WHAKATAKA TE HAU KI TE URU, WHAKATAKA TE HAU KI TE TONGA. KIA MAKINAKINA KI UTA, KIA MATARATARA KI TAI. E HI AKE ANA TE ATAKURA HE TIO, HE HUKA, HE HAUHUNGA. KO MIHINGARANGI TENEI E MIHI ATU NEI, NAU MAI, TAHUTI MAI RA. WELCOME TO THE HUI, MAORI CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR ALL NEW ZEALANDERS. ON TODAY'S SHOW, WE'RE IN VENICE WITH MAORI ARTIST LISA REIHANA, WHO'S REPRESENTING AOTEAROA AT THE VENICE BIENNALE, THE OLDEST AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS ART EXHIBITION IN THE WORLD. TO BE IN THIS PLACE, AMIDST THE BEST OF THE BEST, I'D SAY IT'S THE PINNACLE OF MY CAREER. AND INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN JOURNALIST AND BROADCASTER STAN GRANT TALKS TO US ABOUT THE STATE OF RACE RELATIONS ACROSS THE TASMAN. WHEN BRITISH PEOPLE LOOKED AT US, THEY SAW SOMETHING SUB-HUMAN. AND IF WE WERE HUMAN AT ALL, WE OCCUPIED THE LOWEST RUNG ON CIVILISATION'S LADDER. KARAHUIHUI MAI. FROM THE SPORTS FIELD TO BIG SCREEN, NEW ZEALAND HAS ALWAYS PUNCHED ABOVE ITS WEIGHT, AND THE WORLD OF CONTEMPORARY ART IS NO DIFFERENT. AWARD-WINNING MAORI ARTIST LISA REIHANA IS REPRESENTING AOTEAROA AT THE 57TH VENICE BIENNALE, THE MOST HIGHLY REGARDED ART EXHIBITION IN THE WORLD. THIS IS AOTEAROA'S EIGHT TIME AT THE EXCLUSIVE BIANNUAL EVENT, BUT A FIRST FOR THE EXPERIENCED ARTIST. REWA HARRIMAN CAUGHT UP WITH LISA IN VENICE. IT'S A CITY WHERE THE ART IS AS CLASSIC AS ITS ARCHITECTURE AND IS HOME TO THE OLDEST AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS ART EXHIBITION ON THE PLANET. THE MATATINI OF CONTEMPORARY ART. THIS IS THE VENICE BIENNALE. IT'S LIKE THE ART OLYMPICS. OVER 80 COUNTRIES ARE REPRESENTED, WITH 120 EXHIBITIONS, AND AMONGST THE WORLD'S ELITE, IS MAORI ARTIST LISA REIHANA. TO BE IN THIS PLACE AMIDST THE BEST OF THE BEST, IT'S THE PINNACLE OF MY CAREER. I THINK THIS IS A MOMENT THAT WILL PIVOT HER CAREER, AND IT'S JUST THE RIGHT TIME, AND IT'S RICHLY DESERVED. THE VENICE BIENNALE IS THE ONLY EXHIBITION IN THE WORLD WHERE THE ARTIST REPRESENTS THEIR COUNTRY. IT'S INVITE-ONLY AND LISA'S PIECE 'THE PURSUIT OF VENUS' SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. THIS PIECE IS EXTREMELY SPECIAL. I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD AN ARTWORK THAT CONNECTS WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES. EVERYWHERE YOU TURN IN VENICE, YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY ITS RICH HISTORY, ITS BUILDINGS, ITS SCULPTURES, THEY ALL TELL A STORY, AND THE PURSUIT OF VENUS BRINGS THE HISTORY OF AOTEAROA TO VENICE. AND IT'S SHOWING AT THE BIENNALE'S MOST SOUGHT AFTER LOCATION. