Ngāti Awa Group Holdings Limited welcomed 27 new staff this week at Te Mānuka Tūtahi Marae. The kaimahi are all employed under Ara-Wai Whakahau – Ngāti Awa Farms Limited: Waterways Protection and Riparian Planting Project which is funded through the Provincial Growth Fund.
Ara-Wai Whakahau aims to directly enhance te taiao through 22 hectares of native riparian planting and 72 kilometres of riparian fencing on our three farms’ waterways. Kaimahi will undertake training in preparation for the project which includes earthworks, spot-spraying, riparian planting, pest control, weeding and fencing. Ara-Wai Whakahau mahi will be completed at two dairy farms each located near Te Teko and Rotomā, and the drystock farm located between Ōhope and Whakatāne.
Ara-Wai Whakahau also has a number of social procurement objectives with a focus on employment of targeted workforces, local businesses, supplier diversity, skills and training, worker conditions, and environmental responsibility.
Te Rūnanga of Ngāti Awa Tumuaki Joe Harawira says:
“I see this project as Ngāti Awa breathing life back in to Papatūānuku. It’s a step in restoring the mana, the mauri, the tapu of our awa and our manga in Ngāti Awa”.
Ngāti Awa Group Holdings CEO Tracey Hook says:
“Recruitment of 27 kaimahi for Ara-Wai Whakahau is a significant undertaking and we are excited to see them grow as the project develops. Not only will this result in environmental benefits for our Iwi but it will contribute to our commitment to improving social, cultural and economic outcomes for Ngāti Awa whānau”.
Ara-Wai is one of a number of environmentally focused programmes dedicated to restoring and preserving te taiao in the Ngāti Awa rohe. In 2020 Ngāti Awa launched Korehāhā Whakahau, a predator eradication programme to rid 4,700 hectares of land in Whakatāne and Ohōpe of possums benefitting biodiversity and creating training and employment opportunities. Korehāhā Whakahau is the first Iwi led project of its kind and currently employs 13 people.
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Contact Bianca Ruakere for more information on 021 453 189
