- Te kahui whetu i te rangi, whakarongo iho ra titiro iho ra. Te whanau marama ki a Ranginui e tu iho nei ko te tau hou Maori e whakatau ake nei. Whano, whano, whano mai te tau hou. Haumi e, hui e, taiki e! This week on the Hui ` kaumatua in the Far North have been left out in the cold ` not living, just surviving. - We've got no power, no water, no toilet. - But one man is trying to make a difference. - Ko au ko koe, ko koe ko au ` what is theirs is mine, what is mine is theirs. Even the suffering. - Plus ` she's the queen of the track. - Wow! Zoe Hobbs has broken 11 seconds! - Zoe Hobbs is about to make history, becoming the first Kiwi woman to sprint at the Olympics in almost 50 years. - It's a really special moment for me. It's something that I've worked towards my whole life, so... Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2024 - Te hunga e arohatia ana kua kopania atu ki nga tatau o te po. Haere. Tatou kei te pito ora, tihewa mauriora! And welcome back to the Hui. Kaumatua living rough under tarpaulins and in shacks are a sadly more frequent sight in the Far North, and community leaders expect an increasing number of elderly in Northland without a roof over their heads this winter. After years of facing adversity, many of them have given up finding more secure housing. Mea nei te purongo a John Boynton. (WISTFUL GUITAR MUSIC) - It's going. - JOHN BOYNTON: 66-year-old Riria Reid is living in a tent near Waitangi. This will be her first winter here. - Did you ever think at 66 years old, you'd be living in a tent? - No. - Mm. - No. - In the Far North, the number of kaumatua living in poverty is growing. - We've got no water, no power, no toilet. - Did you have a whare before you came here? - Yes, I did, until my husband died. - Mm. What would it mean to have a whare? - It would be great. It really would be great. - It's heartbreaking for us all to see, especially our elders suffering in this way. The most hurtful thing that resonates with me is that they've been living this life for far too long, and what I mean by that is they've normalised it. They've given up, because things don't look like they're going to get better. They've just accepted that this is their fate. You slip into that belief that no one cares. And if no one cares ` 'Well, then I'll just get used to what I'm going through. I'll get used to the way I live.' (RAIN PATTERS HEAVILY) - As a storm front approaches, Roddy Pihema is checking in on vulnerable whanau. - Coming into winter, we find that the majority of our people get ill. - This is totally different from the last time you were here. - Three kaumatua live at this site. One lives in this leaking caravan, while another sleeps in this shack. - Many of them have sought help. Many of them have tried to find avenues to receive that help, but have not met the criteria, not met the terms and conditions. So, basically, they've convinced themself that it's OK, that they can live like this. When I look at the way that our people are living today, they're not living. They're surviving. - Dada, my turn. - Roddy is a local board chairman in Moerewa. His own home is humble, and he knows the struggle many whanau face trying to survive. - Oh, the pressure's always there ` it's constantly there. - But it's in his blood to be a champion for his community. - I grew up in a world where whanaungatanga, connections, meant something, when everyone pitched in to help the next person. - One whanaunga he's been supporting is his cousin Te Enga Harris. - Finding ways to give a dignified way of charity, where they're not assuming that you're taking their independence or their power away from them, but supporting them without taking their mana from them. - Te Enga is living on whanau whenua in Mangamuka. - It's my happy place. It's where I talk to the whenua, the whenua talks back. (DELICATE MUSIC) It's where I have good memories. - However, much of her whanau have lost their connection to their whenua. - My family are entrenched in prisons, in mental health, in state wards. I've been a state ward in 1964 ` 60 years. - It's back home where she's been able to heal. - Well, I consider this to be my pharmacy. It's the bush. That's where all our rongoa comes from. There's lots of things about here that help me... let go. - The 69-year-old has been living here since 2019. - This is actually where I slept last night, behind the wheel, so my blankets are just shoved over there. In the back, it's my blankets, boxes and food. - How do you cook your kai? - On a gas ` either outside, or... I got gas, anyway. - Do you have power up here? - No. No. 18 years of belongings that you will see stacked around the place, cos I got no storage. - All of Te Enga's possessions ` her clothes, furniture, books ` are either covered by thin tarpaulins... - So these are my storage of my stuff, and they're getting wet. - ...or in this rat-infested caravan. - I wish I could ventilate it and open the airs, cos I'm breathing rat shit standing here. - But there are many more homeless