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SHOWN IN THE ARSENALE. THIS IS ONE OF THEIR OFFICIAL VENUES OF THE BIENNALE SO THE VISITATION WILL BE EXTREMELY HIGH FOR THIS PARTICULAR PRESENTATION. I FEEL REALLY REALLY LUCKY TO BE THE FIRST. (LAUGHS) NOT BAD, EH? AWESOME. YEAH, IT'S PRETTY GOOD. NOT BAD AT ALL. LISA'S PIECE IS STUNNING. IT SPANS ACROSS A 26M WALL. A STORY ABOUT CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES AND THE ENCOUNTERS IN THE PACIFIC. THE WORK SPEAKS TO STORIES OF COLONISATION. SO I THINK OF MY ANCESTRY, IT'S A COMBINATION OF BEING THE COLONISER AND THE COLONISED. IT'S KIND OF A SAFE PLACE. LIKE, SHOWING ALL THESE VARIOUS STORIES THAT ARE INSPIRED BY CAPTAIN COOK'S JOURNALS, AND THEN RIFFING OFF THOSE AND TRYING TO GIVE IT A COUNTER-NARRATIVE, GIVING AN INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVE TO THESE STORIES. LISA USED THE LATEST IN DIGITAL AND VIDEO TECHNOLOGY. THE CHARACTERS WERE SHOT ON GREEN SCREENS AND THEN PLACED AGAINST A REWORKED HISTORICAL WALLPAPER. HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY CREATE WHAT YOU HAD IN YOUR MIND? IT'S TAKEN A LONG TIME TO PUT THIS WORK TOGETHER. THE DIFFICULTY WAS DISCOVERING A WAY TO MAKE IT, TECHNICALLY. THE OTHER WAS A TO FIND A GOOD, ETHICAL WAY TO PROCEED. I REALLY WANTED TO RAISE MONEY AND GIVE A KOHA TO EVERYONE WHO WORKED ON THE PROJECT, SO I SORT OF DID A SERIES OF VIDEO SHOOTS IN PREPARATION, AS I COULD AFFORD TO DO IT. LISA'S MASTERPIECE HAS TAKEN MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS TO COMPLETE. IT DEBUTED IN AUCKLAND IN 2015 TO RECORD NUMBERS, AND ITS EXPECTED TO GENERATE THE SAME HYPE HERE IN VENICE. TODAY IS THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NZ PAVILION. LISA MADE HER GRAND ENTRANCE ON THE DESDOTONA. IT'S THE LARGEST GONDOLA IN VENICE, WHICH REQUIRES 18 SPECIALIST ROWERS. IT'S THEIR NATIONAL TREASURE, AND THE PERFECT VESSEL TO BRING LISA AND THE NZ GOVERNOR GENERAL DAME PATSY REDDY TO SHORE. (KARANGA) IT'S STANDING ROOM ONLY AS PEOPLE GET THEIR FIRST GLIMPSE OF LISA'S SPECTACULAR PIECE AT ITS NEW HOME IN VENICE. (INDISTINCT CHATTER) A PROUD MOMENT FOR LISA AND HER WHANAU. IT'S JUST REALLY NICE TO ACTUALLY SEE OUR SISTER COME TO THE TOP OF THE MAUNGA AND TO BE THERE WITH HER AND SUPPORT HER, AND WE CAN'T EXPRESS HOW PROUD WE ARE. IT'S HUGE. IT'S HUGE FOR ALL OF US. IT'S KIND OF FUNNY BEING HERE AND WATCHING EVERYBODY CROWD AROUND HER, AND JUST PHOTOS, PHOTOS, PHOTOS. BUT SHE'S STILL JUST OUR AUNTY LISA ` WHO'S COOL AS. AND SHE'S JUST DOING THE WORK THAT SHE'S ALWAYS DONE. LISA HAS DEDICATED HER LIFE TO ART. IN A CAREER SPANNING MORE THAN 25 YEARS, THE EXPERIENCED ARTIST HAS SHOWN A NUMBER OF WORKS AT HOME AND ABROAD. HER WORK RIGHT NOW IS SUITABLE FOR INSTITUTIONS AND MAJOR GALLERIES AND MAJOR MUSEUMS ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND I THINK THIS WILL BE WHERE THIS TYPE OF WORK WILL TRAVEL. BUT VENICE IS ONE MOMENT, AND I THINK SHE HAS 20 YEARS OR 30 YEARS OF ART-MAKING AHEAD OF HER SO WHAT SHE DOES NEXT IS OVER TO HER. DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST EXHIBITION? MY FIRST EXHIBITION WAS REALLY FUNNY. THE CURATOR RANG ME UP, AND SHE SAID 'I'M AWFULLY EMBARRASSED. THERE'S BEEN A TYPO, AND WE'VE MISSPELT YOUR NAME,' AND I SAID, 'WHAT IS IT?' AND SHE SAID, 'LISA REI-HAHA,' AND I LAUGHED, AND I THOUGHT, 'OK, THIS IS GOING TO BE MY ART CAREER 'AND I'M GOING TO DO IT WITH GREAT GRACE AND HOPEFULLY WITH LOTS OF FUN 'AND WITH LOTS OF LAUGHTER ALONG THE WAY.' AND THERE'S BEEN MUCH LAUGHTER AND LEARNING WORKING ON THIS PIECE IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. HOW PROUD ARE YOU OF WHAT YOU'VE ACHIEVED IN THIS ART? IT'S AMAZING. I MEAN, TO BE AN ARTIST, IT'S QUITE A DIFFICULT THING TO DREAM UP AN IDEA, BUT THEN CREATE IT. AND I REALLY WANTED TO DO EVERYONE PROUD, THE PEOPLE I'M REPRESENTING. THAT'S A BIG THING TO DO, TO REPRESENT OTHER PEOPLE. WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THE WORK NOW, IT'S REMINDING ME OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE ON THE DAY. THE JOURNEY? YEAH, THE JOURNEY, AND THE PEOPLE I MET ALONG THE WAY, AND WHAT WE SHARED, THE STORIES WE TOLD, THE LUNCHES THAT WE HAD. PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THE FINISHED WORK, BUT FOR ME, IT'S EVERYTHING THAT I LEARNED ALONG THE WAY, THE GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT OF EVERYONE WHO HAS PARTAKEN IN THE PROJECT. GIVE IT BACK! NOW, THANKS TO LISA, THE PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC WILL BE FRONT AND CENTRE AT ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST GALLERIES, A FEAST FOR THE EYES AND THE HEART. THE TITLE OF THIS PROJECT IS 'IN PURSUIT OF VENUS'. VENUS IS THE PLANET, AND I'VE OFTEN USED AROHA AND REFERENCES TO LOVE IN MY WORK, AND THAT'S A FEELING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO IMBUE IT WITH, THAT SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY AND MANAAKITANGA. BRAVO, LISA. NA REWA HARRIMAN TERA PURONGO, AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND FOR THEIR SUPPORT WITH THAT STORY. KA NUI TE MIHI KI A KOUTOU. KEI TUA O NGA WHAKATAIRANGA KA TUTAKI TATOU I TE TOKI O TE AO PAPAHO TAKETAKE O AHITEREIRIA. WE TALK TO LEGENDARY ABORIGINAL BROADCASTER STAN GRANT NEXT. HOKI MAI ANO. LEADING INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN JOURNALIST AND BROADCASTER STAN GRANT HAS CARVED OUT AN ILLUSTRIOUS INTERNATIONAL CAREER AS A CNN CORRESPONDENT, REPORTING ON SOME OF THE WORLD'S BLOODIEST CONFLICTS. NOW A NEW GENERATION HAVE COME TO KNOW GRANT AFTER HE TOOK TO THE STAGE IN 2015 TO GIVE A ROUSING SPEECH ABOUT RACISM, DESCRIBING HOW THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM HAS IN FACT BEEN A MURDEROUS NIGHTMARE FOR HIS ABORIGINAL PEOPLE. HIS SPEECH HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A 'MARTIN LUTHER KING MOMENT'. STAN GRANT CONTINUES TO TALK ABOUT RACE RELATIONS IN HIS NEW BOOK 'TALKING TO MY COUNTRY'. HE SPOKE TO REPORTER RUWANI PERERA ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF GROWING UP AS AN INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN. WERE YOU EVER ASHAMED TO BE ABORIGINAL? I WAS NEVER ASHAMED TO BE ABORIGINAL, BUT WE WERE MADE TO FEEL ASHAMED TO BE ABORIGINAL. TO BE ABORIGINAL WAS ALWAYS CAST AS SOMETHING... DIRTY. YOU KNOW, WE WERE OUTSIDERS. WE WERE MARGINALISED. AUSTRALIA HAD NO PRIDE IN US, AND WE FELT THAT, YOU KNOW? WHEN YOU ARE AN OUTSIDER, WHEN YOU ARE MARGINALISED, WHEN YOU'RE MADE TO FEEL AS IF YOU DON'T BELONG, IT EATS AWAY AT THE SENSE OF SELF-ESTEEM AND THAT PRIDE. BUT I WAS REALLY LUCK TO COME FROM AN INCREDIBLY STRONG FAMILY WHO WOULD NOT ACCEPT THAT. WE WERE PROUD OF WHO WE ARE. YOU'VE KNOWN WHAT IT'S LIKE TO STRUGGLE. YEAH. WE WERE POOR. ABORIGINAL PEOPLE HAD NOTHING. AND NOT JUST POOR, WONDERING, 'CAN WE GO TO A MOVIE TONIGHT?' 'CAN WE UPGRADE OUR CAR?' WE WERE POOR. 'WILL THERE BE A MEAL ON THE TABLE?' MY FAMILY WAS ESSENTIALLY HOMELESS FOR THE FIRST 13 YEARS OR 14 YEARS OF MY LIFE. MY FATHER WORKED WHEREVER HE COULD. MY MOTHER CLEANED HOUSES, OR WHATEVER SHE COULD DO TO TRY TO MAKE ENDS MEET. FOR THESE BOYS, THIS IS THE ONLY WORLD THEY KNOW. FOR MANY OF THEM, IT MAY BE THE ONLY WORLD THEY WILL EVER KNOW. WE'RE GOING TO GET ON THIS TRAIN HERE. WE'RE TRAVELLING FOR ABOUT FIVE HOURS UNTIL WE ACTUALLY GET TO THE SATELLITE LAUNCH SITE ITSELF. DESPITE NORTH KOREA'S ASSURANCES, THE SCEPTICISM IS GOING TO REMAIN, PARTICULARLY FROM THE UNITED STATES, ALWAYS WARY ABOUT THE INTENTIONS OF AN UNPREDICTABLE COUNTRY. STAN GRANT, CNN, TONGCHANG-RI, NORTH KOREA. HOW DO YOU GO FROM A MAIL BOY A VETERAN JOURNALIST WHO'S TRAVELLED THE GLOBE? I WONDER THAT MYSELF. I DIDN'T HAVE A GREAT EDUCATION. THERE WERE NONE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMAGINE A LIFE OF UNIVERSITY AND THEN TRAVEL. IT WAS JUST BEYOND ANYTHING I COULD THINK OF. I WAS PUSHING A TROLLEY AROUND THE INSTITUTE OF ABORIGINAL STUDIES IN CANBERRA. MY UNCLE WAS THE JANITOR. I DELIVERED THE MAIL. AND THERE WAS A WOMAN THERE NAMED MARCIA LANGDON. SHE WAS A YOUNG RESEARCHER DO A PHD AT THE TIME, I THINK, AND SHE WAS THE ONE WHO PULLED ME ASIDE AND SAID, 'YOU CAN DO MORE WITH YOUR LIFE. 'WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE?' THE POSSIBILITY OF UNIVERSITY AND STUDY AND A LIFE OF IDEAS AND TRAVEL WAS NOT BEYOND ME. SHE INSPIRED AND ENCOURAGED ME TO DO THAT, AND THEN WHEN I WENT INTO JOURNALISM, I FOUND THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE WHO WOULD ENCOURAGE ME, WHO WOULD REACH OUT TO ME, GIVE ME OPPORTUNITIES, SUPPORT ME. I'VE NEVER LACKED FOR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT, GREAT INDIGENOUS ROLE MODELS AND THAT FOUNDATION OF STRENGTH THAT COMES FROM THAT REALLY SECURE FAMILY. YOU PUT THOSE THINGS TOGETHER, AND ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. YOU'VE NEVER WANTED TO BE AN INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS REPORTER. NO. BEING INDIGENOUS IS NOT ALL