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Auckland Council The Auckland Plan

Whakatinana i ngā putanga tuakiri Māori me te oranga tonutanga

Implementing the Māori identity and wellbeing outcome

​Implementation partners

Many agencies and organisations support and contribute to Māori identity and wellbeing, either as the main focus of their work, or through the delivery of services and activities. This includes Māori and iwi organisations, government agencies and Auckland Council, as well as non-government and the private sector.

  • Te Puni Kōkiri is the Government’s principal policy advisor on Māori wellbeing and development. It has responsibilities to:
    • increase the levels of achievement attained by Māori in education, training, employment, health and economic resource development
    • monitor and liaise with each department and agency that provides or has a responsibility to provide services to or for Māori for the purpose of ensuring the adequacy of those services.
  • Māori and iwi organisations, such as Kaupapa Māori, Māori-led organisations, as well as key Māori change agents, continue to be critical to delivery of appropriate and effective services for Māori. Whanau Ora provides whānau-centred services with 12 partners serving Tāmaki Makaurau in areas such as health, education, housing, employment, improved standards of living and cultural identity.
  • Houkura, formerly known as the Independent Māori Statutory Board, was established in 2010 under the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 to assist Auckland Council to make decisions, perform functions and exercise powers. It does this through Issues of Significance (PDF 28MB)  in promoting cultural, economic, environmental and social issues of significance for mana whenua groups and mataawaka of Tāmaki Makaurau. It also must ensure the council acts in accordance with statutory provisions referring to te Tiriti o Waitangi.
  • The Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority (Maunga Authority) was established in 2014 to co-govern 14 Tūpuna Maunga. The Maunga Authority comprises equal representatives from Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau and Auckland Council, together with Crown (non-voting) representation.
  • Auckland Council works with mana whenua and mataawaka to enable Māori to be involved in decision-making processes. Mana whenua are involved in a range of council activities, including the RMA consenting process and input into other resource management activities. Council’s delivery of Māori outcomes is guided through Kia Ora Tamaki Makaurau.

Mechanisms used to work together

Here are examples of current mechanisms contributing towards this outcome:

  • Co-governance arrangements between Māori and the council, or iwi and the Crown, allow for a more direct influence and greater exercise of authority by mana whenua over the taiao. Currently there are eight co-governance and co-management arrangements between Auckland Council and Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau.
  • The Schedule of Issues of Significance to Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau guides the Independent Māori Statutory Board’s advocacy actions to Auckland Council, council-controlled organisations, as well as other agencies and the private sector.
  • Partnering with others is a key mechanism for Auckland Council to support Māori identity and well-being. The Southern Initiative and the Western Initiative are examples bringing together a range of organisations and willing partners to challenge existing ways of working. Partnering with the community is imperative to the success of the approach.
  • Providing funding and investments towards projects and programmes delivering on Māori outcomes through Auckland Council’s Māori Outcomes Fund ($150m over 10 years) and initiatives funded through baseline budgets.
  • Protecting and preserving unique cultural sites, landscapes and sites of significance to Māori through the Auckland Unitary Plan.
  • Governance and partnership with mana whenua in implementing a number of key Auckland Council strategies such as Te Tāruke-a-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan which also includes a region-wide rangatahi Rōpū to provide oversights and inputs on all Māori-led climate actions.
  • Providing guidance and resources, such as Te Pokapū Whakatairanga Tikanga Māori  (Māori Design Hub) within the Auckland Design Manual.

