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Ngāi Tahu Lawyer Empowered by Puna Pakihi

Kingi Snelgar, a Ngāi Tahu lawyer, Harvard graduate, and Fulbright scholar, attributes the beginning of his own practice to the transformative impact of the Ngāi Tahu Puna Pakihi whānau business support programme. Kingi Snelgar (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Whakatōhea and Ngāi Tahu) began his career at a prominent law firm in Auckland. In 2015, he…

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A few words from an intern

By Abby Hamilton In 2022, I was a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Science student at Lincoln University, studying Tourism Management. I was offered an internship through Ngāi Tahu Tourism at Shotover Jet in Queenstown for the summer. It was a pleasure to work in an environment where cultural values underpin all aspects of the day-to-day…

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Watershed moment: From misunderstanding to transformation

Te Rūnaka o Arowhenua and Timaru District Council have transformed the way in which they collaborate on stormwater management. So good has the collaboration become that the Rūnaka, the council and their representatives have received national recognition. Among those recognised is Aoraki Environmental Consultancy (AEC), which provides environmental planning and policy advice on behalf of…

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Waitaki Whitestone of ‘global geological significance’

The only UNESCO Global Geopark in Australasia wouldn’t have become so without mana whenua. UNESCO Geoparks are areas of global geological significance, managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. There are 177 such parks in 46 countries. Waitaki Whitestone spans more than 7000km2 stretching from the east coast of the South…

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Murihiku Marae reopening a proud moment for Waihōpai Rūnaka

Murihiku Marae reopened its doors on the 2nd of June following an extensive redevelopment project that shows commitment to environmental sustainability and community wellbeing. The completion of this multi-million dollar development, incorporating a triple net-zero approach—targeting water, energy, and carbon neutrality—marks a proud milestone for Waihōpai Rūnaka. Over the course of just 12 months, the…

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Megan Pōtiki takes leadership role at Te Pūkenga

Kāi Tahu academic Megan Pōtiki has been appointed regional co-lead for Te Pūkenga’s Region 4, which spans the Kāi Tahu takiwā. Te Pūkenga is the new education provider, which merged 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics and 11 transitional industry training organisations. It is required to operate in a way that allows it to develop…

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Budget 2023 leaves a ‘hollow feeling’

By Arihia Bennett, chief executive of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu After a succession of big-spending budgets and much funding allocated to cyclone and flood recovery, Budget 2023 was understandably restrained. The end of Covid-spending and the necessity of funding cyclone and flooding recovery have led us to the so-called “no frills” budget. Still, for…

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‘I want my mokopuna to swim in clean waters’

By Lisa Tumahai, Kaiwhakahaere (Chair) of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Our global outlook is uncertain – we are facing challenges our tīpuna (ancestors) never encountered. The intergenerational consequences of a lack of climate action, emerging risks of unregulated artificial intelligence development, and campaigns of disinformation all threaten to undermine wider society. Te Rūnanga o…

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Māra Moana: Kelp reseeding in Whakaraupō/ Lyttelton

May 12th Our moana is changing fast and the warming of our seas is creating new and complex challenges for the life within them. In Aotearoa we are ‘experiencing longer and more intense marine heatwaves that are going beyond the thermal threshold of some of our native kelp populations’ which is having significant effects on…

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Mana Whakahono ā Rohe takes out key NZPI award

21 April 2023 The New Zealand Planning Institute has recognised the ground-breaking planning work undertaken by Poutini Ngāi Tahu and the West Coast Regional Council in the development and implementation of a Mana Whakahono ā Rohe – Iwi Participation Agreement, awarding it the Best Practice Award in Consultation and Participation Strategies and/or processes. The first…

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