Rangatahi, It’s Your Time to Lead – Whānau Voice Grants Open
Hear from one of our own rangatahi about why your voice matters in shaping the future of hauora in our rohe. If you’ve got ideas, stories, or dreams for how we can strengthen whānau wellbeing, this is your time to lead.
Your whakaaro today can change the future for our tamariki and mokopuna.
Applications are open until 27 November, you can apply here – https://tearawaimpb.co.nz/whanau-voice-grant-guidelines/
Kōrero with Aroha Dorset the General Manager of Te Taura Ora o Waiariki - Te Arawa IMPB
Aroha Dorset, General Manager of Te Taura Ora o Waiariki – Te Arawa IMPB, recently joined the kōrero to discuss the newly launched Whānau Voice Grant. She shared valuable insights into how this kaupapa will empower whānau-led projects, uplift local voices, and enhance hauora throughout our Te Arawa communities.
Applications are now open — click here to learn more. Applications close November 27.
Whānau Voice Grants - Now Open!
He wā tēnei kia rangona te reo o te whānau.
Watch this short video to see how you and your whānau can share your stories and ideas to shape health and wellbeing in our rohe.
We have 10 grants of $5,000 available for whānau, hapū, iwi, and kaupapa Māori entities to lead projects that reflect your needs, values, and tikanga. Share your kōrero through hui, workshops, surveys, storytelling, film, or creative projects – the choice is yours!
Whānau Voice Grant Inaugural Funding Round Opens
Pitch Us Your Best Idea!
Today Te Taura Ora o Waiariki launches our very first Whānau Voice Grant kaupapa, a $50,000 community fund created to uplift whānau-led ideas that can transform health and wellbeing across our rohe.
We know whānau are the experts in their own lives. This grant is about supporting those who have ideas, experiences, and stories that can make a real difference.
“Got an idea that can make a difference to hauora? Now’s your chance to share your whakaaro, your way,” says Te Taura Ora o Waiariki General Manager Aroha Dorset. “We believe whānau are the experts in their own health journeys. This grant helps bring those lived experiences to the forefront of change.”
Whānau-led ideas that shape the future
Ten $5,000 grants are available in this first round. Whether your project is just beginning or already underway, it’s your opportunity to shine a light on what works for your people.
Your idea might take shape through hui, wānanga, workshops, surveys, storytelling, or creative projects like film, digital storytelling, or art. What matters most is that your kaupapa captures the voice of your whānau and helps influence how health services are designed in the future.
This isn’t about delivering services, it’s about sharing insights, inspiring change, and making sure Māori voices lead in the transformation of our health system.
Grounded in tikanga Māori
Te Taura Ora represents more than 32,000 Māori across the Waiariki rohe. This grant continues our commitment to Te Tiriti-led, iwi-driven health solutions that reflect our people and values.
“This isn’t just about funding it’s about using creative power with purpose,” says Dorset. “By sharing your stories and ideas, your whānau can help shape a health system that listens to our people and reflects our realities.”
Projects that uplift the voices of kaumātua, rangatahi, tāngata whaikaha, and rural communities are especially encouraged.
Apply now
The Whānau Voice Grant is open from 5 November to 27 November 2025, and all applicants will be contacted by 12 December 2025.
To find out more and apply, visit: tearawaimpb.co.nz/whanau-voice-grant-guidelines
Stay vigilant e te whānau – measles is on the move
Stay vigilant e te whānau – measles is on the move.
With many whānau having travelled over the long weekend, now’s a good time to stay alert and help stop the spread of measles.
If you or your whānau have measles symptoms – such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore eyes or a rash – please stay home and phone ahead before visiting your doctor or health provider. This helps protect others.
📞 You can also call Healthline for free anytime on 0800 611 116 for any pātai or concerns.
Protect yourself and your whānau:
✔️ Two doses of the MMR vaccine after 12 months of age protects 99% of people against measles.
✔️ The MMR vaccine is safe and free for anyone under 18 years old, and for adults eligible for free healthcare.
✔️You can book your vaccine with your pharmacy, doctor, nurse, or Hauora Māori or Pacific health provider. You can find your nearest immunisation clinic here: https://info.health.nz/immunisations/immunisation-clinics
🌏 Locations of interest will be updated as they become available:
https://info.health.nz/…/measles-locations-of-interest…
ℹ️ For info on checking if you’re fully protected, visit:
https://info.health.nz/…/infectio…/about-measles/measles
or call the Vaccination Helpline on 0800 282 926.
Kia noho haumaru, whānau – let’s look after one another and keep our communities safe.
