The chair of Ruapehu area iwi Ngāti Rangi says it’s taking a whānau ora approach to the workers laid off by the region’s largest employer.
Winstones International is closing its pulp mill and sawmill because of rocketing energy costs with the loss of more than 200 jobs.
Te Tōtarahoe o Paerangi chair Whetu Moataane, says the bulk of the predominantly Māori workforce comes from Ohakune and Raetihi, and the closure severs decades of history legacy and commitment to the company by many whānau.
He says the iwi has been working for several weeks with other iwi and government agencies about the support it could put behind its families, including their mental, physical and spiritual health.
“We are there ready to help our families. We will connect to other agencies for services they need or require but most definitely our response is the whānau ora approach in making sure the well-being and the mana of these families is upheld,” he says.
