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TE RUNANGANUI O NGATI POROU
Ani Pahuru-Huriwai is a Trustee of Te Aroha Kanarahi Trust (TAKT), a community trust based in Wharekahika that serves the Matakaoa community. Recently Nati Link asked Ani some patai to find out the latest news from Wharekahika.
TAKT IS ALWAYS PUMPING! WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING LATELY?
HEAPS! We’ve joined up with EIT Tairawhiti to hold Level 2 Certificate in Te Reo Maori classes, during the morning and evening. We’re running Tumeke Tuesdays ACE (Adult and Community Education) classes with EIT and Tairawhiti REAP to support our Te Whatakai a Hinemaurea strategy. The whanau come along to make pickles, relish and jams from seasonal kai and they’re learning how to sew so they can repurpose old clothes and repair kakahu. These classes are helping our kai sovereignty mahi, waste minimisation and being good kaitieki. We have also been working on our TAKT Strategic Vision to be a P-Free Matakaoa by 2050. That’s the elimination of P(meth), Pollution, Poverty, Plastics, Pine Trees, Ports and Pandemics!
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE NEW MATAKAOA DIGI-HUB?
Yeah it’s really cool! TAKT are part of a collaboration with Taiki E, Rangai, Taitech and Tolaga Bay Innovation with support from Internet NZ. The Digital Hub will open up so many opportunities for our community. Shared online workshops around the region to learn and grow together. Online meetups to strengthen our networks and share knowledge. E-learning opportunities and micro-learning resources for all ages, as well as pathways for local businesses to explore e-commerce and connect, thrive and reach wider markets.
TELL US MORE ABOUT THE PARATOA PROJECT AND TEAM. WHAT IS THE WHANAU WANTING TO ACHIEVE?
Paratoa Waste Warriors is focused on doing our bit to be good kaitieki, because we have only one planet. This kaupapa came about a couple of years ago when our team was involved with the Covid response, then Cyclone recovery and supporting whanau through that. There were and are significant challenges for whanau to access the local transfer station in Te Araroa: the limited hours of operation; distance to travel 10km to 30km one way; having no suitable vehicle; rubbish being dumped over banks, in waterways or stored in sheds and attracting vermin.
There is no kerbside collection here, so we do what we always do and help out where we can. That has developed into a weekly collection from 34 homes in Potaka and Wharekahika. We have been fortunate to have the support of Mil-tek NZ a Maori owned business based in Auckland, who have loaned us general waste and cardboard/tin compactors. We were able to purchase a glass crusher through the GDC’s Waste Minimisation Fund. These machines have meant we have reduced the rubbish we collect by 86% since October. All glass bottles are crushed and turned to sand. We are trialling different uses for the sand and seeking funding for R&D to see what kind of products could be developed.
So this reduction in waste means a significant impact on carbon emissions and the fact the big rubbish trucks come here less is great for the planet and pocket. We have gathered data since October, and this has been very telling. When you crush the air out of waste, the truck comes here less and more importantly we are transporting LESS rubbish to be another hapu/iwi’s problem. We want to see this model in every marae/hapu/hapori in Ngati Porou. We also want to share our model and having our awesome team showing our whanaunga how to set up, where to purchase the machinery, identify Health & Safety policies, and how to maintain the equipment. If every hapu is actively compacting and crushing their waste, that would be significant across our Ngati Porou rohe. It would be fantastic if TRONPnui, Ngati Porou Oranga, Toitu Ngati Porou and Nati Growth could collaborate to support this kaupapa! This would not only reduce waste but also grow employment for at least 3 FTEs in each community.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE THE REST OF NGATI POROU TO KNOW?
Ae! Project Hoake is our small business development team at TAKT who over the past 5 years have supported our whanau into business, thanks to support from the Tindall Foundation, Todd Foundation, JR McKenzie Trust and Te Muka Rau. Some of those businesses have continued to survive through Covid and cyclones.
Our current list of pakihi are:
• Lightshift Pictures
• Reka Native Honey and Taonga
• East Coast Clothing
• KVL Roofing
• Divine Desserts
• C&M Infinite Solutions
• Way of Life Clothing
• Lottin Point Motels
and new businesses, RnR Transport and Homekill Services.
Our team provides critical support to these businesses, organising training and professional development, assisting with marketing, helping to set up Xero and Henry and keeping owners motivated. Very soon, thanks to a grant from the Tindall foundation we will be offering BizGrow low deposit loans for our businesses who have stayed the course.
The intention is to ensure this fund is sustainable and able to assist many more small businesses over time. We are currently looking for funding to ensure our Project Hoake team can continue to be employed as our 3-5 year arrangements with our current funders are drawing to a close. We would dearly love our own regional philanthropic trust Trust Tairawhiti, and our own iwi economic development arm Nati Growth to support this mahi - we have been doing this for over 5 years and are yet to have any regional/iwi support.
Kua tae pea te wa? Here’s hoping!
