Te Kāhui Hauora o Te Tauihu exists to serve all Māori living in Te Tauihu (Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough). It represents the collective voice of the eight iwi of Te Tauihu as well as mātā waka living in the rohe. Our Board is made up of appointees from each of the mana whenua iwi (Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama, Rangitāne o Wairau, Te Ātiawa ki te Waka-a-Māui) and one mātā waka representative.

Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards are local Māori governance groups created as part of the 2022 Pae Ora health system reforms to strengthen Māori influence and decision-making in how health services are planned and delivered in their regions. 

There are 16 fully established Iwi‑Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs). Legislative changes in 2026 under the Coalition Government saw the statutory role of IMPBs reduced from three core functions (monitoring, collecting Whānau Voice and strategic commissioning) to one primary role: engaging with local Māori communities about their health needs, aspirations and health outcomes, and communicating the resulting insights to the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee. 

We work to champion equitable outcomes for Māori, their whānau and communities across Te Tauihu. Following legislative changes in 2026, our core purpose is to engage with whānau Māori across Te Tauihu to understand their health needs, aspirations and experiences, identify inequities and opportunities for change, advocate for improved hauora Māori outcomes and influence health planning and investment.  

You can read more here. 

We were formally established in 2023, and much of our early work focused on establishing the organisation, understanding the local health system, building relationships across Te Tauihu and, most importantly, establishing a strong evidence base about the hauora priorities and experiences of whānau Māori. 

Not quite. IMPBs survived the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora. But in July 2025, the Coalition Government introduced its Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill to Parliament, repealing key aspects of the Pae Ora Act 2022. The amendment Bill was passed in July 2026 as the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Act 2026, significantly reshaping the role, functions and mandate of IMPBs. 

Our statutory functions are now to engage with local Māori communities about their health needs, aspirations and health outcomes, and communicate the resulting insights to the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee, which reports directly to the Minister of Health. 

What has not changed is the importance of whānau voice to Te Kāhui Hauora. We continue to build a strong evidence base about the experiences and aspirations of whānau Māori in Te Tauihu and use that evidence to advocate for improved hauora Māori outcomes.

The views and experiences of whānau are central to our mahi. Whānau Voice Te Tauihu is our ongoing programme to capture the voices and experiences of Māori living in Te Tauihu. This provides a complementary evidence source to conventional health-system data. System measures can tell us what is happening; Whānau Voice helps us understand how that is being experienced by whānau and why.  

The next round of Whānau Voice will run from October 2026 to March 2027. Whānau can contribute in two ways: directly via our commissioned iwi partners or through a central survey, which can be completed online. 

We commission iwi partners to capture whānau voice, in line with our non-negotiable: that it is whānau, hapū and iwi who are best placed to lead conversations on their own future. Commissioned partners will provide space for kōrero in a setting that works for their whānau, hapū, iwi and wider networks. This might be hui, wānanga, interviews, or small group discussions. Commissioning sits alongside the universal online Whānau Voice survey, ensuring that all kōrero feeds into a single, coherent dataset.  

Commissioning is our preferred approach because whānau know best. It is not for us to dictate how those conversations should be had.

• Leverage existing relationships and trust: our partner organisations already hold strong connections with whānau and are best placed to lead authentic kōrero
• Respect tikanga and local approaches: enables mana motuhake and means that kōrero reflect tikanga, kawa and whānau expectations rather than rely on a single model of whānau voice capture across all our communities across Te Tauihu.
• Reach diverse voices: extends to groups who may not otherwise engage with formal structures, ensuring equity is embedded in the process.
• Maintain a single, coherent dataset: all kōrero is gathered through a common platform managed by Te Kāhui Hauora, allowing results to be reported consistently and allowing for up-to-date reporting.

Commissioning sits alongside the region-wide universal survey.

The survey is open from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. 

Te Kāhui Hauora o Te Tauihu conducted its first round of Whānau Voice (1.0) engagements in 2024. This work directly informed the Community Health Plan and helped shape the seven priorities outlined in that plan. Whānau Voice 2.0 built on that work, hearing from 584 whānau across Te Tauihu and analysing more than 800 pieces of kōrero. This established a regional baseline for understanding whānau experiences and priorities.  

Whānau Voice 3.0 builds on that baseline. By continuing to hear from whānau over time, we can identify changes and emerging issues, track whether things are improving and strengthen the evidence we use to advocate for whānau Māori. 

The intention is not to redesign the survey each year, but to retain sufficient consistency to measure change over time while refining the instrument where the previous survey identified gaps or areas requiring deeper understanding. 

Whānau Voice 1.0 findings were reported in October 2024. They revealed:  

• a significant divergence between whānau views on hauora and the current health system’s clinical focus.  

• that whānau prioritise holistic well-being, encompassing environmental, familial, and cultural connections.  

• rangatahi, in particular, emphasised the importance of home and whānau in positive hauora, contrasting with the individualistic approach of conventional healthcare systems.  

• whānau expressed dissatisfaction with current mental health services, highlighting the need for more tailored and Māori-led mental health services.  

• geographic challenges and systemic inefficiencies, such as long wait times and fragmented care, exacerbate health disparities.  

Whānau Voice 2.0 heard from 584 whānau across Te Tauihu, with more than 800 pieces of kōrero analysed alongside the survey data. The findings show: 

• whānau want healthcare that is affordable, timely, easy to navigate and works around their lives;  

• relationships matter, being listened to and treated with respect and dignity builds trust in healthcare;  

• culture is central to hauora, with te ao Māori, tikanga, rongoā and whānau connections seen as fundamental to wellbeing;  

• whānau want earlier access to mental health support and more kaupapa Māori services before people reach crisis;  

• whānau are carrying a significant load as carers, advocates, transport providers and health-system navigators; and  

• Māori health providers are making a real difference, despite increasing demand, workforce shortages and funding pressures. 

Te Kāhui Hauora are the kaitiaki of this kōrero and will uphold Māori data sovereignty principles in the collection, storage, analysis, and use of insights. 

The voices and experiences of whānau Māori in our rohe are central to our work. The more we understand about what whānau are experiencing, the better we can advocate for meaningful change. 

The survey gathers individual responses, but the information is analysed collectively. This means we look for patterns, themes, and common priorities across all participants rather than focusing on any single person. Over time, this collective view helps us understand emerging trends and shifts in whānau experiences. 

For whānau who would like support and choose to provide their details, we can, with your consent, use our relationships across the system to help navigate pathways and ensure your issue is followed up with the right people. 

Your responses are confidential and used only for planning, service improvement, and advocacy to meet the health needs of whānau Māori in Te Tauihu. 

Specifically, it will help us:   

• define clear, whānau-led priorities and actions to improve access, quality and outcomes for Māori in primary, community, and hospital care in Te Tauihu. 

• inform our conversations with Te Whatu Ora | Health NZ, the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee and others across the health system to advance Māori outcomes in our region.  

• inform practical solutions with kaupapa Māori approaches that strengthen services for whānau, hapū and iwi across the rohe.  

This is your information. You can request to view or correct your information at any time. You can tick a box at the end of the survey and have your responses sent to you as well.

Te Kāhui Hauora recognises that the voice of our people is a taonga, and all data is treated as such. We have created our own unique platform that honours and uplifts the voice of whānau and consumers. This also ensures the protection, integrity, consistency, and security of information. All data is stored in a secure, cloud-based database. Access to this database is highly restricted and available only to approved project members who require access to perform their role, and only for analysis purposes. 

That’s OK! We are interested in hearing from all whānau Māori living in Te Tauihu, regardless of which iwi they hold whakapapa to.