Kei ngā tai mihi whenua, kei ngā tai mihi tāngata, tēnā koutou i runga i ngā āhuatanga o te wā.

Kei ngā raukura kua maunu atu ki te moana uriuri, e rere takiwā ana ngā whakaaro ki te ao wairua, ki te pūtahitanga o Rehua, tau mai rā.

Me mihi mātou ka tika ki ngā toka tū moana o tā tātou kaupapa. Nā rātou tēnei huarahi i para; nā rātou anō tō tātou whare i whakaara. Haere tonu ngā mihi ki ngā pītau whakareia e whakatere tonu nei i ēnei ngaru pukepuke o te wā.

Ki a koutou kua noho mai i raro i te maru o Te Whenua Taurikura, mokori anō kia rere a mihi. E kore rawa te manawa o Whānau Ora e mate.

Tēnā koutou katoa

Thank you for the overwhelming support we have received from whānau far and wide over the past few days. The outpouring of aroha and belief in Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu and the kaupapa of Whānau Ora has been humbling.

Last Friday night, we received the news that Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu’s bid to remain as the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency had been unsuccessful. As a result, we will close our doors on June 30, 2025.

Te Taumata want to express our sorrow to all the whānau, hapū, iwi, marae, and communities throughout Te Waipounamu, Rakiura, and Rēkohu/Wharekauri whom we have had the privilege of serving and working alongside these past 10 years, especially those who will be impacted by this decision.

From the visionaries and leaders who were there in 2014, and even prior to that, to the committed and vast network that has been built up to this day. Through the foresight and vision of the nine iwi of Te Waipounamu and the leaders of the time, whānau have been able to build a legacy, just as Kahurangi Tariana Turia and Tā Mason Durie envisaged.

We acknowledge kaimahi and their whānau as we all start to navigate the meaning of the situation. We acknowledge Partners, Navigators and whānau and the unsettling environment this decision has caused.
Te Taumata take heart in knowing that Whānau Ora is bigger than all of us; it is not owned; it is, like our people, dynamic and moves to the times. We take comfort that commissioning will remain in iwi hands.

Ngāi Tahu were one of the nine iwi who worked together to create our unique and proven social investment model, and we are committed to working together to ensure a smooth transition. Like Te Tauraki, we only want what is best for whānau, hapū and iwi here in Te Waipounamu. In the same way, we support Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, one of our own governing iwi, as it moves into the commissioning space in Te Ika-a-Māui.

We are deeply disconcerted by the Coalition Government’s lack of transparency around what we consider to be a significant shift in the Whānau Ora model, policy and outcomes.
This is where our grief lies.

Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu has been a leader in social investment approaches and has operated with integrity and efficiency. Te Taumata is proud of the heights achieved by all those the agency has been connected with. It is hard to express how thankful we are for the trust you have all placed in us these past 10 years.

Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu and Te Taumata are committed to keeping you up to date as we move through the transition process.

 

Ngā manaakitanga, me te aroha nui

Hina-i-te-māra Moses-Te Kani and Taku Parai

Co-Chairpersons. Te Taumata, the iwi shareholder council of Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu