The political year officially kicks off tomorrow with politicians’ annual pilgrimage to Rātana and being an election year the stakes are even higher.

Whānau of Te Uri Taniwha hapū, up in arms over pans which threaten to damage archaeological and Māori cultural sites, are occupying Kerikeri Inlet in Northland to prevent further development.

Māori babies were five times more likely to end up in state care that non-Māori last year and their rate of urgent entries into state care has doubled since 2010, official figures show.

Commercial fishers are being warned “people are watching you” as operators allegedly under-reporting catches and unlawfully supplying fish face prosecution.

A Waitangi Tribunal claimant hopes his High Court case will force the government into a fair process granting Māori customary rights over freshwater so bottling export operations can be shut down.

In another leadership change for the country’s largest iwi Ngāpuhi, rūnanga chief executive Lorraine Toki has resigned.