Govt invests doubled to expand He Oranga Poutama in four new regions

“He Oranga Poutama has been the longest standing kaupapa Māori initiative at Sport NZ,” Grant Robertson said.

A long-standing physical activity programme that focuses on outcomes for Maori has been expanded to four new regions with Government investment almost doubled to increase its reach.

He Oranga Poutama is managed by a combination of hapū, iwi, hauora and regional providers.

An increase in funding from $1.8 million to $3.4 million will go to the nine current providers, along with investment into two new regional providers:

Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou and Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti.

Te Rūnanganui o Te Ātiawa ki te Ūpoko o te Ika, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated and Nuku Ora.

The programme will also now be rolled out to the South Island through Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu and extended to the Urewera Ranges and Tauranga through existing provider Mātaatua Sports Trust.

"He Oranga Poutama has been the longest standing kaupapa Māori initiative at Sport NZ," Grant Robertson said.

"Its expansion from nine providers to 12 will broaden its reach into communities across Aotearoa and forms part of a $7 million Kaupapa Māori Response Plan focused on providing more culturally distinctive pathways to enable Māori to succeed in sport and recreation.

"The programme supports initiatives that have a focus on increasing participation and leadership as Māori in sport and traditional physical recreation at the community level. This will vary from region to region. Examples include the delivery of traditional Māori sports and the co-design of leadership wānanga for rangatahi.

"This increased investment offers an opportunity to build new partnerships with Māori as well as strengthen existing relationships."

In addition to the expansion of He Oranga Poutama, other key initiatives of the Kaupapa Māori Response Plan include a new relationship with a Māori National Sporting Organisation Collective, new culturally distinctive partner investments through the Te Ihi Fund and the national roll out of MaraeFit Aotearoa – a marae-centric digital physical activity tool – later this year.

The 12 confirmed He Oranga Poutama providers are as follows:

Sport Northland

Aktive – Auckland Sport & Recreation

Mātaatua Sports Trust

Te Wharekura o Rākaumangamanga

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Porou & Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti

Te Hauora o Tūranga nui a Kiwa

Te Papa Tākaro o Te Arawa

Sport Taranaki

Sport Hawke's Bay

Te Runanga o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa

Te Rūnanga o Te Atiawa, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Toa & Nuku Ora

Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)