Waiariki Health Realities in Māori Hands Thanks to Dedicated Data Dashboard
Te Taura Ora o Waiariki, the Iwi Māori Partnership Board (IMPB) has taken a major step toward transforming how Māori health data is accessed, understood, and used for decision-making, completing the first stage of training for a new Māori data platform that will empower iwi to see their own health trends clearly for the first time.
The training, held in Taupō alongside governance members and three neighbouring Iwi Māori Partnership Boards, marks the beginning of a significant shift toward Māori data sovereignty, ensuring information about our people is held, interpreted, and used by us, for us.
“This marks a pivotal moment for Māori leadership in health. This data platform allows us to see our people clearly. We can now identify exactly where needs exist, where gaps in the system are impacting whānau, and where opportunities lie to invest in solutions that will create real change,” said Hingatu Thompson, Chair of Te Taura Ora o Waiariki.
Until now, data relating to the Waiariki region was grouped within the wider Lakes District, which meant the true realities of our whānau were hidden within larger population sets. Now for the first time, Te Taura Ora o Waiariki will be able to access a dedicated dashboard populated with data specific to our rohe.
The initial dashboard draws on information currently provided by Te Whatu Ora on the government’s 5+5+5 health targets:
- Faster cancer treatment
- Improved immunisation
- Shorter stays in emergency departments
- Shorter wait times for first specialist assessment
- Shorter wait times for elective treatment
While this first iteration is modest, it represents a breakthrough in visibility and will provide a foundation on which a richer, more comprehensive dataset will be built over time.
Participants in the training explored data through a te ao Māori worldview. Rather than viewing data as numbers alone, kaimahi reflected on data as a living narrative that carries the voice, mana and aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi. The training is designed to build capability and confidence so that data insights can be used to inform strategic planning, influence policy, and strengthen advocacy on behalf of Māori communities.
Te Taura Ora o Waiariki has also been gathering whānau voice independently through kōrero, surveys and hui. Although this qualitative data is not yet integrated into the dashboard, it remains central to interpreting the numbers and will be used alongside the platform to ensure decisions reflect lived reality, not just statistics.
The platform build and training are being led by Te Tihi o Ruahine, a respected whānau ora collective with deep expertise in Māori data systems and technical development. Seven more training modules will be delivered between now and June 2026, with one of these wānanga set to be hosted in Te Arawa in February 2026. As the platform matures, new data sources will be incorporated to build a more complete picture of community wellbeing.
“This kaupapa is not just about technology,” Thompson said. “It is about restoring mana motuhake, defining success on our own terms, and using evidence grounded in our worldview to uplift the wellbeing of our whānau.”
The training follows the key appointment of Urukahinga Rei (Ngāti Whakaue, Tūhourangi) as Kaitātari, a role that identifies, describes, and maps key datasets relevant to whānau hauora.
In the coming years, Te Taura Ora o Waiariki will share insights and stories emerging from the data platform with iwi partners, Māori providers and communities to support collective action toward improved health outcomes.
Media Liaison: Sarah Sparks Email: Sarah.sparks@sparksconsulting.co.nz Mobile: 021318813
Kōrero with Hingatu Thompson Chair of Te Taura Ora o Waiariki - Te Arawa IMPB
The Chair recently joined The Heat FM – Turn It Up to kōrero about the Whānau Voice Grants and why your stories matter. He shared insights into the role of Te Taura Ora o Waiariki, the importance of Iwi Māori Partnership Boards, and how Whānau Voice helps shape better health outcomes for our communities. Learn how whānau can get involved and apply for support to bring their ideas to life.
New Pou Oranga for Te Arawa IMPB to Drive Whānau Wellbeing in Te Arawa
In a move to strengthen delivery on its strategic health priorities, Te Taura Ora o Waiariki, Iwi Māori Partnership Board has appointed Jeanette Te Ua-Hausman (Ngā Wairiki, Ngāti Apa) as Pou Oranga – Projects, a role focused on leading and coordinating kaupapa that advance the Board’s strategic priorities for hauora Māori across the rohe.
“We welcome Jeanette at a moment when the future of Māori health governance is at stake,” says Hingatu Thompson, Chair of Te Taura o Waiariki Iwi Māori Partnership Board. “Her appointment reflects our commitment to delivering Te Arawa-led solutions to the housing, health, and wellbeing challenges that are particularly acute in Rotorua.”
“Our whānau face complex social issues, from high housing stress and homelessness to the health inequities highlighted in the Waitangi Tribunal’s Hauora Report. In Waiariki, low cancer screening and immunisation rates show a public health system that too often falls short.”
“Jeanette brings expertise in housing strategy, community engagement, and multi-stakeholder coordination, enabling practical, culturally grounded solutions to overcrowding, damp homes, and the broader social determinants of health affecting Te Arawa whānau.”
