Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa welcomes eleven new staff today at Te Mānuka Tūtahi Marae. The new staff are a Programme Manager for new projects, and ten staff employed in Korehāhā Whakahau, the first Iwi led Predator Free 2050 project in Aotearoa.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa Manahautū Leonie Simpson says “These new positions are our commitment to social, cultural and economic outcomes for Ngāti Awa whānau and the Iwi. The Programme Manager will be responsible for leading our new projects associated with our Provincial Growth Fund projects, and the Korehāhā Whakahau staff will eradicate possums from 4700ha of land within the Ngāti Awa rohe including Whakatāne, Ōhope, and Ōhiwa Harbour”.
Programme Manager, Alieta Waitoa joins Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa to lead a small project team dedicated to delivering a range of new Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa projects funded by the Provincial Growth Fund, including Te Ara Mahi (Workforce Development and a new Technical Training Centre), Army Hall Redevelopment, Water ways protection, and our Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme. Alieta was previously the National Procurement Manager at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa based in Te Awamutu.
The Korehāhā Whakahau staff have either been previously unemployed or lost their jobs through the impacts of Covid-19 and are part of the Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa Iwi workforce programme. This programme is building transferable skills, focussed on our values and aspirations. For Korehāhā Whakahau, this is practically implementing kaitiakitanga in our rohe, employing whānau, and growing our collective Iwi capacity and capability. Korehāhā Whakahau will use new trap technology without the use of any toxins.
Korehāhā Whakahau Kaiarahi Simon Harris says “Receiving this job has made my manawa so happy. Hapū of Ngāti Awa have been protecting our whenua as kaitiaki nō muri mai anō; this is a continuation of that work and I am extremely privileged to be paid to be an active kaitiaki”.
Korehāhā Whakahau is funded through Predator Free and Kaimahi for Nature and has created 16 new jobs in total. New staff are descendants of Ngai Taiwhakaea, Ngai Te Rangihouhiri, Ngāti Hokopū, Ngāti Pūkeko, Ngāti Hāmua, Ngai Tamaoki, Ngai Tamapare, Te Pahipoto, Ngāi Tamawera, Ngā Maihi, Ngāti Rangataua, Warahoe, Wharepaia and Ngāti Hikakino.
For enquiries please contact: runanga@ngatiawa.iwi.nz
