We were proud to tautoko the Te Rōpū Marutau o Aotearoa 2026 Regional Māori Health and Safety Conference held at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, within Te Whare Rūnanga.

It was not just a conference. It was a space to come together, reflect, and reframe what health and safety actually means in practice.

What came through strongly is that this is not only about systems or compliance. It is about people, culture, and how harm shows up in all its forms — not just physical, but emotional, relational, and organisational as well.

We were reminded that health and safety is not a separate function. It is part of how we lead, how we behave, and how we look after each other in business and in life.

There was also space for connection and a bit of lightness across the day, with kanikani and ice breakers that gave people time to reset and engage in a different way. This was well supported and facilitated by the Tainui whānau, adding warmth and energy throughout the programme.

We acknowledge all those who contributed to the kōrero across the day, and the wider rōpū who made the event possible. Even where speakers joined remotely or were unable to attend in person, the intent and presence of the kaupapa remained strong.

For us, the value sits in how this translates back into our pakihi Māori. How we support our businesses to think differently about wellbeing, responsibility, and sustainability — not as a tick box, but as part of culture.

We look forward to continuing to tautoko our pakihi in this space and exploring how we can strengthen both capability and awareness across health and safety in ways that are relevant and real for our people.

Ngā mihi nui to everyone who stood in that space at Waitangi.

TŪKOTAHI: standing together, in practice as well as in principle.

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