The Board appreciates the value of Jeanette’s proven leadership in housing, project management, and iwi-led collaboration with a strong understanding of Tikanga Māori which strengthens the ability of Te Taura to deliver outcomes that are not only effective but mana-enhancing and grounded in Te ao Māori, reflecting the aspirations and realities of Te Arawa whānau.
Jeanette brings more than a decade of project and operational leadership across diverse sectors, housing advocacy, and iwi–Crown partnership work underpinned by a Bachelor of Applied Management in Project and Operations Management.
Most recently, as Housing Advisor for Whanganui District Council, she led strategic action plans for housing and homelessness, successfully managed complex projects addressing social determinants of wellbeing and facilitated housing action groups, coordinating multi-stakeholder initiatives with Iwi, hapū, and government agencies. Her career also spans leadership roles in real estate, manufacturing operations, and human resources, with a consistent focus on building kaupapa that improve community wellbeing.
As Pou Oranga, Jeanette will manage the delivery of key projects from the IMPB’s annual work programme, including initiatives addressing housing, poverty, and food security – critical social determinants of health. She will also strengthen partnerships across iwi, hapū, providers, and Crown agencies to ensure Te Arawa aspirations are at the centre of local system change.
Her appointment comes at a time when Rotorua is experiencing both a housing crisis and significant health reforms with the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill. With Te Whatu Ora restructuring frontline services, the role of IMPBs in shaping local solutions has become even more critical.
“Jeanette’s experience leading iwi–Crown partnerships in the housing space makes her uniquely placed to progress Te Arawa-led solutions,” says Thompson. “This appointment signals our determination to move beyond business-as-usual and deliver transformational change for our whānau.”
Media Liaison: Sarah Sparks Email: Sarah.sparks@sparksconsulting.co.nz Mobile: 021318813
After Health NZ Data & Digital Cuts, Te Arawa IMPB Invests in New Data Platform & Capability
Te Taura Ora o Waiariki, Iwi Māori Partnership Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Urukahinga Rei (Ngāti Whakaue, Tūhourangi) as Kaitātari, a role dedicated to strengthening data capability and ensuring Te Arawa whānau voices are paired with robust evidence to support better health outcomes.
“This appointment of Urukahinga reflects Te Arawa’s commitment to actioning Waitangi Tribunal findings in the historic Hauora Report, which made clear that Māori must lead the design and governance of our own health data to achieve equity,” says Hingatu Thompson, Chair of Te Taura Ora o Waiariki IMPB.
“The skills of Urukahinga in data analysis, research, and iwi engagement, alongside her deep grounding in Te Ao Māori, will ensure our work is driven by evidence that reflects the realities and aspirations of our Te Arawa whānau. Her role strengthens our capacity to deliver monitoring, reporting, and advocacy that is both data-informed and whānau-centred.”
As Kaitātari, Urukahinga will identify, describe, and map key datasets relevant to whānau hauora, while also supporting the team with project administration. Her work will be central to developing a data platform that upholds Māori data sovereignty principles and reflects Te Arawa aspirations for wellbeing.
A Raukuratanga of kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori, Urukahinga brings both cultural depth and technical skill to the role. She has built a strong foundation in Māori data and research through her recent mahi with Te Kāhui Raraunga, where she developed an iwi data framework and profile, and with Te Akatea – Māori Principals Association, where she produced regional data analysis for Māori principals.
Her experience extends to working with the Mātauranga Iwi Leaders Group, Te Arawa Lakes Trust, and the National Hauora Coalition, where she supported Māori health initiatives and contributed to iwi education portfolios and research projects.
Currently completing a Bachelor of Māori Law and Philosophy at Te Wānanga o Raukawa, Urukahinga combines academic study with practical expertise in data analysis, research, and kaupapa Māori approaches.
Urukahinga is deeply motivated by the opportunity to contribute to iwi-led health solutions, weaving together her passion for kaupapa Māori research and data with a steadfast commitment to advancing the wellbeing of Te Arawa whānau. Her appointment signals a step forward in ensuring that evidence is not only rigorous but also reflective of Te Arawa values, realities, and aspirations.
“Guided by the principles of Māori Data Sovereignty championed by Te Mana Raraunga, this role strengthens the capacity of Te Arawa to protect and harness our own information in ways that empower whānau and support equitable health outcomes,” says Hingatu Thompson.
“All at a time when Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand has disestablished or redeployed more than 1,800 data and digital roles nationally, this investment shows our determination to prioritise Māori-led data solutions and safeguard iwi voices in the health system.”
Media Liaison: Sarah Sparks Email: Sarah.sparks@sparksconsulting.co.nz Mobile: 021318813
