Ngā kaupapa o Toi Moana e panga ana ki te iwi Māori
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June | Hune | Pipiri 2025
Komiti Māori members 2025: (L-R) Councillors: Te Taru White, Malcolm Campbell, Kevin Winters, Andrew von Dadelszen, Ron Scott, Ken Shirley, Jane Nees, Doug Leeder, Lyall Thurston, Toi Kai Rākau Iti, Stuart Crosby, Kat Macmillan, Paula Thompson, Matemoana McDonald (Komiti Māori Chairperson). (Back) Chief Executive: Fiona McTavish.
Matariki atua ka eke mai i te rangi e roa,
E whāngainga iho ki te mata o te tau e roa e.
Divine Matariki come forth from the far-off heaven,
Bestow the first fruits of the year upon us.
Ngā mihi o te wā ki a tātou. As we head into the winter months, we acknowledge the rising of Matariki, signalling a time for remembrance, celebrating the present and looking to the future.
This year, the theme for Matariki is Matariki ma Puanga, which highlights those iwi who observe Puanga as the signal of the start of the Māori new year. The nationally broadcast Hautapu ceremony will be hosted by Ngāti Rangi at the base of Ruapehu.
Nau mai ki Komiti Māori
Komiti Māori will be held at 9.30am on Tuesday 10 June 2025. This meeting will take place in Council Chambers, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga.
The meeting will be recorded and livestreamed. To watch the meeting live, click on the following link.
You can now view the meeting agenda on our website Agendas and minutes
Presentations:
- Virtual Anchors and High Tide Roosts Kate Graeme, (President) Forest and Bird
- Te Pā Pātiki Model Nessie Kuka, Ngai Tuwhiwhia and Dr Fleur Maseyk (on behalf of members of Ngā Tai ki Mauao)
- Ngati Pūkenga ki Tauranga Taiao Wānanga Hinenui Cooper (Taiao Manager), Jeanette Haua (General Manager), Manu Caddie (Kaitiaki Taiao), Te Ohu Taiao ō Ngāti Pūkenga
If you have any further questions, please contact Kataraina O'Brien.
Elections – enrol to vote
In our last e-pānui, we shared information on the local body elections coming up later this year. Are you on the General Roll or the Māori Roll? There is the opportunity to switch between rolls up until midnight on July 10. More on that, including how to switch can be found here.
Kia kaha, ensure you and all your whānau members aged 18+ are enrolled and ready for the elections.
Candidate information webinar
If you’re thinking about standing for Bay of Plenty Regional Council in the upcoming elections, register to attend our Candidates Information Webinar. The session is an opportunity to learn more about the elections process, information about candidate guidelines and what it means to be a Regional Councillor.
Date: Wednesday 18 June 2025
Time: 6pm to 7.30pm
Please register here so that the webinar link can be sent to you.
If you are unable to attend the online session, we'll be recording it and making it available for you to watch after the event.
At Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council, we're proud to have helped pave a way for strengthened Māori representation in local government in Aotearoa. We were the first local government organisation to introduce Māori constituencies in 2004.
Paula Thompson resigns from Regional Council
Tauranga Constituency Councillor Paula Thompson has resigned from her position on Regional Council, effective 23 May. Cr Thompson has served as an elected member at Regional Council since 2010, and has held roles on SmartGrowth, the Tauranga Moana Advisory Group, the Mount Air Quality Working Party, has served as Chair of the Strategy and Policy Committee and as a Director of Quayside Holdings Limited.
The resignation will not trigger a by-election as it falls within 12 months of the upcoming local body elections, which are being held on Saturday 11 October 2025. The seat will remain vacant until then.
Bay Say – come and have a kōrero
We've just launched Bay Say, a regular online survey to understand what matters to you about where you live, what you think we do well and where we could improve.
The information from these surveys will help us plan and deliver the work we do for you, across the rohe.
By completing the survey (and sharing your email address) you can go in the draw to win one of three $100 Prezzie cards. If you sign up to be a regular survey participant, you go in a bonus draw to win another $100 Prezzie card!
Environmental Enhancement Fund
The Environmental Enhancement Fund supports local, grass-root projects to improve and protect the natural or historical attributes of our rohe. The fund can be used for plants, materials, or to help get support for training and project management. You can apply for up to $25,000 for your project – but hurry as applications close on June 30.
Motuhoa Island climate change adaptation resilience plan
Motuhoa Island is an environmental treasure, rich in cultural heritage. This whenua is facing increasing threats from more intense storms, sea level rise, and coastal erosion. Learn about how the whānau connected to this whenua united to understand these changes and build resilience for future generations by watching the short video here
Community Led Adaptation Funding
Check out the Community Led Adaptation Funding that is available to support communities who are ready to start planning for the changing climate.
Pictured: The School Sustainability and Resilience Fund Youth Panel 2025
School Sustainability and Resilience Fund
We're excited to announce that 36 schools, early childhood centres and educational organisations are receiving a share of $165,000 for their environmental projects through the School Sustainability and Resilience Fund (SSRF). The SSRF uses participatory budgeting to allocate funds, with 70% of the fund being allocated through online public voting on Participate, Toi Moana’s community engagement platform. The remaining 30% of the fund was distributed through a Youth Panel, made up of rangatahi from across the rohe, aged between 12 to 25. Notably, all four kōhanga Reo and the one kura kaupapa Māori that applied for funding were successful, demonstrating the strong community support they have. A big thanks to our funding partners Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Rotorua Trust, Trust Horizon, BayTrust, and TECT Community Trust for supporting this kaupapa.
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