WE ARE. IT IS WHO WE ARE, BUT IT'S NOT ALL WE ARE. IT'S THE EYES THROUGH WHICH WE SEE THE WORLD, BUT I ALSO WANT TO SEE THE WORLD. I WANT TO BE PART OF THE WORLD. I WAS VERY MINDFUL WHEN I WENT INTO JOURNALISM THAT I NOT BE PUT IN A BOX. THAT BOX THAT'S STAMPED 'INDIGENOUS'. AND YOU'RE PUSHED INTO THE CORNER, AND THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER BE, AND THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER DO. I WASN'T GOING TO DO THAT. I WASN'T GOING TO BE ANYONE'S TOKEN. IF I WAS GOING TO SUCCEED AS A JOURNALIST, I WANTED TO SUCCEED AS A JOURNALIST ON MY TERMS, TO SUCCEED AS A JOURNALIST BECAUSE I WAS GOOD AT IT. AND I KNEW THAT I COULD BE GOOD AT IT. STAN, HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED RACISM DURING YOUR CAREER? YEAH, I'VE EXPERIENCED IT VERY DIRECTLY. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY LOOSE WITH THEIR LANGUAGE. PEOPLE WHO WOULD USE OFFENSIVE TERMS ` PARTICULARLY EARLY IN MY CAREER. I WOULD HEAR OFFENSIVE TERMS THROWN AROUND. I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO REPEAT THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE SO OFFENSIVE. BUT THERE WAS A CASUAL WAY WITH LANGUAGE THAT WAS INCREDIBLY OFFENSIVE. AND I HAD TO ENDURE THAT. BUT I MADE A DECISION VERY EARLY ON. 'AM I GOING TO FIGHT EVERY SINGLE BATTLE? 'AM I GOING TO FIGHT EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO USES A WORD THAT I MAY FIND OFFENSIVE? 'OR AM I GOING TO WIN THE BIG BATTLE? AM I GOING TO BE BETTER THAN THEM?' THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM. WE SING OF IT, AND WE RECITE IT IN VERSE. 'AUSTRALIANS ALL, LET US REJOICE FOR WE ARE YOUNG AND FREE.' MY PEOPLE DIE YOUNG IN THIS COUNTRY. WE DIE 10 YEARS YOUNGER THAN AVERAGE AUSTRALIANS. AND WE ARE FAR FROM FREE. YOU MADE AUSTRALIA SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE IN 2015. WHAT'S CHANGED SINCE YOUR SPEECH? A LOT'S CHANGED FOR ME. SUDDENLY, AFTER GIVING A SPEECH THAT I DIDN'T REALLY THINK WAS PARTICULARLY REMARKABLE, IT WAS THE STORY OF MY FAMILY, IT WAS HOW I SEE THE WORLD, AND HOW I SEE MYSELF IN THE WORLD, BUT IT CAPTURED A MOMENT. IT CAME AT A TIME WHEN AUSTRALIANS WERE GRAPPLING WITH THAT SENSE OF WHO WE ARE, WERE OPEN TO A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DARKER PARTS OF OUR HISTORY, AND I THINK ALSO I WAS VERY CONSCIOUS OF NOT WANTING TO BLAME PEOPLE. NOT WANTING TO HOLD PEOPLE TO ACCOUNT OR MAKE PEOPLE GUILTY ABOUT THIS HISTORY, BUT TO SAY IT IS OUR HISTORY. IT'S MY HISTORY. IT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY. IT'S YOUR HISTORY. IT IS THE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA. LET'S NOT SHY AWAY FROM IT. WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT IT WAS SUCH A HIT, EVEN GLOBALLY? YEAH. OTHER ABORIGINAL PEOPLE HAVE SAID THE SAME THING. IT'S NOT A STORY THAT WAS UNKNOWN TO OUR PEOPLE. THIS WAS A LIVED