News

Regional Skills Leadership Group releases key reports for a thriving Murihiku

The Southland Murihiku Regional Skills Leadership Group has released two key reports that will support the Murihiku region with decision-making relevant to regional labour market challenges and opportunities. These reports provide a foundational picture of the region.

Murihiku Regeneration would like to formally thank the authors Sarah Hannan and Janette Malcom for their mahi and commitment to this kaupapa. We look forward to working with the authors to develop a thriving Murihiku for all.

Download the reports here:

Southland Murihiku Report on Workforce Demand – Skills and Personnel

The purpose of this report is to provide a foundational picture of the workforce demand and skills needs across Southland Industry sectors, today and into the future. This report shares the regional voices of over 80 industries and businesses in Southland.

2021 Environmental Scan Highlights

This report provides a snapshot of Murihiku Southland as a region, highlighting demographics, regional profiles and insights into the impact of COVID-19 on the region’s communities and economy.

Posted: 16 October 2021

Tiwai closure study data - planning and results

The results of the NZAS Detailed Site Investigation report developed by GHD are now publicly available.

GHD Limited (GHD) were engaged by Rio Tinto on behalf of New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Ltd (NZAS) to complete a Contaminated Sites work package at the NZAS Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter.

In April 2021, NZAS released the sampling plan which detailed the areas where GHD determined we should do extra testing as part of the Closure Study, and why those areas were selected.

In October 2021, NZAS released the Detailed Site Investigation report developed by GHD.

See the NZAS website for the full report (900+ pages), an executive summary and factsheet.

Posted: 15 October 2021

Major contract awarded to power NZ Battery investigation - Lake Onslow

The following press release has been taken from: Beehive.govt.nz

A consortium of specialist firms has been awarded a major contract to advance the New Zealand Battery Project’s feasibility investigation into a pumped hydro storage scheme at Lake Onslow, the Minister of Energy and Resources Megan Woods has announced.Lake Onslow, located east of Roxburgh in central Otago. Photo: Stuff.

“This contract represents a major milestone as it begins the targeted engineering, environmental planning and geotechnical feasibility investigation for Lake Onslow,” says Megan Woods.

The consortium, Te Rōpū Matatau, will be led by engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald New Zealand, with engineering consultancy firm GHD, and environmental planning and design consultancy Boffa Miskell.

“The first part of this investigation will look at the design and environmental effects as well as determining the geotechnical fieldwork programme.

“The second part will refine the design, informed by fieldwork investigations of key geotechnical aspects, including the regional geology, rock properties, fault lines and the availability of rock and earth fill at location for potential dam construction. The environmental planning work will look at consenting options and what further work may be needed to assess the environmental effects.

“The fieldwork investigations are likely to include drilling shallow and deep boreholes to better understand the underlying geology, the best route for a tunnel and the best location for a potential underground powerhouse. “This work, along with the environmental and cultural investigations already underway, will give a better picture of the feasibility and costs of the Lake Onslow storage scheme.

“I want to thank mana whenua and the local community, particularly the landowners around Lake Onslow for their patience as we look to conduct investigations and acknowledge the challenging and unique situation they are in. While this project has the potential to benefit all of New Zealand, the project team will continue working with and supporting these groups,” Megan Woods said.

Find out more about the NZ Battery Project.

For more information, visit www.mbie.govt.nz/nzbattery.

Posted: 14 October 2021

Hokonui Rūnanga, Awarua Rūnaka, and WellSouth partner to create new inclusive primary health care service in Invercargill

Hokonui Rūnanga, Awarua Rūnaka, and WellSouth, the primary health organisation for Southland (and Otago), have partnered to create a novel primary health service to target unenrolled patients in Invercargill, particularly unenrolled Māori and Pacific populations. The patnership was officially signed by Rūnaka and WellSouth representatives on Thursday 30 September 2021.Making the partnership official - From left: Andrew Swanson-Dobbs (Ceo Wellsouth Primary Health Network); Terry Nicholas (Hokonui Rūnanga Health and Social Services Trust); Mata Cherrington (CEO Awarua Whānau Services). Photo: Amanda Webster

Called Te Hau O Te Ora - The Wind of Life (Health and Wellbeing), the new primary health service will start to operate out of a purpose-built facility by March 2024. Located in the Invercargill CBD, Te Hau O Te Ora will help to address the shortage of primary health care in Murihiku, particularly for those who need it most.

This partnership is a new, from the ground-up initiative that addresses the needs of the Invercargill community, with a focus on making real change that will result in improved equity of access and equity of health outcomes. The recent Covid-19 vaccination campaign has highlighted the existing issue that a number of Invercargill residents are unenrolled in a general practice. Māori health providers have reported that many of the people they provided services for remained unenrolled and unable to access primary care services, funded screening programmes and long-term conditions support. Māori and Pacific residents are disproportionately affected and miss out on preventative and ongoing health care and other social services.

