Rāpare, 4 Pipiri 2026 | Thursday, 4 June 2026

Talofa lava and welcome to this month's e-Pānui.

This week we join communities across Aotearoa in celebrating Samoan Language Week, an opportunity to recognise and honour the language, culture, and contributions of our Samoan communities.

"E afua mai i mauga tetele manuia o le 'nu'u - From the high mountains are the blessings of the village." 

This saying reminds us if we want better outcomes at the community level, we must invest in the relationships, leadership, and collective capacity that sit upstream. We must respond to challenges in the village, whilst also strengthening the mountain from which wellbeing flows.

Opinion piece by Dr. Nethmi Kearns

Porirua Knows What Works. Does the Budget?

Every budget is a statement of priorities. While Budget 2026 is framed as a responsible path back to surplus, it also reveals what the Government is willing to defer, and who is being asked to carry the burden in the meantime.

In Porirua, through community reimagining sessions and the Porirua Community Leaders’ Forum, three priorities consistently emerge: healthy and affordable housing, kai security, and climate resilience. These are not abstract policy concerns. They are the everyday conditions that determine whether whānau are thriving or simply getting by.

There are aspects of this Budget that deserve recognition. The Government has committed $45 million for community food support and school breakfast programmes, alongside $212 million to continue Healthy School Lunches and early childhood food programmes in 2027. Investment in the Healthy School Lunches in particular will provide broad and significant benefits for tamariki[1][2][3] and help relieve pressure on families facing rising living costs.

There is also welcome investment in housing and child well-being. The Budget includes $69 million to fund up to 2,250 additional social homes, $22.4 million to help prevent households entering emergency housing and provision of temporary support for households and public services facing fuel pressures.

These investments will make a genuine difference for many whānau. But they also highlight a deeper concern. Much of the spending is focused on responding to hardship after it emerges rather than investing in the conditions that prevent hardship in the first place.

Housing provides perhaps the clearest example. While the Government has announced additional social housing places, it has also increased the proportion of income that many social housing tenants will pay in rent, from 25% to 30%. For households already struggling with rising costs, this is effectively asking some of the country's lowest-income families to contribute more while receiving no increase in the quality or security of their housing.

The Government argues this will improve fairness and sustainability. But for many Porirua whānau, an additional 5% of household income is not a minor adjustment. It is money that would otherwise go towards kai, electricity, transport, school costs, or unexpected expenses. At a time when many whānau are already making impossible trade-offs, this decision risks deepening hardship rather than reducing it.

At the same time, the Budget’s own child poverty data shows that New Zealand remains off track to meet most targets. Only one of three child poverty measures[4] is projected to meet the 2027 target, with none on track for 2028. If child poverty remains stubbornly high despite increasing investment in crisis responses, then this yet again begs the question whether the system is addressing symptoms instead of the causes.

The same question can be asked of climate change.

The recently released National Climate Change Risk Assessment reinforces that New Zealand’s climate change policy is insufficient. As well as the physical hazards people in this country are used to dealing with (such as earthquakes), there are new and intensifying hazards from climate change that are creating challenges outside historical experience. Yet assessments of our current policy continue to identify significant gaps in overall readiness.

In Porirua, the Climate Change Assembly highlighted that climate action is fundamentally about well-being, not just emissions. It is about warm homes, resilient infrastructure, affordable energy, and safe futures for tamariki. This whakaaro echoes the moemoeā of Atiawa-Toa Iwi Māori Partnership Board-Oranga Whenua, Oranga Wai, and Oranga Whānau-that the health of te taiao underpins the health of our people.

Yet Budget 2026 offers little indication that this integrated understanding is driving investment decisions.

No funding has been allocated to meet New Zealand's Paris Agreement commitments. At the same time, $1.8 billion has been committed to a single Road of National Significance. There is good news in the $1 billion investment to renew and upgrade New Zealand's rail network, but the overall direction remains clear. While transport infrastructure is important, the scale of this commitment contrasts sharply with investment in equity and climate-focused policy infrastructure.

The disestablishment of the Ministry for the Environment, alongside proposed law changes that would open public conservation land to sale and development, adds to a broader sense of retreat from long-term environmental stewardship and sustainability.

This is not an argument against fiscal discipline or infrastructure investment. Both matter. But budgets are ultimately about choices, and choices reveal what we value.

If the Porirua Community Leaders Forum has shown anything, it is that communities are already building the future they want to see. Iwi, providers, schools, organisations, and residents are working together in ways that are practical, local, and forward-looking.

Porirua has been clear about its priorities: healthy homes, kai security, climate action, and wellbeing built through prevention rather than crisis response. These are not competing goals. They are the interconnected foundations needed to make Porirua the best place to raise a whānau; and for us to be good ancestors for future generations to come.

