In particular, I would argue that many Maori whanau in Auckland do not enjoy the benefits of this supposed "liveability".

This is important, given Maori comprised 11.5% of the Auckland population in the 2018 Census. Roughly one in four Maori in Aotearoa New Zealand are living in the greater Auckland region.

The survey was conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, sister company of The Economist, and looked at 140 world cities. Auckland was ranked 12th in 2019, but took top spot this year for one obvious reason:

Alternative liveability criteria

Each city in the survey was rated on "relative comfort for over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure".

Overall rankings depended on how those factors were rated on a sliding scale: acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable, intolerable. Quantitative measurements relied on "external data points", but the qualitative ratings were "based on the judgment of our team of expert analysts and in-city contributors".

The methodology, particularly around culture and environment, seems somewhat subjective. It's predicated on the judgement of unnamed experts and contributors, and based on similarly undefined "cultural indicators".

To better understand the living conditions of Maori in Auckland, therefore, we might use more robust "liveability" criteria. The New Zealand Treasury's Living Standards Framework offers a useful model.

This sets out 12 domains of well-being: civic engagement and governance, cultural identity, environment, health, housing, income and consumption, jobs and earnings, knowledge and skills, time use, safety and security, social connections and subjective well-being.

The Maori experience

Applying a small handful of these measures to Maori, we find the following.

Housing: According to recent reports, Auckland house prices increased by about NZ$140,00 on average in the past year. That contributed to Auckland being the fourth-least-affordable housing market, across New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, the US, UK, Ireland, Canada and Hong Kong.

Next to that sobering fact, we can point to estimates that Maori made up more than 40% of the homeless in Auckland in 2019. We can only assume this rapid increase in house prices has made homelessness worse.

Poverty: Alongside housing affordability is the growing concern about poverty in New Zealand, and particularly child poverty. While there has been an overall decline in child poverty, Maori and Pacific poverty rates remain "profoundly disturbing".

Employment: As of March 2021, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment recorded a Maori unemployment rate of 10.8%, well above the national rate (4.9%). This is particularly high for Maori youth (20.4%) and women (12.0%).

Health: Maori life expectancy is considerably lower than for non-Maori, and mortality rates are higher for Maori than non-Maori across nearly all age groups. Maori are also over-represented across a wide range of chronic and infectious diseases, injuries and suicide.

The digital divide: The Digital Government initiative has found Maori and Pasifika are among those less likely to have internet access, thus creating a level of digital poverty that may affect jobs and earnings, knowledge and skills, safety and security, and social connections.

Making Auckland liveable for all

Taken together, these factors show a different and darker picture for far too many Maori than "liveable city" headlines might suggest.

I say this as someone who has lived in Auckland for the majority of the past 60 years. It is a city I love, and I acknowledge the grace and generosity of the mana whenua of Tamaki Makaurau, with whom I share this beautiful whenua and moana.

I am also part of a privileged group of Maori who enjoy job security, a decent income, a secure whanau and strong social networks.

But, until we address and ameliorate the inequities and disadvantages some of our whanau face, we cannot truly celebrate being the "most liveable city in the world".

• Ella Henry Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology
• First published in The Conversation. Republished with permission.
• Photo by Dan Freeman on Unsplash

He will be supporting the secretariat and the bishops in their commitment to Katorika Maori.

The role will be a part time one. He will also have direct pastoral responsibilities in the Archdiocese Wellington as Turanga Maori.

Karatea-Goddard has worked in the Palmerston North Diocese for some years as Vicar for Maori. He was ordained a deacon in June 2014.

He made a strong contribution to the Maori Translation team for the National Liturgy Office for the further development of liturgical texts in te reo.

With his wife Maru he served on Te Runanga o te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa.

Karatea-Goddard is qualified teacher.

Before working for the Church, he worked in the field of education at all levels, and in Maori development.

His experiences have centred around being a facilitator, consultant, teacher and writer.

Karatea-Goddard's iwi affiliations are Maniapoto, Kinohaku, Matakore, Ngapuhi, Ngati Whatua, Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri and Ngati Hine.

"Many would not know that my wife Maru and I were born in Wellington and I grew up and was educated there,"Karatea-Goddard said.

"We are both first recipients of Whakatupuranga Ruamano - Generation 2000, a tribal plan initiated in the 1970s by the Confederation of Ngati Raukawa-te-au-ki-te-Tonga, Ngati Toarangatira and Te Ati Awa."

"Both my late parents were community advocates for social justice and peace, unionism, lifelong education and kaumatua of Pipitea marae."

"My mother's family still reside in Wellington City and my father's whanau in Tainui-Maniapoto and North Auckland."

There will be a powhiri for Katatea-Goddard to welcome him to the Welington Archdiocese.

It will take place Monday 27 February, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Hill St, Wellington.

People will gather outside the cathedral at 12.30pm before the powhiri commences at 1pm.

Source

• Welcom
• NZCBC
• Image: Welcom

Julianne Hickey, Director of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand says the Catholic Church recognises the importance of ensuring that people can pray, discuss and listen to the Gospel in their mother tongues. "The language we use in prayer influences how we talk to God and how we think about God. Praying in a mother tongue is a more intimate experience. For people praying in Te Reo Maori as second language speakers or learners, it helps to extend our understanding of God."

Caritas also produces the Lenten reflection programme in English, Samoan, Tongan and Tokelauan. "While there are many different language communities represented among the Catholic community in Aotearoa, we prioritised Te Reo Maori and Pasifika languages because there are few similar resources available and because these are languages of our region," says Mrs Hickey.

Caritas produced the booklet in partnership with Piripi Walker, Ngati Raukawa, an experienced Te Reo Maori writer, translator and editor and Te Runanga o te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa, the National Catholic Maori Council, experts in the use of Te Reo Maori in a Catholic context.

The Te Reo Maori version of the Lenten reflection programme has been distributed to Maori Catholic communities and schools across Aotearoa New Zealand

The resources can be downloaded from the Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand website