PĀNUI | Whiringa-ā-Rangi 2025
- Kiri Leach
- Dec 24, 2025
- 8 min read
Tēnā koe,
Me he Pohutukawa koe, ka noho noa ki tātahi, ka rongo i te au o ngā tai, ka rongo hoki i ngā reo harikoa o te tini me te mano. Heoi, ngā mihi o ngā tini āhuatanga o te wā ki a koutou, me ngā tini kaupapa e haerere tonu nei. Ko tae mai a Raumati, ko tae mai a Pohutukawa, ko tae hoki mai a Hana Koko, nō reira, ko tae mai te mutunga o te tau.
Te manako nui, ka rapu koe, koutou ko tō whānau i ngā wāhi e whakakoakoa nei i te ngākau, e hiki ai te wairua, kia hoki hihiko mai e hoā.
After a year of deep listening, bold kōrero, and relentless mahi, we’re finding our rhythm. Ko haere tonu te mahi, ko mahana pai te ahi, ā, he hua ka puta. The wheels are turning, the fire is lit, and the path ahead is clear: whānau voice leads the way. This past year has been a powerful reflection of that momentum. We are thrilled to share some of the mahi with you here.
As we draw this year to a close, we pause to mihi to all our kaimahi across Te Tai Tokerau and Tāmaki Makaurau. We see you. We acknowledge the aroha, the strength, and the relentless commitment you bring to our whānau and communities every single day.
Summer is a time for rest, for wairua to be replenished, and for whānau to gather. We encourage you to take that time where you can, to breathe deeply and restore. Yet we also recognise that our health system does not sleep. Even on Christmas Day, many of you will be standing steadfast, ensuring that whānau receive the care they need. Your sacrifice and dedication do not go unnoticed.
On behalf of the IMPB team—Ellie, Warren, Noel, Kylie, Chanelle, Khan, Simone, and Kiri—we extend our deepest gratitude for your mahi, your support, and your unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of our people.
We look forward to walking alongside you again in 2026, continuing this kaupapa together, with renewed energy and shared purpose.
Kia haumaru ngā hararei and see you all next year.
E mihi, Boyd
Boyd Broughton
Tumu Whakarae - Chief Executive
Here are our updates for your summer reading pleasure...
Te Taumata Hauora o Te Kahu o Taonui Hauora Policy Manifesto
Our Board with Te Kahu o Taonui, released a new Hauora Policy Manifesto. This is a bold, iwi-led roadmap for health equity. It invites all political parties to consider:
An independent Māori health equity commission (He Komihana Orite)
Māori data sovereignty and governance
50% Māori representation on Crown health boards
Holistic funding that reflects Māori definitions of wellbeing
Localised decision-making and budget-holding
Investment in hauora Māori providers and innovation
Action on ten health priorities, from oral health to mokopuna ora
Te Āpōpōtanga Māmā & Pēpi Whānau Voice Priority Report
After months of deep listening and courageous kōrero, we’ve reached a milestone: the finalisation of our Māmā & Pēpi report, a taonga shaped by the voices of māmā, pāpā, and whānau across Te Tai Tokerau and Tāmaki Makaurau.
We began with wānanga that walked alongside māmā through the full continuum of motherhood, from hapūtanga to the early years of pēpi. These hui were spaces of honesty and aroha, where stories of resilience, struggle, and aspiration were shared. Providers joined the kōrero too, naming systemic fractures and dreaming of whānau-centred solutions.
What did we learn?
Trust and cultural safety are non-negotiable. When services honour whakapapa and listen with integrity, everything changes.
Access to care remains a major barrier. Distance, cost, workforce challenges, and fragmented systems that do not communicate, make basic support hard to reach.
Isolation and mental load weigh heavily on māmā. In urban settings where housing instability and systemic racism compound stress. In rural settings, distance and loneliness were key factors to reduced connection.
Resilience shines through every story. Despite systemic gaps, māmā continue to advocate fiercely for their tamariki. No māmā wants their pēpi unwell!
This report is a blueprint for transformation. It calls for continuity of care, kaupapa Māori maternity hubs, systemic change, and wraparound support that uplifts whānau wellbeing.
We aim to launch this report in the new year alongside our other Whānau Voice Priority pieces.
Hua Oranga - Pathways to Wellbeing Survey Have Your Say
We’re still listening. Our Whānau Voice survey is open, and we need your whakaaro. Whānau voice sits at the very centre of everything we do. It is our compass, our strongest tool for influencing and re‑designing systems. Nothing happens without it.
Every response matters. We gather your kōrero, we analyse it, and we use it to push for change that reflects the realities and aspirations of our people. This is your chance to shape the future of hauora services across Te Tai Tokerau and Tāmaki Makaurau.
It only takes a few minutes to complete, but your insights will guide years of transformation. Please take a moment to fill it in and share the link with your networks. Together, we can design systems that serve our people, rather than asking our people to serve the system.
Please fill it out and share it with your whānau...
He Whare Oranga, He Whare Māori National Māori Housing Conference
Housing is health. That’s what our whānau told us, and we’re listening. As sponsors, keynote speakers, and panel members at the National Māori Housing Conference, we shared stories from our rohe, stories of resilience, struggle, and hope.
During our interactive workshop, we explored the lived experience of housing insecurity and co-created solutions with providers from across the motu. The kōrero was clear: solutions must be Māori-led and whānau-designed, grounded in whakapapa and whenua. Providers emphasised that housing is more than shelter. It’s about identity, connection, and mana.
Whenua-centred homes and papakāinga were seen as vital for restoring belonging and stability. Alongside this, providers called for self-sufficient, sustainable housing, using solar, water systems, and circular economies to reduce costs and build resilience.