whanau like her living in Mangamuka. - I was told there's actually 90 homeless here. And some of them are too shy, or shamed or whatever, but, you know, our people don't put our hands up. We'll rather suffer in silence. - With no running water, Te Enga is often at her local awa. - So I usually go about halfway out, where the water's clean, and it's freezing normally, but I'm used to it. - She says many homeless whanau will use the awa over the coming winter months. - It's cloudy at the moment, so it's paru. When I come here, it's for rocks, having a wash myself, doing the washing and taking the water home. - RODDY: We live in 2024, and the way that our elders are living is like they are still in the 1800s ` having water that comes straight from rivers, knowing that these rivers have... you know, effluent going into them. We have so many of our kaumatua, kuia living rough, without the basic necessities of life, which is clean, fresh water, food, and, of course, safe, secure and warm shelter. - The issues are complex, but attempts are being made to solve the housing crisis. - Far North District Council and Ngapuhi Hauora have established a beautiful complex over in Kaikohe. - Down on the end here. - Right. 'This is Te Kohekohe - a new social housing development.' - This is our three-bedroom unit. - 20-year-old Hori Tane is one of the project leads. - Far North Holdings and Te Hau Ora o Ngapuhi have partnered to provide 64 units for the community. The goal is to have as many of the most needy that are in the community that need a dry, warm home over the winter ` so, ranging from kaumatua to many whanau with their tamariki, mainly in the local area. - There's already a long waiting list for these whare, and some whanau will miss out. - Well, I believe this is a very good start, but there's still a large need up in the north. Many more of developments like this are needed up here to be able to provide what our people need. - Te Kohekohe took 10 years to come to life, and there's an urgent need for more whare. - It takes so long because of the policies that are put in place by central governments. The whole problem stems back to central governance. We invest more in corporate business than we are in our people. (TENSE STRING MUSIC) This winter's going to be hard. - Must be at breaking point, though, in these times? - Ko au ko koe, ko koe ko au. What is theirs is mine, what is mine is theirs. Even the suffering. - Does it get overwhelming? - Yeah, the struggles and the tribulations, and the trials and the setbacks, but you don't live there. You got to get up. - No, it's been a pretty hard few years for myself. But... you carry on. - Papa i te aroha ne. After the break, Far North mayor Te Kahika Moko Tepania joins us live from Kaikohe in Te Tai Tokerau. Kia ita tonu mai. Ever wished you could live in Bluey's World for real life? Well, that's all of Queensland. So come play! It's Keepy Uppy! Whoo! You'll love all of Queensland. It's Bluey's World for real life! Ko te Hui tenei, e aronui ana ki te hunga e noho pohara ana, e pangia ana e te rawakore, te kore whare. Following on from John Boynton's harrowing account of the plight of many kaumatua in Te Tai Tokerau, and then a massive power cut affecting all of the Far North last week, we are now joined by the Mayor of the Far North, ko te kahika tenei korero he ake nei. Moko Tepania joins us now ` e te Kahika, tena koe. - Tena koe, whanaunga. - Thank you very much for your time. We really do appreciate it. Can I get your response, e te Kahika Moko, to what you've seen in the story from John? - Oh, e tangi ana taku ngakau ne. My heart absolutely breaks when you see the realities that kaumatua, kuia, that whanau up here in the Far North are living in, and how they have to live because of the circumstances that have left them in this situation. It absolutely breaks my heart. - So let's talk about what can be done ` now, I know, as was mentioned in the story, Te Kohekohe and other initiatives that the council and the community are trying to do together ` but who is responsible, do you think, to try to help resolve the issues that are being faced? Is it council? Is it community? Is it central government ` or all three? - Oh, it's definitely all three. I mean, we're only one player in this game as a council, but we recognise that we have a role to serve our community, and to be a voice for our community as well in the space. A lot of it does come down to central government, though, and the role that they and their agencies play in looking after our people. And the situation isn't a lot better for whanau who are lucky enough to have a home ` just some of these statistics here, whanaunga ` the Far North District has a housing affordability index which is classed as being severely unaffordable. The Public Housing Plan found Northland had the worst-quality housing in New Zealand. We have the highest deprivation level in the country, and for Maori, 30% of Maori in our district are living in overcrowded position` uh, overcrowded