EXPERIENCE. WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY HAS HAPPENED TO ALL OF OUR FAMILIES. A LOT OF IT WAS TIMING. AND PEOPLE KNEW WHO I WAS. THEY KNEW WHO I WAS FROM THE MEDIA AND THAT FAMILIARITY MADE THEM FEEL, I THINK, PART OF THE CONVERSATION. AND AUSTRALIA TODAY? YOU STILL DON'T HAVE A TREATY. YOU'RE STILL NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION. NO. IT'S BEEN A LONG HARD STRUGGLE FOR OUR PEOPLE. INITIALLY, IT WAS BELIEVED THAT WE WOULD DIE OUT. IT WAS SAID THAT THEY WERE SMOOTHING THE DYING PILLOW. TODAY WE HAVE MORE UNIVERSITY GRADUATES THAN EVER BEFORE. WE HAVE DOCTORS AND LAWYERS AND ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS AND TEACHERS AND JOURNALISTS. WE ARE SUCCEEDING IN SO MANY WAYS, AND YET, WE ARE STILL THE MOST IMPOVERISHED IN THE COUNTRY AS WELL. THIS STRUGGLE BETWEEN THOSE WHO CAN SUCCEED AND BE PART OF AUSTRALIA AND THOSE WHO ARE STILL CARRYING THE WEIGHT OF OUR HISTORY AND ARE LOCKED OUR OF AUSTRALIA AND MIRED IN POVERTY AND INTERGENERATIONAL POVERTY AND NEGLECT AND ABUSE AND INJUSTICE, THAT STRUGGLE TO OVERCOME THAT WEIGHS SO HEAVILY ON AUSTRALIA STILL. SO AUSTRALIA, LIKE ALL COUNTRIES, IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. WE OFTEN COME FROM A VERY DARK PLACE, AND OUR STRUGGLE IS TO MAKE OURSELVES A BETTER PLACE. AND ONE DAY, I WANT TO STAND HERE AND BE ABLE TO SAY AS PROUDLY AND SING AS LOUDLY AS ANYONE ELSE IN THIS ROOM, 'AUSTRALIANS ALL, LET US REJOICE.' THANK YOU. (APPLAUSE) KO STAN GRANT TERA. KIA MAU TONU MAI RA E TE IWI, A KO AKE NEI KA KORERO AHAU KI A NGARIMU BLAIR MO TE TONO A NGATI WHATUA KI TE HOKO I TE WAPU O TAMAKI MAKAURAU. WE TALK TO NGATI WHATUA SPOKESMAN NGARIMU BLAIR ABOUT THE TRIBE'S PROPOSAL TO BUY THE PORTS OF AUCKLAND. KEI TE MATAKITAKI KOUTOU I A TE HUI. NGATI WHATUA'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT WANTS TO BUY THE PORTS OF AUCKLAND HAS SENT DOWNTOWN AUCKLAND INTO A SPIN THIS WEEK. THE PORTS OF AUCKLAND IS CURRENTLY OWNED BY AUCKLAND COUNCIL INVESTMENTS, AND IT'S VALUED AT $1.1B. IT'S A BIG ASSET FOR A CITY STRUGGLING TO MEET NEW INFRASTRUCTURE DEMANDS. BEFORE THE COUNCIL OWNED THE LAND, NGATI WHATUA OCCUPIED AND OWNED IT, AND IF THERE IS A CHANCE IT MAY BE OFFERED UP, THE IWI IS MAKING IT CLEAR THEY WANT TO HIT THE 'BUY NOW' BUTTON. JOINING ME NOW TO TELL US WHY AND HOW IS NGATI WHATUA SPOKESMAN NGARIMU BLAIR. TENA KOE. KIA ORA. YOU'VE SAID YOU ARE THE NATURAL OWNERS OF THAT PIECE OF LAND. TELL US WHAT IS THE TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY LINKS TO THE WHENUA. YEAH, WE ARE THE NATURAL OWNER. IN 1840 WE OWNED IT FROM POINT ERIN, OKA PA; THROUGH TO ONEMARU O HOA TAU, ST MARY'S BAY BEACH; THROUGH TE TOO, BEAUMONT ST; WAIATARAU, VICTORIA PARK; HURATU, QUEEN ST; OVER TO TAURARUA AND TE TUANGA ROA, WHICH WE ACTUALLY OWN TODAY, FROM THAT POINT, THOSE ARE OUR PA SITES. THOSE ARE WHERE WE GARDENED. THOSE ARE WHERE WE