“Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.”  With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.

This Whakataukī is the essence of Community-Led Development – coming together to share our selves, time and resources to bring about change to our community with the focus starting in the North of Aotea.  It rings true that whilst we can see the challenges of living remotely, it also makes a strong community who have a can-do attitude, and what has become a catch phrase to describe us as “good at MacGyvering it up” by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA)- our partner in this project. We originally came up with the term but the DIA just loved it and it stuck

Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai Ki Aotea Trust board were successful in 2023 in being selected to be one of the 20 communities around NZ that are currently in the DIA’s Community-led Development program. Its initiated by the people, for the people. The community-led development approach focuses on communities as a whole, rather than on specific programmes or activities. It invites us to bring our strengths to the mahi that we do and see where we can bring challenges to the table and turn them into opportunities.

This programme for Aotea is just at the beginning – it continues for five years but from what we have learnt and seen around Aotearoa, this can go for much longer and I am sure the lessons that we learn in the process will far outlast the five years.

Our community-led development initiative is called Toitū Aotea – to be sustainable and have longevity. To look after the whenua and the whanau who live here now and for generations to come. We have an exciting opportunity to create lasting change for the North of Aotea—and in turn, the whole motu (island).

Some of the challenges on the island are easy to identify; power, water, kai, health and connection.. Those are all big and worthy of our mahi and focus. Its the ones that sit behind we are curious about, both big and small what achievements will arise out of our community coming together? Working together, connecting, being reminded sometimes of how things used to be and what could our future look like if we have the tools to help us.

What is Community-Led Development?

Community-led development is about empowering people to shape their own future. Instead of waiting for change to come from the outside, we take the lead in identifying what’s important, what needs to happen, and how we can make it work—together. The Government is supporting community-led development, through the Department of Internal Affairs, by providing support, advice and funding, but the work is led by the community.

This approach is guided by key values:

 Kotahitanga – Working together as one community

 Manaakitanga – Caring for each other and our environment

 Whanaungatanga – Strengthening connections between people

 Kaitiakitanga – Protecting and sustaining our whenua and moana

Through Toitū Aotea , our community has the chance to develop projects that will enhance daily life, support whānau, and build a strong future for the next generation. Some of the ideas that have been suggested so far include:

 Sustainable Power & Water Solutions

 Sharing Kai

 Cultural Development & Community Spaces

Community enterprise to boost a localised economy.

These are just a few of the ideas that have been put forward. What do you think? What would make life better for our community? We want to hear from you!  Toitū Aotea – Community-Led Development Hui is happening on March 22nd at the Port Fitzroy Boat Club, 2-5pm. This is a chance for everyone to share ideas, support projects, and help shape the future.

After the hui, Orama will provide kai, and we’ll enjoy some amazing local musicians sharing their mahi (work). It’s a time to kōrero (talk), hono (connect), and whakanui (celebrate what’s possible when we come together.

If you want to tautoko /support a project—or even better, be part of making it happen—let us know. You can email us atAoteaCLD@ngatirehua.iwi.nz or come along to the hui.

Kia ora ai koe i tō haerenga, nau mai, haere mai ki te mahi tahi, kia tipu, kia rea tātou katoa.

May you have wellbeing on your journey, Welcome, come and work alongside us, so that we may all grow and thrive together.