Turning off the tap on homelessness means addressing root causes early, repairing existing stock, and creating pathways that prevent whānau from falling through the cracks. Access to pūtea and financial literacy was another priority, ensuring whānau can move toward independence without being trapped in cycles of debt or subsidy.
Education and skills were highlighted as key enablers: free study options, driver licensing, and trade training to open doors for rangatahi and whānau. Providers also stressed the need for healing spaces – wānanga and retreats where whānau can process trauma and rebuild hauora.
Finally, the call was for better data and knowledge sharing, youth-specific housing responses, and systems that give whānau time, space, and stability to thrive.
We are thrilled to be partnering with Te Puni Kōkiri to deliver this kaupapa. Nei mātou e mihi ana. In the new year, we will continue exploring pathways to papakāinga and we look forward to sharing more of what we are hearing with you.
Ngāti Hine - Measles Response That Delivered
When measles hit Te Tai Tokerau, Ngāti Hine Health Trust didn’t wait, they moved. Within 48 hours, clinics were running, outreach was rolling, and in-home care was underway.
The results spoke for themselves. 239% increase in MMR uptake, and an outbreak contained in three weeks.
That’s not luck. That’s iwi leadership. They tested their strategy with the toughest crowd, the local watering hole. They listened, adapted, and built a campaign in their own reo and tikanga.
When Te Waipounamu and others around the country asked for insights, Ngāti Hine didn’t gatekeep. They shared their Playbook, he mea toha kia ora ai te Iwi. This is what happens when Māori are trusted and resourced. We deliver.
Oranga Hinengaro, Oranga Wairua Mental Health & Addictions Wānanga
As we close out the year, we turn to one final kaupapa: Mental Health and Addictions. Our focus is on hosting wānanga with taiohi aged 18–30, creating safe and welcoming spaces where lived experiences can be shared openly, with mana and without judgement.
We have held our first wānanga in partnership with Gateway to Recovery in Takahiwai, Whangārei. It was a privilege to sit, listen, and be taught by courageous individuals who have faced addictions and are now making profound changes in their lives. Gateway to Recovery is not government funded. It is an organic, community‑driven response to the growing challenges of drug and alcohol harm. We were humbled by their quiet diligence, their steadfast commitment to recovery, and the powerful community they have built to support and awhi one another along the way.
Whānau shared deeply moving kōrero about the realities of addiction including fatigue, disconnection, shame, and the strain carried by whānau. Alongside these truths came aspirations for healing: reconnection to whakapapa and marae, healthy kai and exercise, peer‑led supports grounded in aroha, and Taiao‑based programmes such as diving and gardening.
The vision is clear. Whānau seek holistic recovery grounded in Te Whare Tapa Whā, balancing tinana, hinengaro, wairua, and whānau wellbeing, while also addressing practical needs like transport, kai, and creative outlets. These insights guide us toward mana‑enhancing solutions that restore mauri, strengthen whānau, and ensure that recovery is not just about survival, but about living well.
If your organisation supports whānau in these areas and would like to partner with us to deliver this kaupapa, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can ensure taiohi voices are heard and valued.
Interested? Get in touch with Chanelle@tetaumatahauora.nz to explore how we can work together.
Kia Tika, Kia Kounga Hoki Ngā Ratonga Hauora Oral Health in Whaingaroa
Oral health has an impact on your whole tinana. Infections in your mouth can affect your heart and gut health. Poor oral health also impacts mental wellbeing and social confidence, with many whānau experiencing whakama that limits participation in everyday life. Chewing kai properly is vital for digestion, but when extractions replace treatment, it reduces your ability to break down food and maintain good gut health. For whānau living with unmet oral health needs, this is a serious equity issue.
To tackle these barriers, we worked alongside Te Rūnanga o Whaingaroa, Whangaroa Health Services Trust, MSD-Whangarei, Te Whatu Ora - Northern Region and Dental Planet to deliver essential dental care in Whangaroa. This kaupapa showed the power of collaboration, public and private services coming together to make oral health accessible for whānau who need it most.
This year, we returned for another two weeks of dental care, continuing to break down cost and geographic barriers. We also partnered with Te Hiku Hauora Dental Services and Denture Services in Whangārei to support pakeke with dentures. These services were available for whānau eligible for the MSD Special Needs Grant, ensuring financial support was part of the solution.
Because of this mahi:
In December 2024, 84 pakeke and 24 tamariki received essential dental treatment, December, 2025 planned for 44 more whanau
For pakeke in Te Hiku, there were more that 70 extractions to relieve pain, restorations and where teeth could be saved and dozens of dentures and partial dentures were designed to help whanau eat, speak and smile again
Many more whānau were able to access care that would otherwise be out of reach.
Leading into 2026, we’re in discussions with Kāinga Ora to support whānau in homes to access dental care, and we hope to see increased availability of community grants to make oral health equity a reality.
If you’re a Māori health provider interested in partnering on oral health initiatives, contact our operations lead Ellie Berghan/Warren Moetara to learn more.
Final Reflections
Me upoko pakaru! We’ve been running full steam into the close of the year, and we’re not slowing down. Every hui, every kōrero, every survey response, your voice is shaping the future.
We remain committed to listening deeply, advocating fiercely, and redesigning systems that serve our tamariki mokopuna.
To everyone fighting for equity and fairness in your own spaces: we see you. We honour you. We walk beside you.
E aku nui, e aku rahi, me koke tonu tātou
Me mahi tahi tātou mō te oranga tonutanga o te iwi te take.
Nā Te Taumata Hauora o Te Kahu o Taonui IMPB
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