He Pou Manawa Ora

He Pou Manawa Ora signals a new way of working with tangata whenua and the wider community on common goals, by helping to ensure the voices of Maaori, along with all Hamiltonians, are heard.

The strategy will help guide our direction and decisions for the city, with Maaori as key partners in determining Hamilton’s future.

It covers issues ranging from city artworks to Council policies, and is rooted in the principles of Te Tiriti O Waitangi: Partnership, Participation, Protection and Prosperity.

The strategy was adopted in August 2021.

The strategy aims to build a proud, inclusive city for the wellbeing of all its people, and outlines a vision for a city that celebrates its whole history, including its unique Maaori heritage.

The strategy uses the pillars or pou of History, Unity, Prosperity and Restoration to shape a proud and inclusive city with wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.

Each pou has specific actions, for example:

• History - invest in celebrating local Maaori history/stories.
• Unity - include Maatauranga Maaori (Maaori knowledge) considerations in relevant Council reports and recommendations.
• Prosperity - reduce Maaori housing stress by supporting Te Maihi o te Whare Māori (Māori and iwi Housing Innovation Framework for Action) and working in partnership with others.
• Restoration - develop and implement our Nature in the City Strategy alongside iwi.