[1] Mana Pounamu Consulting & Ministry of Education. (2024) Nau Mai E Ngā Hua: Kaupapa Māori Evaluation of Ka Ora Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches Programme.

[2] Vermillion Peirce, P., Jarvis-Child, B., Chu, L., Lennox, K., Kimber, N., Clarke, H., Wang, N., Nguyen Chau, T. and Winthrop, P. (2022). Ka Ora, Ka Ako New Zealand Healthy School Lunches Programme Impact Evaluation. Ministry of Education.

[3] Toro, C and Swinburn, B. (2024). Evidence for free school lunches: Are they worth investing in?. Public Health Communication Centre

[4] Material hardship: This measures child poverty by looking at the proportion of children living in households lacking seven or more items on the MH-18 material hardship index.

The after-housing-costs fixed-line measure (AHC50): This measures child poverty by looking at the proportion of children living in households with incomes that are less than half the median income in 2017/18, after paying for housing costs (e.g. rent) and adjusting for inflation.

The before-housing-costs moving-line measure (BHC50): This measures child poverty by looking at the proportion of children living in households with incomes before housing costs that are less than half the median income for the financial year.

Article by Orini Rokx-Taratu - Future Unity and Lenaia Nore-Grace & Benny Keizer - Taiohi Taiao - Tides & Tracks 2026

Ko Au Te Taiao, Te Taiao Ko Au

One of the recommendations from the Porirua Assembly on Climate is to create more opportunities for rangatahi to set their own kaupapa and be involved in leadership and decision-making.

As part of Youth Week 2026, 77 rangatahi from across Porirua and Te Awakairangi came together at Battle Hill Regional Park – Horokiri Valley for Ko Au Te Taiao, a youth-led day of learning, connection, and exploration in te taiao.

The event provided an opportunity for young people to build relationships, deepen their understanding of the environment, and experience the power of coming together around shared challenges and aspirations.

Led by rangatahi and supported by community partners the day encouraged young people to strengthen their relationships and explore their role as kaitiaki and leaders.

Rangatahi organisers reflected, “Being together as a community helped us to share our knowledge and support connection. We were able to learn from each other and also help each other recognise the leadership we already carry."

This kaupapa aligns strongly with the vision of Future Unity, which brings rangatahi together to connect across schools, cultures, and communities to grow leadership, belonging, and collective action. 

By connecting rangatahi with each other and with te taiao,  Ko Au Te Taiao demonstrated the importance of investing in the next generation of leaders, and community builders.

Ngā mihi nui to Greater Wellington Regional Council, Papa Taiao Earthcare, Enviroschools, Radical Action Grants, Porirua City Council, Predator Free Porirua & Conservation Volunteers and everyone who helped make this day possible.

Good News for Porirua: Government Invests Further in ROCC

Porirua ROCC (Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities) is pleased to see continued confidence in community-led approaches to preventing and reducing the harms associated with organised crime.

The Government recently announced an additional $11.9 million investment into the ROCC programme, recognising the important role communities play in building resilience, creating opportunities, and supporting whānau wellbeing.

While we do not yet know exactly what this announcement will mean for Porirua, it is encouraging to see ongoing recognition that lasting change happens when solutions are designed with communities, rather than for them.

This principle sits at the heart of Porirua's ROCC Community Plan. Developed with those in our community with lived experience and our community providers, the plan recognises that reducing the harms associated with organised crime requires more than enforcement alone. It requires strengthening protective factors, creating positive opportunities for rangatahi, supporting whānau wellbeing, reducing methamphetamine harm, and investing in the relationships and community connections that help people thrive. 

Here in Porirua, we have already seeing the impact that locally designed and delivered initiatives can have, with ROCC currently supporting community-led initiatives across our rohe focused on strengthening whānau wellbeing and reducing the harms associated with organised crime.

Some of the incredible kaupapa currently being delivered include:

• WELLfed, supporting whānau and rangatahi through healthy cooking, nutrition, parenting support, and connection.
• Te Ringa Whakawhiti, supporting whānau affected by methamphetamine harm through holistic, community-led approaches that strengthen wellbeing, connection, and resilience.
• Te Whare Tiaki Rongomātāne and Te Hiko, providing advocacy, support, mentoring, and safe spaces for tāne and whānau.
• Hurihanga, working alongside gang-affiliated whānau to strengthen connections, build skills, and create positive pathways through employment, sport, and training opportunities.
• Mau Te Rongo Navigators, providing a visible presence and support for rangatahi in areas experiencing high levels of activity and helping to de-escalate situations before harm occurs.
• Real Talk, Porirua Has Talent, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Cannons Creek Boxing Academy, Ko Wai Au, all create positive opportunities, trusted relationships, mentoring, and safe spaces for tamariki and rangatahi.
  
