Report highlights Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga’s whānau support role

Hastings District Council chief executive Nigel Bickle has congratulated Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga (TToH) for the results and achievements highlighted in its latest annual report, released last week.

TToH is the mandated political leadership entity for Heretaunga (within Hastings district), and is an award-winning organisation offering comprehensive care and support for whānau and the wider community.

Established in 1985, it is now among Hawke’s Bay’s largest employers, with 300 staff, delivering more than 100 contracts on behalf of 25 funding agencies.

Its revenue base has increased from just over $10m in 2012 to $24.1m, and it has transformed from an operating loss to a surplus of more than $390,000 in the year to June 2019.

As well as strong financial management, its progressive governance has maintained strong connections with its 14 marae and hapū, and established valued relationships with local and central government and other agencies and collaborative organisations.

The 12,000 enrolled whānau it serves and represents are offered support from medical to dental, wellbeing, parenting, teen coaching, driver licencing, antenatal, kaumatua, pre-school and healthy lifestyles.

In presenting the annual report, chief executive George Reedy said one of the biggest challenges this year had been the lack of housing, and the flow-on effects into health, education, employment and family relationships.

Housing is a strong development focus with homes provided for young parents and unwell whānau, and a purpose-built, 11-bedroom home for kaumatua. This year TToH partnered with Corrections to provide a therapeutic residential programme, E Hine, in Central Hawke’s Bay, for women wanting to rebuild their lives.

“Our latest project, Waingākau Village in Flaxmere, will provide 130 high-quality, affordable homes and will be an exemplar of sustainability and versatility, offering rental and privately-owned homes along with a range of financial pathways to home ownership,” said Mr Reedy.

TToH’s Kaihautū Marei Apatu noted the past year’s successful creation of an innovative, marae-based website that was helping Heretaunga marae and hapū reconnect with whānau all over the world.

He also spoke about the role of TToH’s leadership and kaitiakitanga of the natural environment, with water a prime concern for tangata whenua, who were lobbying hard to prevent its degradation and pollution.

Mr Apatu said that in a year of testing issues, the construction of the Craggy Range track had proven divisive, but had also resulted in a valuable report setting out cultural wellbeing and aspirations.

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Mr Bickle said TToH had done some hard mahi for the betterment of the community, an aim shared by Hastings District Council, which had worked alongside the organisation on some of the initiatives this year.

Waingākau Village, for example, was a unique development that council was proud to be a partner in, potentially the first of more such partnerships.

“This type of progressive, community-oriented solution is what is needed in the face of the national housing crisis,” he said.

Mr Bickle also acknowledged TToH’s partnership through the process of remediating the Craggy Range track.

“They played a significant role in this and we are grateful for their input.”

ENDS

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