Te Tauraki has begun operations with a clear statement of intent – redirecting its launch event budget to directly support the kaimahi who serve whānau every day.
The organisation today commences its role as one of four newly established Whānau Ora commissioning agencies, selected by Te Puni Kōkiri.
Te Tauraki is responsible for contracting and strengthening services that lift hauora and wellbeing outcomes for whānau Māori across Te Waipounamu. The agency will work with service providers to support 97 Whānau Ora Navigators.
Map: Whānau Ora Navigator Providers
In a deliberate show of manaakitanga, the agency will forego a formal launch event and instead redirect every dollar of that budget into support for service providers and their Navigators, who work alongside whānau every day.
“As an iwi-led organisation, our priority is simple: whānau first, always,” says Te Tauraki Chair Rakihia Tau.
“We believe real manaakitanga is putting resources into the hands of whānau and those who provide services for whānau. This decision honours the kaupapa of Whānau Ora by investing directly in the workforce and initiatives that enable whānau to make tangible, positive differences in their lives.”
As well as reallocating funds that would have been spent on a launch function, Te Tauraki has plans for targeted professional development, tikanga-based peer-networking opportunities, and additional tools and resources to support service providers and their Whānau Ora Navigation teams.
This practical approach comes during a period of significant sector change, with funding reductions and policy shifts. It aligns with a key policy shift of Te Puni Kōkiri to develop and invest in the workforce to develop the capability and retention of Navigator kaimahi working alongside whānau.
“Te Tauraki is demonstrating its commitment to maintaining stability while building on the legacy of Te Pūtahitanga, which served as the commissioning agency for the past decade,” Rakihia Tau says.
“This starting approach sets the tone for how we will operate,” he adds. “Our Ngāi Tahu values-driven decision-making means every investment, every dollar, must translate into positive, measurable outcomes for whānau Māori.”
While Te Tauraki is a subsidiary of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the organisation emphasises its commitment to serving whānau Māori living in Te Waipounamu. This reflects Ngāi Tahu exercising rangatiratanga – leadership and self-determination – in service of the broader Māori community.
Te Tauraki brings established infrastructure, data insights, and deep community connections to its new commissioning role, being a subsidiary of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, and, having operated as an Iwi Māori Partnership Board since 2022.
“There’s no better way to demonstrate our commitment than by supporting the very people living and breathing this work each day to achieve better outcomes for our whanau,” Rakihia Tau says.
