Ngāi Tahu Iwi-Māori Partnership Board Members Appointed

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu is pleased to announce the appointment of the Te Tauraki – the Ngāi Tahu Iwi-Māori Partnership Board. The establishment of Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards is part of the health and disability reform’s commitment to recognising Te Tiriti o Waitangi and delivering better health outcomes for Māori.

Lisa Tumahai, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere says, “We are excited to have very experienced and dedicated board members. This is a critical kaupapa that will have significant impact in improving the health outcomes of Māori whānui in the Ngāi Tahu takiwā.”

Te Tauraki is made up of seven board members with combined experience not only in the health and disability sectors but also across social services, social justice, human rights, research, education, commercial businesses, government agencies, and private and public organisations. It is the only Iwi-Māori Partnership Board in the Ngāi Tahu takiwā.

The purpose of Te Tauraki is to represent Ngāi Tahu perspectives on the hauora needs and aspirations of whānau Māori living in our takiwā. It will support the delivery of services and public health interventions within localities. The West Coast has been selected to develop a locality prototype.

Te Tauraki will be responsible for engaging with whānau and hapū within our takiwā about their health needs and communicate these insights to Health New Zealand (HNZ) and the Māori Health Authority (MHA). Te Tauraki will work with the HNZ and MHA as stewards of hauora Māori and provide guidance on priorities for kaupapa Māori investments. They will work with localities to evaluate the current state of hauora Māori to determine priorities for improving health outcomes.

Te Tauraki is expected to be operational from early-August once the legislative process to list Te Tauraki in Schedule 4 of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 is complete.

“I would like to personally thank Te Tauraki for taking up the wero. Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei – for us and our children after us,” says Lisa Tumahai.

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