FISHED, AND THEY'VE ALL BEEN RECLAIMED. FIRSTLY BY THE AUCKLAND HARBOUR BOARD, COMING FROM THE WEST, ALL THE WAY TO THE EAST. AND IN 1858, THEY HAD A CHANGE IN THEIR LEGISLATION, WHICH MEANT THAT THEY COULD RECLAIM SOME LAND AND THEN SELL IT. AND SO PRETTY MUCH EVER SINCE THAT DAY, IT'S KIND OF BEEN THEIR BUSINESS MODEL. RECLAIM, SELL, RECLAIM, SELL. SO THEY CONTINUED TO DO IT, AND IF THIS IS UP FOR SALE, GIVEN WE OWNED IT IN 1840, WE'RE PREPARED TO BUY IT BACK. AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO JUST BE GIFTED IT BACK. YOU WANT TO ACTUALLY BUY IT BACK. WELL, IN 1996, WE HAD OUR CLAIM FOR THE SEABED. 1996, THAT IS, AND FOR DOWNTOWN AUCKLAND, AND INSTEAD OF WAITING TO LODGE AND CLAIM AND HEAR IT OUT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT, WE JUST SAID IF ANY OF THAT LAND COMES UP, WE WILL BUY IT. AND SO THE VIADUCT HARBOUR GOT DEVELOPED, WE SAID WE'D LIKE TO BUY IT. WE DIDN'T GET TO BUY IT. SOMEONE ELSE DID. UH, WHEN THE RAILWAYS' 20HA CAME UP, WE SAID WE'D BUY IT, AND WE PUT $44M ON THE TABLE, AND IT WAS ACCEPTED BY THE CROWN OF THAT TIME. WE JUST SEE THIS AS NO DIFFERENT. IF THIS DID COME TO FRUITION, IF IT DID, WHAT WOULD NGATI WHATUA'S VISION BE FOR THAT STRIP OF LAND? IF YOU SEE THE PUBLIC DEBATES OVER THE LAST DECADE, AND LAST YEAR IT HEIGHTENED, IT WAS AUCKLANDERS SEE THE PORT` UM, IT'S IN THE WRONG PLACE. IT SHOULDN'T BE IN DOWNTOWN AUCKLAND ANY MORE. IT'S INEVITABLE THAT IT'S GOING TO SHIFT. WHO KNOWS WHERE? IT COULD BE DOWN IN THE THAMES AREA, IT COULD BE INTO THE MANUKAU. THAT'S WHAT THE STUDIES SHOW ` THEY COULD MOVE TO THOSE PLACES. SO YOU'D SUPPORT THE SHIFT OF THE PORTS? YEAH, WE WERE PART OF THAT CAM` THE CONTAINER PART OF IT. WE WERE PART OF THAT CAMPAIGN WITH THE PUBLIC LAST YEAR. SO, IN 30 YEARS, THERE'S GOING TO BE TOO MUCH TRAFFIC COMING INTO DOWNTOWN AUCKLAND. IT HAS TO SHIFT. THE PUBLIC WANNA GET GREATER CONNECTIONS TO THE WAITEMATA INSTEAD OF STANDING BEHIND THE RED FENCE AND TOLD TO KEEP OUT, WHICH THEY HAVE. SO WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE ALONG THERE? WOULD THERE BE GREEN SPACES? WOULD IT BE PUBLIC SPACES? COS THAT'S WHAT I` WE'RE HEARING THAT PEOPLE WANT. YEAH, FANTASTIC GREEN SPACES. THE CITY NEEDS TO BREATHE SO PEOPLE CAN RECONNECT WITH THE WAITEMATA AGAIN, INSTEAD OF RECLAIMING FURTHER OUT INTO IT. UM, THERE'LL BE PLACES TO LIVE, YOU KNOW, BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO LIVE, WITH HOTELS ALSO, UM, RESTAURANTS, CAFES, AND TO BRING EVEN MORE PEOPLE INTO AUCKLAND, AND GIVE THEM A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR PEOPLE WHO CURRENTLY WORK ON THE WHARVES? DO YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR THEM? WELL, I GUESS THEY WOULD SHIFT TO WHERE THE WORK GOES, WHEREVER THAT IS IN THE COUNTRY WHERE THE PORT WOULD EVENTUALLY END UP. SO WE HAVE NAG PUHI WANTING A PORT BUSINESS TO HEAD UP THERE. WE THINK THAT'S