#hauora: Ngāti Kahungunu Moves to Establish Independent Iwi Health Authority

Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated is taking a significant step toward reshaping Māori health delivery, confirming a collective commitment with key regional partners to establish a new Kahungunu Health Authority.

The initiative brings together Hauora Māori service providers, regional Taiwhenua, Post-Settlement Governance Entities, and the Tihei Takitimu Iwi Māori Partnership Board in a coordinated effort to improve outcomes for whānau across the rohe.

Since first signalling the proposal in September 2025, the partners have been working to define how the new authority will operate. The model being developed positions the Kahungunu Health Authority as an independent body, designed to complement – not replicate – the work already being carried out within the public health system.

Existing Māori health entities will continue to operate within the system, delivering services, influencing funding decisions and holding agencies to account. The new authority, however, will sit outside that structure, giving it the flexibility to pursue new approaches and scale innovative models of care.

That independence is seen as critical. It allows for greater agility in partnering with private sector providers, mobilising iwi resources, and testing solutions that may not fit within the constraints of the public system. The goal is to create a dual-layered approach – one working within the system to improve it, and another operating alongside it to push boundaries and drive transformation.

Ngāti Kahungunu leadership has signalled that the move reflects growing concern about persistent inequities in health outcomes, with current systems failing to deliver meaningful change for Māori communities.

A key part of the development will be the involvement of whānau themselves. A dedicated working group of 25 members has already stepped forward following recent wānanga, committing to help shape the design and direction of the authority. Their role will be to ensure the kaupapa remains grounded in the lived realities and aspirations of the people it is intended to serve.

The Tihei Takitimu Iwi Māori Partnership Board has also reinforced the importance of unity across the region, particularly in a climate where Māori rights and interests are increasingly under pressure. The approach being taken is one of kotahitanga – bringing together governance, service delivery and community voice to strengthen outcomes.

At the centre of the model is what leaders describe as a deliberate balance – maintaining pressure on the public health system to lift performance, while creating space for iwi-led innovation to flourish outside of it. This dynamic is intended to ensure that the system continues to evolve and does not settle into complacency.

Work is now underway to develop a robust governance framework that draws on the expertise and networks of Hauora providers and PSGEs, ensuring that decision-making reflects the full breadth of knowledge within the Kahungunu community.

If successful, the Kahungunu Health Authority could position the iwi as a national leader in Māori health innovation – demonstrating how rangatiratanga, collective action and community-led design can shape a more responsive and effective health system for future generations.