whare. So for our whanau who are without a house, we just saw the realities of their lives right now, but for whanau who are fortunate to have a house, it's not a... it's not a home. It's not a house that we want to be at the level that they require. To that end, though, our council last year signed off the establishment of a district-wide housing strategy, cos we recognise the important part that we can play in being the connector and bringing the likes of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Kainga Ora, together, um... MSD` - Yeah. - ...our iwi home providers and everything like that, and to bring them together to have a clear plan to address this for the Far North. - And I hear the need for a clear plan ` what worries me, as you know, we're getting into, what` Wero-i-te-Kokota now, getting into Takurua soon. So we're still not feeling the real bite of winter yet, and yet we're seeing people and whanau who are impacted. So what happens now, e te Kahika, for those who are really feeling the pinch? and will feel it more as we get into Takurua, right into the middle of winter, later this year? - Oh yeah, I mean, all of these plans that we have in place are setting up the Far North of the future, not the Far North of today, and the Far North of today ` it's not a pretty picture whatsoever. - Mm. - I guess if there's any message that we can get across to those whanau` cos in that story, we heard, you know, there's a lot of whakama here, and a lot of humility around the realities of their situations ` but to please reach out, because we will help connect with those social service agencies to at least get you on a list for a home ` I mean, our council ourselves, we've got 120 kaumatua and kuia units that we have direct control over as the council, or there's those relationships that we have with those other agencies that we can help and use in that space, or we've also got funding if it comes to it. I previously sat on the Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board ` we put something like 20% of our annual budget across just to buy portable califont systems so that whanau who are without power or who are without a proper home could at least have a hot wash throughout winter, so please, patua te whakama, and reach out for help. - E te Kahika Moko, you talked about the role that you have as a conductor, and there's an advocacy role with central government. There are people on our livestream watching now making comments about 'Where is central government?' and in particular, those of us who hold ministerial responsibilities in the central government now. What is your message to them following on from that story you've just seen? - Oh, the message is that you need to come up here. I mean, we had a beautiful housing expo at Waitangi this year and saw all of the different agencies that are trying to put the mahi in to sort out this crisis we're in, but we actually need central government to acknowledge there's a crisis, and to do the necessary steps right here, right now, and that comes down to funding and budgetary provisions as well, so that we can help our whanau who are hurting right now, while we still work together to plan for the future and make the future better for our whanau, but` - Can I just re-emphasise that point? You're saying there is a crisis in Te Tai Tokerau, there is a crisis in the Far North now. - Oh, absolutely, there's a housing crisis. I mean, I'm not going to try and butter up the reality of what we just saw there, or the statistics that our housing strategy has already managed to pull in. I mean, I think there's something like over 500 whanau members on the public housing register just waiting for a home right now. Where are those 500? Where are they living? We don't actually know. This is a crisis. - And I wanted to just` If we can expand the point, then, because some would say there's not just a crisis of housing, there's a general crisis of infrastructure. Look at the power cut that happened last week ` and yes, I know there were bolts missing from the ba` or nuts missing from the bolt of a pylon, and it fell over, but look at the impact` some are saying almost $60 million impact across the country, but particularly in the Far North, of what happened. What was your reaction when you heard that? How did you respond? - Oh, it's incredibly frustrating, right? Cos we're already down and out enough as it is here in the Far North, so to have something like that come across` and I mean, our Northland Chamber of Commerce put that figure at something like $80 million just for that day that we were without power ` that, on top of the $2 million a day of lost economic potential for Northland with State Highway 1 at the Brynderwyns being closed ` on top of that, State Highway 1 at the Mangamukas being closed; we still have 35 active Phase 3 slips from Cyclone Gabrielle last year. The Far North is down and out. Northland is down and out. We're doing a huge job to try and get us back up, but it doesn't help when there