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Pipiwharauroa He Whakatūpato
Ngā Kaitiaki o
Te Maungārongo Kia Orana Koutou, I have spent the last week kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) with all 140 members of my staff during three full staff days. We were fortunate enough to have an awesome environment for us to come together and plan our year ahead. The focus of the staff day was around "Operationalising Prevention First" which is one of three strategies that guide the NZ Police. The other two strategies are "Turning of the Tide," an Iwi led crime and crash prevention strategy and "Safer Journeys" Road policing programme. My police staff work across our communities from Kotemāori in the south to Te Araroa in the north. It was quite humbling for us to share each others’ experiences connecting with either victims, offenders or community groups or agencies to have an impact on preventing crime and crash throughout Tairāwhiti. The favourable impact this approach has had with some has been instantaneous, others have been negative and there were many feeling somewhat in between. I was overwhelmed with the influence that police have with our people and whānau and it needs to continuously grow. We do have some challenging
Tairāwhiti Community Law Centre URGENT
whānau to work with at times and it was important that we put our hand out to help those who are struggling. We never give up, this is my motto because our communities need us.
In my mind, it didn't matter what type of policing group my staff worked in, there is always the opportunity to prevent crime and crash from occurring and we will work with anyone willing to achieve the same outcome. Most of my staff believe in prevention first being part of how we do business, some need more convincing. While we will continue to respond, we must also look at ways to prevent a re currence happening. My challenge to our communities is that when they engage, or come into contact with police, talk to us about prevention, everyone should contribute. We all deserve the right to "feel safe and be safe." Surely this is what we want for ourselves and our whānau. All Tairāwhiti communities have a role in prevention, if your family member, work colleague or a friend need help or are struggling, let’s not wait until something bad happens then react. Put your hand out and help them along their journey. If they fall, then help them up and don’t give up on them. Tairāwhiti is an amazing place to live. My Police will continuously be working in this space to achieve our vision which is "Policing Tairāwhiti:fewer victims, less crime and crash and a great place to work and live". Kia Manuia Inspector Sam Aberahama Area Commander:Tairāwhiti Ngā Pirihimana Student Loans: The student support changes announced in Budget 2013 focus on improving repayments from overseas-based borrowers and increasing personal responsibility for debt. Information matching with Department of Internal Affairs
As we head into another academic year there are some This will allow the Department of Internal Affairs to share important changes to the student loan system that you contact details from adult passport applications and renewals with Inland Revenue. The details will be matched against need to be aware of. Inland Revenue's database of overseas-based borrowers in default, for student loans, and liable parents in default, or Changes to Student Allowances and Loans whose contact details are out of date, for child support. This Find out about the changes to Student Allowances and will enable Inland Revenue to get in touch with individuals to confirm their correct contact details and discuss their Student Loans that the Government announced in May. outstanding arrears. This will be implemented once the For study starting on or after 1 January 2014: relevant regulations have been approved later in 2013. •
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Students who are not New Zealand citizens, refugees, or protected persons will need to have lived, and been entitled to reside indefinitely, in New Zealand for three years before they will qualify for the Student Allowance or Loan. The Student Allowance 200-week limit will reduce to 120 weeks for students aged 40 years or over. The Student Allowance will not be available to students aged 65 and over. Students aged under 18 who are studying fees-free level 1 or 2 programmes will not be able to access any component of the Student Loan scheme. Changes to Repayments:
The following proposed changes were also announced that will affect students when they commence repayments (subject to legislation to be introduced later in 2013): • From 1 April 2014, Inland Revenue will be able to request an arrest warrant for borrowers who knowingly defaulted on their overseas-based repayment obligation and are about to leave New Zealand. • An information sharing agreement between Inland Revenue and the Department of Internal Affairs will be implemented, once the relevant regulations have been approved later in 2013, to allow sharing of contact details for overseas-based Student Loan defaulters when they renew or apply for their passport. Changes to the overseas-based borrower repayment rules from 1 April 2014: • •
Adjusting the overseas-based repayment regime Adjustments will be made to the overseas-based borrower repayment regime by introducing a fixed repayment obligation threshold and adding two more steps to the current overseas-based repayment regime, so borrowers with higher loan balances have a higher repayment obligation. This will be included in a bill later this year. Introducing the ability to arrest non-compliant borrowers who are about to leave New Zealand Making it a criminal offence to knowingly default on an overseas-based repayment obligation will allow Inland Revenue to request an arrest warrant to prevent the most non-compliant borrowers from leaving New Zealand. Similar provisions already exist under the Child Support Act. This will be included in a bill later this year. Changes to the calculation of the cost of lending in the Student Loan Scheme The cost of lending in the Student Loan Scheme is now calculated using annual interest rate data applicable from the year the borrowing occurs. The new approach came into effect from 1 January 2013. Previously, the cost of lending was calculated for each borrower, based on the interest rate in the year the borrower first entered the scheme, even if they draw from the scheme in subsequent years. The change will increase the accuracy of the scheme and provide Government with better information on the cost of lending.
Fixed repayment obligations from when borrowers For further information contact study link and/or IRD. Nā Nikorima Thatcher leave New Zealand. Two additional steps to the current overseas-based repayment regime.
Edwin (Eruera) Pohatu
Hi, Kia ora, everyone, it is with great sadness that I write to you today. On the 4th Of March Edwin Pohatu, also known to his family by his given name, Eruera, collapsed and died on his way to his Aquaculture course at Tūranga Ararau. He was only 61 years old. Edwin was a student with a big heart, his presence seemed to fill and overflow into every corner of the room. It was a pleasure to have him with us on our courses when he took time to redevelop his skills to study at a higher level. He was an A1 student and very articulate. He was a very bright student at school but as soon as he turned fifteen he left which was a great pity and a huge disappointment to his family. He was the eldest of 13 children and brought up by his great grandmother, Erena Brown nee Maynard. On leaving school he headed off to the South Island where he secured employment at the Ocean Beach Freezing Works. He remained there quite happily through his teen years, eventually working his way home via employment in the shearing sheds around the North Island. Auckland beckoned and he moved there with his partner Fiona Hall, whom he married in 1977 and started work with the Auckland Gas Company. In 1980 he and his family moved to Perth in Western Australia where he worked for the BHP Mining Company. However in 2004 Edwin decided that there was no place like home and returned to Tūranga to become an adult student and also helped out with the Super Grans and was spokesperson for the E Tu Elgin Group. Edwin is survived by his only son, Dallas Kline Pohatu, daughter in-law Hannah and gorgeous mokopuna Mia. Dallas was two years old when they moved to Australia, where he, Hannah and Mia still live. His favourite quote was “Tell someone who cares!” which was regularly heard in our classroom. Here is my favourite poem for you Eruera because “I cared.” Safe journey my friend from Bub Taipana Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there I do not sleep I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glint on snow, I am the sun on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain, When you awake in the morning’s hush, I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circle flight I am the soft stars that shine at night, Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there I did not die. -Mary Elizabeth Frye, 1932 Many thanks to Eruera’s sister for her help with this acknowledgement of him.