More progress for Te Hiku Social Accord for iwi in Far North

Nanaia Mahuta greeting Te Hiku iwi leader Haami Piripi to Wellington. Photo / Supplied

Far North Iwi leaders met with key Cabinet Ministers in Wellington on Thursday, to outline their priorities and aspirations and to advance partnership initiatives under the Te Hiku Social Accord.

The Accord, negotiated as part of the Te Hiku iwi Treaty settlement legislation, is founded on the vision of cultural, social and economic prosperity for the communities, whānau, hapū and iwi of Te Hiku, last week being the first opportunity for iwi to meet with the new set of government ministers to review the progress that has been made so far, and to build on the strategic approach provided by the Accord.

"Many of our Māori whānau are still in a crisis situation in terms of safety, housing, education and employment," Te Hiku iwi leader Haami Piripi said.

"Our iwi have been working hard with agencies to fully understand the current state of wellbeing of our whānau of Te Hiku, and it's not a pretty picture.

"We've identified a number of priorities that we will be looking to work on with Ministers to address the issues many whānau face.

We're 100 per cent committed to making sure the Social Accord succeeds and provides real outcomes for our people, that help them raise their children in safe and nurturing homes

Haami Piripi

"Developing solutions that deliver real and enduring outcomes for whānau, or any community, through a process of co-design is now accepted as best practice.

"There is an opportunity to utilise this Te Tiriti partnership model through the Te Hiku Social Accord, to enable and support our collective social service delivery and voluntary sector to be more effective.

"The cultural insights iwi can provide will help to ensure whānau issues are fully understood, and any support provided is more responsive to their needs," he added.

"We already have a working partnership model with the police to reduce family harm and address issues that can improve safety in our homes and kāinga.

"Iwi are now looking for opportunities to co-design and implement similar initiatives with other government agencies and Ministers to address the other priorities that our Social Accord has identified."

Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said Te Hiku's aspirations for their iwi and communities were closely aligned with the government's.

"We will work together to provide people with the opportunity to learn and grow, to be greater role models for their children, to become stronger in themselves and for their family." she said.

"Our goals are to realise the potential in people, improve wellbeing, create employment for people that is meaningful and sustainable, and put renewed energy into upskilling and training.

"This, and so much more, is ingrained in the key priorities for Te Hiku iwi. The Accord is a great opportunity, and we are looking forward to this journey together."

The Te Hiku iwi leaders also met with department chief executives whilst in Wellington, to explore opportunities for iwi and agencies can work together towards shared outcomes that align with iwi priorities and the government's strategic direction.

"We're 100 per cent committed to making sure the Social Accord succeeds and provides real outcomes for our people, that help them raise their children in safe and nurturing homes and improve the quality of their lives," Mr Piripi said.

"This is what our people expect from us as iwi leaders, and this is what we have already agreed with the government through the Te Hiku Social Accord. We're looking forward to working seriously with this government to achieve these outcomes."