are things outside of our control that just continue to hit us. - So what do you do? Because you are, as you say, the conductor, the central` like, not the central link, you are the one who advocates on behalf of the community, and you have to have the relationship with central government. So how do you deal with those issues? I mean, I know, for example, Mangamuka's looking to open ` fingers crossed ` by the end of this year. Brynderwyns ` apparently there's going to be a way through just before Matariki, you know, for` for a while. But there are massive infrastructure issues. What do you do now as the mayor, particularly with central government, to deal with the crisis of infrastructure that we're now talking about? - Oh, I mean, this is where we, you know, at this time of the year where we put all our hopes and prayers up to Hiwa-i-te-rangi, hoping that our Uncle Shane with his Regional Infrastructure Fund is going to look favourably on us, to acknowledge the huge deficits that we still have across water infrastructure, wastewater infrastructure, transport links, housing, and everything in between ` education, health ` I think we need central government to acknowledge the crisis that we're in and to ensure that they're doing everything they can ` that their number one priority when it comes to roading across this country is going to be in Northland. Housing ` get up here and do something about it. We need your help, and we're willing to be key partners, but nau mai, haere mai ki konei ` come up here and help us out. - The interesting thing about that, though, is that this is a coalition government who's taken a pretty clear stance on what it feels about Maori wards... (CHUCKLES WRYLY) ...and councils. Your mayoralty was one of 50 across the country who said they want Maori wards to remain, and you have a higher population` a high population of Maori in the Far North. Is the reality, though, that Maori wards will be gone, and therefore the power to advocate on behalf of the interests, particularly in Te Tai Tokerau, lessened or weakened as a result of the removal of Maori wards? - Oh, listen, this is, um... And I've always said that Maori wards isn't the be-all end-all, or the only mechanism to unlock a Maori voice at the council table, but it's one that we did choose up here in the Far North, and I respect other communities and other iwi who don't see that this is the mechanism they want. But the people of the Far North were loud and clear to us in 2022 that this was the mechanism they wanted, and our Maori ward councillors are doing a fantastic job. The hoha thing is when central government comes in and then legislates changes, that oversteps their mark cos they're not here on the ground working with the people. So it's a hoha and a half, to be honest. It's a distraction from all of those core issues we have around infrastructure and the work we're doing in that space, to then come in and cause divisiveness in our community and undue cost at the same time. - E te Kahika, kia kaha i roto i nga mahi kei mua te aroha o pukai ake ana. E mihi atu ana ki a koe, Moko. - Tena koe. Tena koutou. - Kia ora mai ra. That was Moko Tepania, the Mayor of the Far North. After the break ` the first female New Zealand sprinter to race in the Olympic Games for over 50 years ` Zoe Hobbs is up next. 1,299. That's a really good price for a bed. But what else could I get for that money? (WHOOSHING, DING!) Butter. SONG: # There's # Someone new... # (TV PLAYS) # And he's waiting... # (WAILS) It's melting! # For you... # I've got you, I've got you, I've got you. # Soon your heart... # (SOBS) I should've bought a bed. I wasted so much money. Excuse me. Is there anything I can help you with? No, thanks. Ah, I'll take that one. Makes sense. # Ahhh-ahhhh. # He korero hakinakina te iho nui o te Hui iaianei na. New Zealand's fastest ever female sprinter is picking up the pace in the build-up to the Olympic Games in August this year. The Nga Ruahine sprinter showed why she could be in the finals against the world's best in Paris, with a convincing win in a build-up race in Poland just last Friday. And whilst the 100m is considered the glamour Olympic event, 'Za', as she's known, reflects on the long journey to the start line for a race that lasts mere seconds. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) (TICKING) - ZOE HOBBS: The warm-up is a very intense zone. Whatever happens on the line is ready to go. And it's all this, like, dead silence. You don't have enough time to think. (DRAMATIC MUSIC SURGES) - Have a look at Hobbs ` Hobbs is in a hurry here! Lewis running quickly, Hobbs down the line... - Zoe Hobbs ` Nga Ruahine sprinter... - We'll wait for the official time... - ...our Olympian. - Wow! Zoe Hobbs has broken 11 seconds! What a fabulous run by Zoe ` she was quick out. - Nickname? - Nickname? Oh... (CHUCKLES) - Why is everyone laughing? - Za. It's Za. - Za. Is there another name you don't want to tell us about? - No, it's just funny. - Are you sure? - Yeah. (FUNKY MUSIC) - Za, New Zealand's fastest woman, is heading to Paris. And now you're an Olympian. How does it feel? - To be officially named in an Olympic team is an honour, and it's a really special moment for me. It's something that I've worked towards my whole life, so... - Zoe Hobbs. (APPLAUSE) - Mum and dad, Dorothy and Grant, have been there from the start. - How long have you thought about that in your life? - Oh, forever. I've done this sport since the age of five, so it's something that I've always aspired to, and I've always looked to the Olympics as a moment that I'd want to achieve, so to be standing here today and officially named is a real special moment. - Zoe has come a long way from the running track as a youngster in Taranaki. When we watch your social media, it looks like a really awesome life, and glamorous, and fun, and cool. - Yeah. Some of it's glamorous, some of it's not so glamorous ` there's stuff that you don't see on social media. You probably only see, like, 1% of my life on there. And you only see the highlight reels, but... it's been a real grind to get to this point. - The sprint queen is about to make history ` the first Kiwi woman to sprint in the Games in almost 50 years. So how do you deal with that expectation and the weight of it on you? - I don't think there's really been an expectation up until now. We haven't had someone compete in the 100m since the '70s. I've always probably placed the most expectation on myself, and put a lot of pressure on myself. - It's 10 seconds` notice how I said 10. - Yeah. (BOTH LAUGH) - It's 10 seconds, right` - Yeah. - ...captures years and years of training` - Yeah. - ...and I just wondered what goes through your mind when you think about that ` even just in the approach ` even the day before, what goes through your mind as you prepare for that? - Yeah, I probably get the most nervous in the day` days leading in, probably ` definitely the week leading in and mostly the day before. Quite intense ` 40 minutes, half an hour before the event. - Is there anyone in particular that you look up to? - I've always looked up to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and now she's a mother and still reaching the medals, so... She's an incredible person who has always been around as far as I've looked up to the sport, so... - She's a fairly, um... effervescent character. She puts a lot of colour, nails` - (CHUCKLES) - Is that something you might look at emulating on the...? (CHUCKLES) - Uh, me? Personally, no, I don't think so, but it's quite common for a lot of the women in our event. I mean, you're only out there for` - Yeah. - ...each round, probably, you're out there for five to 10 minutes max, so why not? I'm not really into the showy part of it ` I just want to line up and... I'm competitive. - Yeah. Do you reckon that's a Kiwi athlete thing too? - I think it's just my personality, but yeah, it may be a Kiwi thing. - New Zealand record... - While Zoe isn't the showy type... - Please welcome Zoe Hobbs. ...she is competing in the glamour event at the Olympics, alongside the world's best. - ...closing, but Hobbs has got a half a metre and beats Lewis. - Does it actually matter who you're lining up with at the end of the day, because you're so focused and intense on what you have to do? - It's one of those ones where you can tense up if you do see the competition next to you. That's one thing I'm really working on at the moment, is when I'm getting into these races with women who are ahead of me or right beside me, and putting the heat on, just trying to block it out, because otherwise you tense up, and then as soon as you tense up, then you've lost time. (UPBEAT ELECTRONIC MUSIC) - And when every microsecond matters, everything counts... - 100m, you want to be rapid and fast and powerful, but you also want to be relaxed and smooth when you're running. - ...as we will see in her first race in the Paris Olympics in August. Karawhiua, Zoe, e hoa e. Ae, karawhiua, Nga Ruahine. After the b` Oh, no, not after the break ` coming up next week on the Hui, a tera wiki... A year ago, the Hui met Eva Ngamotu as she embarked on a life-changing journey to Turkey. - I have to live in this body, and I want to be comfortable, and I only have one life. - She was unhappy, and looking to make a drastic change by having weight-loss surgery... not without its risks. - And it may seem like a selfish move, but I think I'm coming home` No, I know I'm coming home. - How did it turn out? - I was in a lot of pain. I was heavily medicated. - Any regrets at that point? - All the regrets. 'What have I done? Have I mutilated my body? Why am I here in Turkey?' - That's next week. Check out our YouTube channel ` @TheHuiNewZealand ` for all our stories, and you can get in touch by emailing thehui@greatsouthern.tv. Kia mau ki turanga o Taputapuatea. Haumi e, hui e, taiki e! Captions by Lena Erakovich. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2024 - Ko te reo te take. - Na Te Puna Whakatongarewa Te Hui i tautoko.