Matawhaanui Trust

OUR TONGIKURA

“Kotahi te kowhao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro mā, te miro pango, te miro whero. A muri i ahau kia mau ki te whakapono, kia mau ki ngā ture, ki mau ki te aroha.”

There is but one eye of the needle through which must pass the white thread, the black thread and the red thread. Hold fast to faith, hold fast to the laws, hold fast to love.

Te Miro Maa

Our Story

Reclaiming Rāhui Pōkeka through identity, narratives and positive community action

Te Miro Pango

Our Marae

Strengthening Ngā Marae communities through communication, transparency and unified aspirations.

Te Miro Whero

Our Future

Expanding business opportunities that drive results through partnerships and engagement.

The message of Te Ahurei O Waikato lies in its elements. The sculpture portrays the people of Waikato thrusting their journey into the land confirming that is belongs to them and they to the land, The large totara palisades along both sides of the sculpture poses a profile symbolizing the mountains of Waikato supported by the abundant totara stewards representing the sub-tribes of Waikato. The flowing water acknowledges the spiritual lifeforce of the Waikato River. All are the contained in the form of a canoe linking the Waikato Ancestors from the Tainui Waka, Te Ahurei affirms the historical rights that Waikato people hold to their ancestral lands and commemorates Waikato Raupatu Lands Settlement Act signed between Waikato and the Crown in 1995.

Here is my Essence (Taku Ihi)
Here is my Spirit (Taku Tapu)
Here is my Standing and Rights (Taku Mana)
This is our Land (Taku Whenua)

OUR MAHI

KAAHUI TUUWAA - MĀRA KAI

Our commitment to being the first Maaori Mara Kai Sovereignty project with non-commercial interest, continues to be our focus.
In our 2nd season of planting and harvesting, our Mara kai went to Poukai, the Koroneihana, tangi, food distribution hubs and whaanau households. Over 560 kai packs were distributed in the year. From small packs to feed a whaanau of 4 for a week to 5 20kgs sacks of riwai including Maaori potatoes to Marae hui. Harvesting of root vegetables including kumara, riwai and kamokamo were the main kai. We experimented growing strawberries, watermelon, and corn, which proved popular.
The 3rd season will include these crops for community distribution in 2022/2023.

PAPAKAINGA

RECLAIMING RAAHUI POOKEKA:

'STREET BY STREET, KAINGA BY KAINGA'

Work with Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) canvassed Maaori landowner support to build new houses in Huntly West, scoping land blocks on Parry, Miria te Kakara and Mary Streets. Work got underway to build new houses on Maaori owned land. Consultation with landowners to occupy their whenua for 25 years was sought, as conditions for government funding. Great progress was made and based on agreement between MHUD and Matawhaanui, with landowner consent from Waahi Whaanui Trust, we were granted funds to initially build 3 houses on Parry Street. It was anticipated that the first 3 houses would pilot further houses to be built into the Parry Street complex. As work progressed on the Parry Street site, an unexpected hazard was identified by the landowner and Matawhaanui ceased all planning work and site preparation.
Work continues with Maaori landowners to pivot our new builds to another site. We are currently working with Waikato-Tainui.
Land Information New Zealand (Toituu Te Whenua) have 14 residential properties Matawhaanui will assume management of including the tenants by mid-2023. Work continues with Kainga Ora on 34 properties in Huntly West.

TUUHONO HAUORA

The team from Tuuhono operate from Monday to Saturday. They take walk-in patients, or you can book for appointments with the team of health care specialists. They are available for home visits and outreach to our communities of Raahui Pookeka, Ohinewai, Te Kauwhata and Meremere. A virtual doctor service is available, at the request of anyone who needs medical urgent care and attention.

Norm Hill

Chairman

A word from the Chair

It is with great pleasure and honour that I welcome you to our Annual Report for 2023.
As the Chairman of Matawhaanui Trust, I present a comprehensive overview of our achievements, challenges, and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.

Matawhaanui Trust has always been driven by a clear vision: to restore the beauty of Raahui Pookeka whare by whare, whaanau by whaanau, street by street with an aim to deliver holistic services to our haapori while contributing sustainable value for our wider iwi. Throughout the past year, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to this vision, navigating a dynamic and challenging landscape and achieving remarkable milestones along the way.

Key achievements include:
As we look forward, we see immense opportunities on the horizon. Our strategic partnerships with Trust Waikato, Hauraki PHO, MHUD, Te Puni Kokiri have positioned us at the forefront of new health and wellbeing services within our haapori.
We are committed to capitalizing on partnership opportunities and generating sustainable value for our haapori in the years to come

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our dedicated kaimahi, employees, whose unwavering commitment and hard work have been instrumental in our success. I also extend my sincere appreciation to our leadership and vision of Taitimu Maipi, Tuku Morgan for their trust and continued support. Together, we have built a strong foundation, and together, we will navigate the future with confidence and ambition.

Mauri Ora
Norman Hill

Joyce Maipi

General Manager

E te Whānau o Rāhui Pōkeka, Tēnā Tātou

Matawhaanui during the period of 2021 – 2022 grew from a small, agile, and conservative Trust, into a mature and intentional organization, to reclaim the beauty of Raahui Pookeka, street by street, whaanau by whaanau.

We met the COVID challenges head-on and supported the growth of the COVID team into a hauora entity, establishing Tuuhono clinic at 2 Bridge Street. Under the leadership of Justeena Leaf, Tuuhono opened its doors on 1st July 2022. It aligned to the announcement of Aotearoa’s major Hauora Reforms. As a nurse-led, acute, and afterhours hauora clinic, it has provided Raahui Pookeka, a new primary care service that is community inspired, Maaori owned and operated. We were also proud to re-open Te Whare Oranga with the support of Taitimu Maipi (jnr) as the qualified Personal Trainer.

Kaahui Tuuwaa, the Mara initiative of Matawhaanui during COVID, was into its second season. Growing vegetables to feed its own community was its sole purpose. The whenua as a collectively owned Marae resource (under the administration of Waahi Whaanui Trust) allowed Kaahui Tuuwaa to continue its toil for and on behalf of Ngaa Marae o Raahui Pookeka to feed the community. It is the first and only Maaori sovereign non-commercial Mara in Aotearoa.

Our company, POU Ltd, was in its second year of operation. As the facilities maintenance company on the Huntly Power Station, it proudly advocates its Maaori owned and operated status in the NZ Electricity industry sector. With over 40 employees, who are mainly local Maaori, it looks to the future in facilities maintenance with anticipation and excitement.

Matawhaanui’s Community Housing Provider (CHP) 1st year of operations with the support of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development our initial year was hugely successful having secured funding for 3 new houses on Parry Street. This unfortunately was brought to halt by the landlord and the realisation of new homes for whaanau was diminished. However, work continued, and the CHP acquired 14 properties to support whaanau housing aspirations.

Finally, to all the team of Matawhaanui including Gina Paul and Leon Wharekura who were instrumental in the success of the year. To our volunteers, special mention to Caprice Turner, we thank you all for your aroha, tautoko and awhi over the year.

Ngaa Mihi
Joyce Maipi
General Manager