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Transcript - Eastern Bay of Plenty Alliance signing

(Enid Ratahi-Pryor, QSO):  

Todays an important day not only for Ngāti Awa but for Tūhoe, Whakatōhea and for Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau. It’s an important day because we’ve come together in partnership with Oranga Tamariki. Working with Oranga Tamariki and this partnership is all about improving outcomes for our tamariki; reducing the entry of our babies into care and also importantly – helping our whanau through their challenges through intervention and prevention - types of opportunities that the strategic partnership enables. 

(Chris Marjoribanks, QSM, JP): 

It’s consolidating what we’ve worked for for many years; an initial aspects of bringing the iwi as one provider entity, and then secondary to that, erm, formalising this partnership – more than a partnership, it’s an agreement with Oranga Tamariki about how we consider the Te Pou and collectively design services for the better of our people into the future.  

(Enid Ratahi-Pryor, QSO):  

We’ll be able to look at new ways of doing things, ah, we’ll be able to listen to the voices of whanau and take into consideration whanau ideas around their solutions, erm, listening to the challenges of whanau and putting in solutions that meet the needs of whanau – so – you know, one size doesn’t fit all, and I know it’s a little bit of a cliché to say that but that’s what we’ve been doing for many, many years, and that’s one of the most fundamental things that are going to change; it’s actually about finding the solutions to meet the needs of that particular whanau. 

(Finney Davis): 

So, the partnership today is - it has direct access for both parties to inform each other of their obligations under the crown and also under tikanga as to what they should look like in terms of a whanau - a picture of a whanau and taking that picture into the future.  

(Chris Marjoribanks, QSM, JP): 

At the end of the day, each and everyone of us want a better outcome for our children. We know what is out there today for those that are disadvantaged; it’s not working. We have to do it differently.  

(music) 

(Enid Ratahi-Pryor, QSO):  

It’s not just about a strategic partnership, it’s about a whole new way of working, it’s about collaboration and not only between us and Oranga Tamariki but collaboration between our providers here on the ground, our iwi providers; being able to come together and work together – what should’ve been happening a long time ago, but interestingly it’s quite a recent phenomenon; we’re talking about 3 or 4 years, but the timing is right, and I think if we look at the objectives of 7AA and if we look at the commitment of the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki and the current Minister, the stars are aligning – and now is the time for change.  

(music: waiata) 

End of transcript.