Kia ora Te Whānau is a new initiative reimagining what a well-being community hub could look like in South Auckland if created in partnership between local government and whānau.

A working group of staff from multiple Auckland Council teams and services has spent much of the year talking with whānau and getting an understanding of what they aspire to see in a well-being hub.

Active Communities and Connected Communities have also adopted a tikanga, whānau centred co-design approach to work with whānau to observe and learn by doing.

The insight from whānau lived experiences has been shaped and built around three pou, which are now being shared with Council staff and community for feedback. The three pou are:

Pou Hauora – whānau live well, are happy and healthy

Pou Oritetanga – equitable access to facilities to grow community well-being kaupapa

Pou Mātauranga – an inclusive approach to activate spaces to learn and play.

Pouāriki Community Library Manager Jamie-Lee Kingi is one of the co-leads for the Kia ora Te Whānau working group. She says that this initiative has been led by Council staff who are keen to see an improvement to the overall health and wellbeing of their communities.

“For many whānau, Council libraries and recreation centres are one of the more accessible locations for them to go to as they can have different services available in the one place,” she says.

“That doesn’t go unnoticed by our staff, most of whom are from these neighbourhoods. So, they want to test and create a hub which meets what their communities want and desire.”

The initiative is also using a Te Ao Māori perspective which has proven to be community-focused and inclusive.

“Using Te Ao Māori is to ensure that the heart of our work is focused on the people whether they be Māori, Pacifica, Asian, Pakeha, any of our South Auckland communities.”

Kia ora Te Whānau is supported by Te Pātaka Kōrero o Waimāhia, Te Waka Kerewai (Māori Outcomes Unit), Te Matariki Clendon Leisure Centre, Recreation and Activation team, Healthy Families South Auckland and The Southern Initiative.

The concept is from Auckland Council’s Customer and Community Māori outcomes Action Plan (Karanga Atu! Karanga Mai!) and the success of the Healthy Environment Approach initiative in multiple services across Auckland Council.