University of Waikato

Pacific staff, students back Māori amid alleged racism at university

The calls come amid allegations of casual and structural racism against Māori staff members at the Hamilton insitution.

On Tuesday Te Mana Ākonga, the Māori Tertiary Students Association, claimed universities were failling to protect Māori students and uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

In a statement, the Pacific students and staff within the Te Pua Wānanga ki te ao - the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies, said they supported their Māori mentors, colleagues and aiga.

Workshop to look at growth of kava culture in NZ

The workshop at the University of Waikato in April will look at how non Pasifika groups are using kava as an alcohol substitute, stress reliever or sleep aid.

The University's Apo Aporosa said kava use is growing in New Zealand, with more than 20,000 people estimated to be consuming it each weekend.

He said it is a good time to bring people together to discuss the local kava culture.

Experts discuss seabed exploration

Over the next three months, the Cook Islands will be receiving tenders from interested parties seeking to undertake exploratory surveying in the Exclusive Economic Zone.

Finance Minister Mark Brown said estimates placed the value of the seabed minerals in the range of billions of dollars.

Professor Jonathan Gardener from Victoria University Wellington said the big concern with this sort of mining is that no-one knows much about the biological community, or perhaps communities, living in this environment.