GREAT. PEOPLE WANT IT FURTHER SOUTH SO PEOPLE WILL FOLLOW THE WORK, BUT WOULD BE IN ITS PLACE IS EVEN MORE WORK, EVEN MORE JOBS. DISCUSSIONS, WHERE ARE YOU AT WITH DISCUSSIONS? THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONJECTURE THIS WEEK, OF PEOPLE SAYING, 'NO, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN,' OR IT MIGHT. A CONVERSATION HAS STARTED. TELL US, WHO HAVE YOU SPOKE TO AND WHAT ARE THEY SAYING? WE TALK ABOUT THESE IDEAS WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE. WE HAVE DEFINITELY TALKED WITH OTHER IWI IN AUCKLAND. WE'VE ALSO TALKED WITH OTHER IWI OUTSIDE OF AUCKLAND, WHO ARE VERY INTERESTED IN BUYING BIG INFRASTRUCTURE, PIECES OF INFRASTRUCTURE. YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T DO THIS BY OURSELVES. IT'S IN OUR BACKYARD. WE THINK WE SHOULD LEAD IT. SO, WE ARE TALKING WITH OTHER IWI, AND WE'VE ALSO HAD PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SUPERFUND ABOUT LOTS OF INVESTMENTS AND INCLUDING THIS. BUT THIS ONE, THEY'RE NOT FORMAL, BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY LOOK TO RAMP THAT UP. WOULD NGATI WHATUA DEVELOP IT ITSELF OR WOULD YOU JUST OWN THE LAND AND OTHERS WOULD DEVELOP ON TOP OF THAT? HOW WOULD IT WORK? WHAT'S THE BUSINESS PLAN? WELL, IT'S PRETTY EARLY DAYS, BUT WE'RE AN IWI. WE'RE DRIVEN BY TRYING TO GET OUR LAND AND OUR SEABED BACK. AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE PREPARED TO BUY IT, SO THAT'S ALWAYS THE FIRST AIM FOR US, IS TO GET THE LAND BACK. AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS ON TOP ` AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE A FEW PEOPLE, NOT JUST US ON OUR OWN - BUT WHAT HAPPENS ON TOP, WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. SINCE YOU'VE RAISED THE FLAG THIS WEEK AND SAID THAT YOU WANTED TO BUY YOUR WHENUA BACK, WHAT HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN? WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? IT'S BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE. I THINK IF WE'D SAID THIS 10 YEARS AGO, PEOPLE WOULD'VE JUST LAUGHED OR IT WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN HIT THE NEWS, BUT WE HAVE GOT SOME RESPECT OUT THERE IN THE MARKET. WE ALMOST HAVE A BILLION-DOLLAR ASSET RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S GROWING, AND SO WE CAN PUT THIS CONSORTIUM TOGETHER AND WE DO MEAN BUSINESS. KA PAI. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. WE HOPE TO TALK TO YOU MORE ABOUT THIS IN THE FUTURE. TENA KOE. KIA ORA. THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY, HUI HOPPERS. WE'LL POST LINKS TO THE SHOW ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND ON TWITTER @THEHUINZ, AND YOU'LL FIND ALL OUR STORIES ON THE NEWSHUB WEBSITE. KUA HIKINA TE HUI MO TENEI RA. THE NATION'S NEXT. PAI MARIRE KI A TATOU KATOA. CAPTIONS BY TOM PEDLAR WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2017