Housing a ‘health issue’
King Country News has highlighted Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board’s call for political leaders to put healthy homes and Māori-led housing at the centre of the next Government’s agenda.
Our Tauāki Tū Position Statement on Housing sets out the strong connection between housing and whānau health and wellbeing, highlighting overcrowding, damp and mould, housing deprivation and affordability pressures across the Waikato and wider Tainui waka rohe.
The Board is calling for action to improve housing quality and affordability, address rural housing challenges, support Māori home ownership and enable more Māori-led kāinga development, including by removing infrastructure, planning, consenting and financing barriers.
Organisations team up to hear your voice
Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board and Tamariki Tū Tamariki Ora are working together to gather feedback from whānau through their existing relationships with frontline staff, navigators and support workers. Rather than asking whānau to complete separate surveys, the partnership will incorporate Whānau Voice surveys into everyday interactions, helping reduce survey fatigue while capturing experiences of health and social services.
The organisations say the approach will provide a more meaningful picture of what is working, where improvements are needed and what whānau want from services in the future. By building on trusted relationships already in place, the partnership aims to ensure whānau experiences are heard and used to advocate for better outcomes.
Frontline reality for whānau in Waikato
The Waikato Local has covered Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board’s latest Stakeholder Forum for Hauora Māori Providers in Tainui Waka rohe.
They say the system is under growing strain, as rising demand and increasingly complex needs push services to their limits.
Thirty-two representatives from iwi, hauora and community organisations were in the room, spanning kaumātua support, whānau ora, primary health and grassroots mentoring.
Across the forum, providers said they are “holding the line” but the current approach is not sustainable.
They are calling for greater alignment across the system, earlier investment, and a stronger focus on what is already working in communities.
Gaps remain in Māori health
The Waikato Local has covered Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board’s warning about the 12-month prescription medicine policy change and its potentially adverse impact on whānau Māori as outlined in our Position Statement.
Gaps remain in Māori health
The Waikato Local has covered Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board’s latest Quarterly Monitoring Report on the health system, which highlights persistent health inequities for Māori across the Tainui waka rohe. While small gains were seen in cervical screening and timely cancer treatment, major gaps remain: only 60.8% of Māori children are fully immunised at 24 months, long emergency department waits affect 74% of Māori, and nearly a third face elective surgery delays over four months. Co-Chair Glen Tupuhi calls for immediate action, investment, and scaling of Māori-led health initiatives.
Calls for urgent action on dental equity
Coverage by The Waikato Local newspaper on the current situation in Taumaranui. Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board (IMPB) listening to whānau has identified stark gaps in health access across the region—particularly in the areas of dental care.