  What makes these initiatives powerful is that they are not simply programmes delivered to communities - they build on local strengths, local relationships, and local knowledge to create lasting change.

Shout Out to Porirua City Council for Launching the Funding Finder

A big shout out to Porirua City Council for launching the new Porirua Funding Finder – a practical tool designed to help community groups, charities, schools, clubs, and organisations find funding opportunities more easily.

Anyone who has applied for funding knows that finding the right grant can often take as much time as writing the application itself. The Funding Finder brings a wide range of funding opportunities together in one place, making it easier to identify grants that align with your kaupapa, project, or organisation.

Whether you're supporting whānau wellbeing, running community events, creating opportunities for rangatahi, delivering environmental initiatives, strengthening neighbourhood connections, or growing a local organisation, the Funding Finder is a great place to start.

The free online tool allows users to search and filter funding opportunities based on their needs, helping take some of the guesswork out of the funding landscape.

At a time when many organisations are doing more with less, initiatives like this help strengthen our community's ability to access resources and turn great ideas into action.

Check it out here:
Porirua Funding Finder: https://poriruacity.govt.nz/services/community-support/porirua-funding-finder/

If you come across a funding opportunity that could benefit others in our community, consider sharing it. One of Porirua's greatest strengths is how we support each other to succeed.

Are you working alongside whānau in Porirua experiencing substance harm? 

We’re inviting providers across Porirua who work alongside whānau experiencing substance harm to register their interest for a fully funded training opportunity.

This training is for those who, through their mahi, come across whānau impacted by substance harm, and who would benefit from building their knowledge and confidence in this space.

It will support providers in recognising substance harm and connecting whānau to the right support in a safe, whānau-centred way.

It is open to all providers working with whānau across any kaupapa in Porirua. This is an opportunity to build shared understanding and strengthen how we respond together as a community.

Spaces are limited. Register your interest HERE by 19th June to be considered for a place.

Working together to reduce waste

Porirua City Council has a new interactive Recycling Game designed to help us all become recycling champions.

We've all stood in front of a bin wondering: Can this be recycled? Does the lid stay on? What about pizza boxes? The new online game is a fun way to test your knowledge and learn what can and can't go into Porirua's recycling system.

Getting recycling right matters. When the wrong items end up in recycling bins, entire loads can become contaminated and sent to landfill instead!

But recycling is only part of the story.

One of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions from waste in Porirua is food scraps ending up in landfill. When organic waste breaks down without oxygen, it produces methane – a greenhouse gas that is many times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide.

The good news is that there are simple ways we can all make a difference at home. 

Our friends at Wesley Community Action encourage whānau to think of food scraps as a resource rather than rubbish. Some easy ways to reduce food scraps going to landfill include:

• Start a compost bin for fruit and vegetable scraps.
• Use a worm farm if space is limited.
• Keep a dedicated scraps container handy in the kitchen so food waste can be easily collected and transferred to your compost.
• Use finished compost to improve gardens, vegetable beds, and potted plants.
• Seek out and join your local composting scheme or start one in your neighbourhood!

Small changes across many households can have a big impact. By recycling correctly and keeping food scraps out of landfill, we're reducing waste, supporting climate action, and helping create a cleaner, healthier Porirua for future generations.

Providers' Cuppa & Connect is on

At its core, Porirua Providers' is about making it easier for whānau to get the support they need without having to navigate the system alone.

“It’s shortening that distance between the whānau who have a need and the provider who can help with that need.”

Join us for this informal monthly catch-up. It's a great opportunity to connect, meet other Porirua providers, and share information and ideas. Come along to the next one.

Details: 

• When: Wednesday, 17 June 2026 | 10am - 11am 
• Venue: Mungavin Hall (Supper Room), Mungavin Avenue

No RSVP needed! Just drop in every third Wednesday of the month.

#kotahitanga #manaakitanga #PoriruaProviders

Discover Local Climate Action in Porirua

Following the Porirua Assembly on Climate, one of the questions we hear a lot is: "How can I support climate action in Porirua?"

The good news is that there are already many groups, organisations, and community-led initiatives doing incredible mahi across our rohe and there are plenty of ways to get involved or show your support.

To make these opportunities easier to find, we've created a Community Connections Map, inspired by the recommendations of the Porirua Assembly on Climate.

Whether you're looking to volunteer, learn something new, connect with like-minded people, or simply see what's happening in your community, the Porirua Community Connections Map is a great place to start.

Know of a kaupapa that should be included? We'd love to hear from you.

To add an initiative, community group or organiation to the community connections map, email: tewahitiakitatou@ngatitoa.iwi.nz

Explore the Porirua Community Connections Map HERE and discover what's happening across Porirua. 

Your feedback is important to us. If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please email us at tewahitiakitatou@ngatitoa.iwi.nz