For the second year in a row, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced Auckland Council and Manukau Urban Māori Authority to put community safety first and cancel the annual Waitangi ki Manukau celebrations.
The swift decision comes in response to the Omicron variant being in the community, triggering the government to move Aotearoa to the Red Light setting in the traffic light system.
Last year's event at Hayman Park was cancelled as a precautionary measure, with uncertainty then over community outbreaks. Since then Delta and, more recently, Omicron have spread through the country.
A capacity crowd of thousands was expected at the free community event commemorating Te Tiriti o Waitangi on Saturday, February 6 in Hayman Park, Manukau.
Auckland Council’s parks and events committee chair, Manukau ward councillor Alf Filipaina says it was a disappointing decision to make but absolutely the right one.
“Our teams had been working so hard to deliver a safe and fun event for all Aucklanders celebrating the importance of Te Tiriti as the founding document of our beautiful nation.”
Red light rule
“Under the red traffic light level of the Covid Protection Framework, events must have a capacity of 100 people. This makes holding Waitangi ki Manukau impossible. It is important that we all play our part in reducing the spread of Omicron in the community.”
Filipaina said that with vaccination rates for Māori still below 90% and booster shots in the early days of being rolled out, putting the health and safety of Māori communities was a must.
Manukau Urban Māori Authority chief executive Wyn Osborne agrees Omicron represents a significant health risk for Māori given the evidence to date.
“Māori had the highest incidence of infections of the Delta variant during the last outbreak. We do not want to see a repeat of those figures, so we are encouraging everyone, particularly Māori, to go get vaccinated to protect theirwhānau, their hapu and their iwi."
If they have had their two doses and it has been four months since their second, they should go get their booster shot now.
He also has a message to people who are nervous or hesitant about getting vaccinated.
'Come kōrero'
“Reach out to your local marae or a Māori health provider. They can offer the support you need and are happy to kōrero with you about your concerns. Please ignore any hōhā on social media. Come kōrero and we will support you.”
Waitangi ki Manukau was to feature well-known music acts such as Che Fu and the Kratez, Ardijah and Annie Crummer with a host of food and retail stall-holders.
The message from both Filipaina and Osborne is the same.
“We want our communities to be safe, so we are asking everyone to follow all the health advice from the Ministry of Health, wear your masks across your mouth and nose when heading out.
"Touch base with loved ones to make sure they are okay and please stay at home if you are unwell,” Filipaina says.
“We really appreciate the support of the Manukau Urban Māori Authority and look forward to planning Waitangi events with our Treaty partners again next year but in the meantime, please stay safe,” Osborne says.