On 12 September 2019 at a special celebration at Te Papa in Wellington, members of the Ministry of Social Development and Ngāti Pāhauwera were awarded with the Māori/Crown Relationship Award as part of the Sprirt of Service 2019 Awards.

The partnership between the Ministry of Social Development and Ngāti Pāhauwera enables iwi to realise their plans and ambitions for sustainable employment in economically deprived areas of the Hawke’s Bay.

They are achieving a lot with limited funding in high-needs areas – and have moved 200 hard-to-place people into employment. They have partnered creatively. This includes basing a seconded Ministry of Social Development staff member with Ngāti Pāhauwera.

The mahi they have undertaken shows the spirit of the way we’re working within Hawke’s Bay as recognised through our vision of:

Every whānau and every household is actively engaged in growing a thriving Hawke’s Bay economy to support inclusive and connected communities and sustainable and resilient environments

Article added: Tuesday 17 September 2019