Ngāti Hauā Mahi Trust unites community to protect the environment

Over 20 years ago, the Ngāti Hauā Mahi Trust was established by Ngāti Hauā kaumātua of the five marae within Ngāti Hauā at the time to bring iwi, church and community together.

Their kaumatua knew that Māori needed to work in partnership to have any chance of creating change for their people and making a difference for their precious environment.

In 2012, the Trust re-emerged with a vision: “Tiaki manaakitia te tangata, Tiaki manaakitia te Taiao” – ”Looking after our people, Looking after the environment”.

As a ‘flax roots’ organisation, the Trust began in 2012 with a passion to make a difference within the Ngāti Hauā rohe, with a vision of growing native plants and securing sustainable long-term funding.

To achieve biosecurity needs, the eco-sourced native plants need to thrive, which has highlighted the need for all employed to be competent in working within two worlds – Matauranga Māori and Matauranga Pakeha.

The Trust, winners of the 2019 New Zealand Biosecurity Māori Award, has been referred to as a social enterprise that currently employs 12 kaitiaki who are leading environmentalists within the rohe.

The Trust's wetland restoration and riparian planting on culturally significant catchments such as the Karapiro, Mangaonua, Mangaone feed directly into our awa tipuna ‘Waikato’.