Who we work with

We place significant value in our relationships with a wide range of organisations, businesses and groups. Collectively, they help us to achieve the political, social, educational, environmental and economic aspirations of our iwi.

We have fostered strong relationships with national and governmental organisations including the Ministry of Education, the Department of Conservation, the Department of Justice, NZ Police, the Allan Wilson Centre, Callaghan Innovation, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, Te Papa Tongarewa, the National Library, NZ Archives, Healthcare NZ.

We work with other iwi through the Iwi Collective Partnership, Iwi Leaders forum and we have a close relationships with the Turanga tribes.

We also collaborate with commercial and corporate organisations such as Contact Energy, 2degrees and Fulton Hogan.  Our relationships with local organisations such as Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti, Leaderbrand and Cedenco are also important.

Relationships can be formal with agreed work plans, or informally exploring how we can work together to achieve common goals.

Our Strategic Partners

Here’s an overview of the work we are doing with our strategic partners to advance our iwi.

Callaghan Innovation

We have worked with Callaghan Innovation since its inception and before that we worked with its predecessor, Industrial Research Ltd. Through our relationship some exciting initiatives are on the horizon, including co-funding projects in agriculture, seafoods, energy and forestry.

Eastern Institute of Technology

Our partnership with EIT led to a Level 3 Carpentry course being delivered on the East Coast within a marae environment. The course also supports our Marae Conservation Project. We also work together on the Te Toka Trade Training programme. Read about our mahi together here.

NZ Police

The New Zealand Police and Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou have joined forces in the spirit of ‘mahi tahi tatau’ to work towards the prevention of crime in our communities. The Turning of the Tide is a Whanau Ora crime and crash prevention strategy developed by Iwi and Police to achieve safer Ngati Porou communities. Read an article about our mahi together here.

Fulton Hogan

Our relationship with Fulton Hogan was solidified with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2012. Both parties agreed to some objectives and terms for the new relationship to enable each other to work together in good faith and for mutual benefit. Fulton Hogan supports Pa Wars, marae refurbishment, and the joint Fulton Hogan/ Ngati Porou engineering tertiary education scholarship. Read an article about our mahi together here.

Department of Conservation

We have been working steadily with the Department of Conservation across a number of areas. Our partnership has seen the release of Tuatara on Whangaokena Island and the successful co-management of various conservation estates throughout the Ngati Porou rohe, returned under the Ngati Porou Settlement Act.

Nga Whakahaere Takirua is a key component of our Treaty settlement. It’s a strategic conservation partnership between the Crown and Ngati Porou whereby both parties jointly develop a separate section of the Conservation Management Strategy. The aim was to enable Ngati Porou to have meaningful input into the strategic governance of specified public conservation lands within our rohe. Read about our mahi together here.

Ministry for Primary Industries

We have a partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries to address erosion within the Waiapu. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2014 between the Runanganui, MPI and the Gisborne District Council to document and acknowledge the commitment of each party towards this important piece of work. Our relationship with MPI also includes support from agency's Sustainable Farming Farm to research opportunities for Ngati Porou in the acqua-culture and bee industries. Read an article about our mahi together here.

2degrees

An innovative partnership between Ngati Porou and mobile telecommunications company 2degrees signals a new approach by the Iwi to leverage the tribe’s combined commercial interests to offer substantial benefits to tribal members. Under the partnership, 2degrees provides all mobile voice and data services to the Ngati Porou Group, along with Ngati Porou Forests, East Coast Rugby Union and Radio Ngati Porou. In return the company donates five percent of each organisation’s monthly spend to the Iwi through a community fund called Nati 2degrees Moni Whakapakari i te iwi Whanui.

The fund supports digital technology initiatives that help Ngati Porou communities to connect, create and innovate. Individual Ngati Porou iwi members can also contribute to the fund by signing up to the Nati 2degrees Association at their local 2degrees store.

Child, Youth & Family Service (CYFS)

We have been working with Child, Youth & Family Service (CYFS) to provide support to our Gisborne and East Coast whanau since 1992. Join initiatives include Social Workers in Schools, Parenting Skills and Fresh Start Youth Programmes.

At the end of 2012, there were almost 200 Ngati Porou children in the care of Child, Youth & Family. In 2013 TRONPnui and CYFS signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support the development of a strategy that will include co-facilitation models, female mentoring, ‘home for life’ initiatives, respite care, and the establishment of a Sports Academy.

Central to the MOU, and potential Ngati Porou initiatives, is the connection of our mokopuna to their Ngati Porou whakapapa, making them feel proud of their history and welcoming them into the whanau.