Supporting strategies and plans

These are some of the key strategies and plans that collectively guide and contribute towards this outcome:

  • Whakamaua Māori Health Action Plan 2020-2025 (Ministry of Health) – gives effect to He Korowai Oranga: Māori Health Strategy 2014 and outlines the high-level outcomes, objectives, priority areas, actions and measures to monitor progress.
  • Ka Hikitia – Ka Hāpaitia | The Māori Education Strategy (Ministry of Education) – a cross-agency strategy for the education sector to achieve shifts in education and support for Māori learners and their whānau, hapū and iwi to achieve excellent and equitable outcomes.
  • Tau Mai Te Reo / The Māori Language in Education Strategy (Ministry of Education) - provides a connected and cohesive approach to education contributions to support and strengthen the Māori Language.
  • He kai kei aku ringa | The Māori Economic Strategy (PDF 638KB)  (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) - lifts per capita income and improves export performance to lift the Māori contribution to the New Zealand economy and improve quality of life for Māori and all New Zealanders.
  • Te Mahere Whai Mahi Māori | The Māori Employment Action Plan (PDF 4MB) (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) – part of the Government’s Employment Strategy that focuses on how employment, education and training can support Māori to achieve their aspirations.
  • Maihi Ka Ora | The National Māori Housing Strategy 2021-2051 (Ministry of Housing and Urban Development) – drives a whole of system approach to improve housing outcomes for future generations of Māori, their whānau and mokopuna.
  • Aotearoa Homelessness Action Plan 2020-2023 (Ministry of Housing and Urban Development) - sets out a package of actions to address homelessness with an increased focus on prevention, alongside supply, support and system enablers.
  • Public Housing Plan (Ministry of Housing and Urban Development) - provides information about the location and number of an additional 8000 public and transitional housing places.
  • Te Hā o ngā Toi - Māori Arts Strategy 2019-2024 (Creative NZ) - supports Māori artists and aims to further the growth of Māori art locally and internationally.
  • Maihi Karauna: Crown’s Strategy for Māori Language Revitalisation 2018-2023 (Te Puni Kokiri) - focuses on Aotearoa Whānui in order to create conditions need in society for intergenerational language transmission and the widespread use of te reo Māori as a living language.
  • Maihi Māori Strategy (PDF 636KB) (Te Mātāwai) - revitalises te reo Māori in homes, communities and whānau, while supporting te reo Māori as a mother tongue or first language and the growth of intergenerational language transmission within whānau.
  • Māori Plan   (Houkura) - provides a framework for understanding Māori development aspirations and sets measures for monitoring progress towards desired cultural, economic, environmental and social outcomes for Māori.
  • The Schedule of Issues of Significance to Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau - guides the advocacy actions to Auckland Council, council-controlled organisations, other agencies and the private sector.
  • Kainga Strategic Action Plan (Houkura) - with the support of Te Matapihi, the plan looks at ways to improve housing outcomes for Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau.
  • Auckland Unitary Plan (Auckland Council) – outlines how Auckland’s natural and physical resources will be managed while enabling growth and provides the regulatory framework to ensure environmental standards are respected and upheld.
  • Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland Council) –  developed to respond more effectively to the needs and aspirations of mana whenua and Māori communities.
  • Te Tāruke-a-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan (Auckland Council) – outlines the long-term approach to climate action to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. It contains a principle-based priority, Te Puāwaitanga ō te Tātai, that is embedded across all the priorities of the plan.
  • Ngā Hapori Momoho |Thriving Communities Strategy 2022-2032 (Auckland Council) – outlines how council will contribute to creating a fairer, more sustainable Tāmaki Makaurau where every Aucklander feels like they belong.
  • Toi Whītiki Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan (Auckland Council) - sets out what the council and the arts sector want to achieve and the actions and priorities needed to celebrate Māori culture as a point of difference.
  • Economic Development Action Plan (Auckland Council/Auckland Unlimited) – provides directions for economic development with a strong focus on Auckland’s recovery where supporting economic opportunities for Māori are embedded into the plans’ six objectives.
  • Te Pokapū Whakatairanga Tikanga Māori (Auckland Council) - provides a wealth of Māori housing resources, design case studies to inspire the transformation of Auckland's public and private places
  • City Centre Masterplan (Auckland Council) – outlines the interventions and systemic changes to bring mana whenua presence, Māori identity and life into the city centre and waterfront.

How to get involved

The following online resources are helpful in learning more about social, economic and cultural position of Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Supporting information

Related information