A two-year partnership between Kaipara Moana Remediation, Ministry for Social Development and Te Uri O Hau Environs has uplifted a number of Kaipara Uri, including many rangatahi.

Last year alone, the partnership trained 65 people, and helped KMR achieve new heights in the number of people trained across the programme.

To date, KMR has invested in training for 228 people, many of them from local hapū, and created new employment totalling more than 285,000 hours  — the same as a full year’s work for over 180 people.

Thanks to the work of Employment Coordinator Kaitiaki Kim Wallace and her passionate team, Te Uri O Hau Environs has run a number of training modules essential to protecting and restoring the mauri of Kaipara Moana –  everything from kauri die back identification and management, controlled substances licencing, driver licencing, GIS mapping, light utility vehicle usage, Growsafe standards, first aid and te reo me ōna tikanga.

This training has led to 64 people gaining fulltime employment over the past two years.

With MSD support, Environs has collaborated with KMR to provide employment opportunities for whānau living in the Kaipara Moana catchment – or who simply wanted to move back to their whenua in the catchment.

Many of those recruited directly approached Environs for roles and at one point 140 applicants applied for just 11 fulltime roles.

“People really want to do the right thing for us and KMR, so we have endeavoured to employ fencing and planting crews (employees and contractors) to work around the Kaipara Moana rohe to help repair and maintain the condition of the Kaipara.

“I grew up on the Kaipara.  As an adult and working for Environs, I really understand the devastation of our taonga – the Kaipara Moana – and like so many of us, I am determined to change that.

“I love what KMR represents and hope that by working together we can find a solution to our huge problem. What we are doing fencing off the waterways is a huge step to fixing some problems. And the planting of the trees is huge because it was their removal as land was broken in that allowed the Kaipara to become what it is today.”

Key to that is the work Kim continues to undertake in hiring workers and finding self-employed people to maintain the KMR workforce.

Outside of her role with KMR, Kim is the Kaitiaki of her marae Te Pounga and helps employ whānau from the other 13 marae in the Te Uri O Hau rohe.

“As a family, we also own 120 acres of land on the Kaipara and we have undertaken work with KMR to help our whānau to build fences and gates to keep our cattle away from the puna at the bottom of the forest.

“I kōrero with others about the devastation that happened with wild cattle on our whenua because it was a travesty that ruined our ngāhere and allowed the run-off into our estuary which travels down to the Kaipara. That’s exactly what we are trying to stop with the KMR kaupapa.”

With that top of mind, Environs is passionate about continuing work with Kaipara Moana Remediation to deliver on KMR’s goal of reduce sediment flows into the Kaipara Moana.

“As a Jobs for Nature programme, KMR invests in developing local skills, expertise and career pathways that align to our kaupapa,” says KMR Pou Tātaki Justine Daw.

“We are proud that KMR and MSD supported the establishment of Kim’s role with Environs to focus on employing rangatahi and other members of local hapū in nature-facing work that aligns with protecting and restoring the mauri of the Moana.”

“As part of this three-way collaboration, we are really pleased with the variety of training that has been provided by Kim and her team to help upskill local people.”