bill passes first reading. The latest major, global climate change report has given a more complete picture of the damage being done to land itself. The IPCC report details how … Read more
An exhibition of Dutch-New Zealand artist Theo Schoon at the City Gallery in Wellington has set off a debate about the place of racially problematic work in public spaces. Lana Lopesi reports on the ongoing protests, and how they connect to the activism at Ihumātao. When Theo Schoon: A Biography by Damian Skinner was released … Read more
Tensions at the Ihumātao occupation in Māngere, south Auckland escalated last night after a dramatic increase in police numbers. Hundreds gathered at Ihumātao on Monday night as police increased their presence, cutting off the road and refusing blankets to shivering land protectors. Around 30 officers have been at the whenua since July 23, when a … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Shape of abortion law reform announced, dramatic night plays out at Ihumātao, and opposition brews to Catholic Cathedral decision in Christchurch. The reforms to abortion law have been formally announced, and they will fulfil a long-term promise from the PM and her government. Abortion will be … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Greens push policy at restive annual conference, police alarm Ihumātao protectors by showing rifles, and two major stories about dodgy historic rubbish dumps. The Green Party have held their annual conference over the weekend, and it heralded both policy drives, and organisational blows. We’ll start with … Read more
Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden, Michèle A’Court tackle the past month in women, with thanks to our friends at The Women’s Bookshop. This month on On the Rag, we have a lot of making up to do after skipping out on our July episode. You haven’t missed much though, because Brian Tamaki is still screaming about abortion … Read more
A new poem by Motueka writer and performer Donna McLeod. Ihumātao Our first born is holding the blue line. Blessed by mana whenua kaumātua, Kīngitanga, an eviction notice is served. Houses can be built on confiscated land, deals have been struck. Our first born is their visual might. Our first born is still holding the … Read more
Māori protests in New Zealand have often been led by women. From the suffrage movement in the late 1800s to the fight for Ihumātao today, here are five wāhine Māori leaders who faced large criticism, but left larger legacies. “The protest at Ihumātao is a feminist issue,” explained Pania Newton during a hīkoi of the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Massive bill looms for water overhaul, Five Eyes countries discuss backdoors for encrypted apps, and could Ihumātao lead to Māori politics reorganisation? Central government is set to take significantly more power over the water systems of New Zealand. The measures announced by minister for local government Nanaia … Read more
One thing that has set the fight for Ihumātao apart is the confidence with which multi-media digital communication has been deployed to spread the message far and wide. Peter McKenzie looks at the new tools of the revolution. The message was sparse. “Tomorrow, midday, Wellington Cenotaph, there is a rally against the confiscation of land … Read more
Annabelle Lee-Mather, Toby Manhire and Ben Thomas feast on the political morsels of the month. including the National Party conference and a challenge to Jacinda Ardern over Ihumātao. Plus: a new jingle. The Gone By Lunchtime team look at Simon Bridges’ efforts to firm up his leadership with just over a year to the election, … Read more
The dispute over land at Ihumātao in southwest Auckland dates back to the wars of 1863, and has been characterised as New Zealand’s ‘trail of tears’. Since 2016 an occupation has been in place at Kaitiaki Village as part of an effort to protect the land from development by Fletcher Residential, who want to build … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Swine fever boosts meat export figures, SOUL whānau vote to stay put at Ihumātao, and National has another good poll. The threat of swine fever has also provided an opportunity for New Zealand meat farmers. The NZ Herald reports meat exports are up as a result of the disease … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: National launches major policy on cancer drug funding, popular support swells for Ihumātao protectors as govt steps in, and ski industry workers face snow drought. National have announced big plans for cancer drug funding if they win in 2020. At the party’s annual conference, leader Simon … Read more
The current standoff at Ihumātao has deep roots in the legacy of colonialism and land confiscation. Historian Vincent O’Malley writes about how it was taken by the Crown, and why that matters today. The New Zealand Wars may have ended nearly 150 years ago. But their consequences continue to be felt today. Nowhere is that … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Protests spread around Ihumātao, activists furious about ship coming in with Saharan phosphate, and Sleepyhead plans massive company town in north Waikato. As the standoff between police and protectors at Ihumātao continues, protests have spread to other parts of the country. Land that is culturally significant … Read more
A number of activists have been arrested tonight after attempting to blockade Auckland’s Southwestern Motorway, as part of an ongoing standoff between police and land protectors at Ihumātao. However, a spokesperson for the group coordinating the occupation say they did not know the action was going to take place. Just after 5pm today a red … Read more
Aroha Bridge writer and director Coco Solid talks about the new characters on the show, the ‘psychic vat of reality’ that birthed them, and her Ihumātao call-out of PM Jacinda Ardern. In season two of locally made cartoon series Aroha Bridge, 10-year old wunderkind pop star Angeline announces on television: “I’m Māori so obviously I … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: What PM Boris Johnson could mean for NZ, Uyghur refugee in NZ fears long arm of Chinese law, and govt sets out on path towards RMA reform. There was a huge amount of interest yesterday in Boris Johnson becoming PM of Britain, so today we’ll … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Tax break for oil rigs raises subsidy questions, crackdown by police against Ihumātao occupation, and Boris Johnson set to become UK PM. A story about tax breaks for oil rigs has shown how difficult disentangling from the fossil fuels industry will be. Writing on Stuff, Henry Cooke … Read more
After months of protest, the last occupants were moved off Ihumātao in south Auckland by police this afternoon. Don Rowe reports. Most of the occupants of Ihumātao had been moved on. The police, numbering at least 30, had finally made good on their promise to remove mana whenua from Kaitiaki Village, enforcing Fletcher Building’s demands … Read more
As part of the University of Otago’s Maya-Māori cultural economy exchange last month, four Mayan academics visited New Zealand to share their experiences of colonisation. Alice Webb-Liddall spoke to the group about what indigenous people can learn from their shared experiences. “It’s easy to get stuck in a bubble of your own survival,” says Maria … Read more
The fight to save Ihumātao has been raging for years. Now, with the arrival of the Fletcher diggers imminent, the kaitiaki are staying true to their peaceful, positive protest approach. On a sunny day out in south Auckland, the handful of people at Ihumātao are stuck into work early, painting chairs, stacking firewood and cleaning … Read more
For Auckland is a new Spinoff podcast of civic conversations with people working to create and sustain a better Auckland for all. In episode three, host Timothy Giles speaks to Pania Newton about the fight for Ihumātao. So much of New Zealand history is defined by our conflict over land. In Māngere, south Auckland, the … Read more