Tags: Freshwater Issues

• Aligned with the freshwater reforms, The Ministry for the Environment has released a Te Mana o Te Wai funding application guide for 2016 (circa 36 pages).  The purpose of the Te Mana o Te Wai Fund is to enable Māori to improve water quality of freshwater bodies by:

• supporting iwi/hapū to play an active part in improving the water quality of their local freshwater bodies;
• enabling iwi/hapū to actively participate in managing their local freshwater bodies;
• developing partnerships and working in collaboration with others; and
• assisting iwi/hapū and the wider community to recognise the importance of fresh water in supporting a healthy ecosystem, including supporting human health.

• We note the application process indicates that funding requests should be above $200,000 and that applicants are also expected to demonstrate a financial commitment to the initiative they propose.  The process is two-stepped, and applications for this initial stage close on 30 April.[1]  Documentation can be viewed here:

  https://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/funding-fresh-water/te-mana-o-te-wai-fund-guide-applications-open-contestable-te-mana-o

   

• The Ministry of Health has released Health of the Health Workforce.  This survey report shows that 2.7% of doctors are Māori (circa 400 tangata), and 6.5% of nurses are Māori (circa 3,400).[2]

  http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/health-health-workforce-report-2015

   

• The Ministry of Social Development has released data on the social housing register, as at 31 December 2015.  This shows Māori comprise 41% of those people on the housing register (1445 from 3376 people).[3]

http://www.housing.msd.govt.nz/information-for-housing-providers/register/index.html#Prioritisedethnicityofmainapplicantnbsp31Decembernbsp20155

• Professor Wiremu Doherty has been appointed permanent Chief Executive of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.