A different model of care

Te Hau o Te Ora is based on a whānau-centred model of care, increasing access to primary care in the city and has the potential to make a substantive difference to Māori health outcomes in the Southern region.

Initially, the focus will be on delivering primary care services similar to those delivered by general practice and mana whenua mandated Māori health providers. As a not for profit entity, Te Hau o Te Ora’s point of difference from the outset will be the ability for clinical teams to take the time they need with their patients and their whānau as profit driven booking models are not drivers of this model of care.

The partners of Te Hau o Te Ora intend the scope of service to expand to include enhanced primary care services and other community-based supports in the near future. The capacity and capability is in place to scale the programme and bring together primary care services, NGOs community health and social services providers in one location – true integration.

Governed differently

Honoring Te Tiriti o Waitangi principle of equal partnership and governance, the new services will have a clear focus on achieving Hauora with values and practices that serve the whole community. The partnership includes a renewedcommitment to openness and transparency of operations and to developing new partnerships with Māori Investors, mana whenua mandated Māori health providers and advisors.

Run differently

The new services will directly address needs of the unenrolled particularly Māori Pacific and high needs population groups.

Services will embody Manaakitanga throughout the patient journey, including a holistic front of house for primary care facilities and a focus on improved models of care in an urban environment such as adaptable services / hours.

It will provide a response for those that are unable to be enrolled at present and support a system that has limited capacity to enrol more patients at this time.

An example for other regions

This model of primary care delivery may be applicable in other localities throughout Aotearoa, and could be used as a pilot to inform and support its use with other locations.

Posted: 1 October 2021

Te Tapu o Tāne - new environmental iwi-led charity

Find out about Te Tapu o Tāne - a new environmental iwi-led charity that’s been set up to enhance mahinga kai and whenua connections. This vision is guided by Te Ao Māori, tikanga, rangatiratanga and mātauranga of our tīpuna.

A wide range of environmental projects will be initiated to help recover natural systems, enhance indigenous biodiversity, and increase resilience.

Watch the video below from Tahu News, or read the article published in Stuff:

From Tahu News: 20 September 2021

Re-published from Stuff 16 September 2021

A new iwi-led environmental charity will receive Government funding to establish native plant nurseries and undertake restoration projects across Southland.Jana Davis, Te Tapu o Tāne Chief Executive.

On Thursday, Conservation Minister Kiri Allen announced that Te Tapu o Tāne will receive $2.125 million in Jobs for Nature funding over three years to undertake the projects.

The projects will be overseen by the Papatipu Rūnanga o Murihiku, representing Hokonui, Waihōpai, Awarua, and Ōraka-Aparima rūnanga.

Te Tapu o Tāne chief executive Jana Davis said the Jobs for Nature funding would allow the charity to fast track the launch of its first nursery, off McIvor Rd in Invercargill.

The $2.125m will build on $1.98m of funding already received from the Ministry of Primary Industries through the One Billion Trees programme, Davis said.

It would be working alongside Ngāi Tahu, local government, central government and private partners to commercially provide plant sales, as well as planting and habitat restoration services during the project.

“It’s a native tree nursery operation, and we’re going to be using it as a home base for catchment rehabilitation services. So we’ll be sourcing the seed, growing and planting natives, [doing] pest control, water monitoring,” Davis said.

“So rain, hail or shine we’ve got somewhere to work, and when projects come up we can go out and do plantings and then come back, and the projects we’re doing are more than just planting – we want to understand the significance of the areas.”

It is expected the new nurseries will produce more than 700,000 new native plants and trees each year, he said.

“It’s all endemic, native species, focusing on waterway planting and reforestation.

“So a lot of flaxes, beech, tōtara, anything that we can use to help prevent run-off, basically getting rid of exotic species and replanting it native.”

Seeds for the nurseries to grow these plants would be eco-sourced, meaning that if seeds are taken from a specific area then the plants would go back to that area, Davis said.

“Depending on where the projects are, depends on where the seeds sourced from,” he said.

About 25 kaimahi (workers) would be employed during the three years of funding, with the first beginning on Monday, he said.

“We’ll be starting nursery operations first thing Monday, hopefully sowing seed on Tuesday.

“I’m super excited, I’m going to close the laptop for a few weeks and get to know the new team. We’ve got some really cool, young rangatahi coming on board that are new to the industry.”

Te Tapu o Tne had also been engaging with Southern Institute of Technology to create tailor-made courses for nature-based work which would include training in Mātauranga, he said.

“This project is more than just establishing a native tree nursery; this is full scale catchment rehabilitation from a te ao Māori perspective,” Davis said.

Te Tapu o Tāne translates to The Sacredness of Tāne and his tamariki.

Posted: 21 September 2021