From restoring Porirua Harbour to strengthening Māori business, expanding te reo Māori and giving mana whenua a greater voice in local decision-making, Porirua City Council says its Maungaroa 2050 Māori Strategy is delivering meaningful results.
A new progress report presented to councillors shows the strategy is on track, with significant achievements recorded across all five strategic priorities and a strong foundation established for advancing Māori aspirations across the city.
Developed through engagement with mana whenua and taurahere Māori, the Maungaroa 2050 Māori Strategy was launched in late 2023 as a long-term roadmap to support, elevate and enable Māori outcomes in Porirua.
The strategy takes its name from Te Maungaroa, the anchor stone associated with the great navigator Kupe, connecting the city’s future aspirations with its cultural identity and history.
Porirua City Council Manager Māori Strategy Jade Williams says the progress report demonstrates that meaningful improvements are being made in the way the Council works with Māori communities.
Among the most significant achievements is the signing of Te Wai Ora o Parirua – Porirua Harbour Accord on Waitangi Day 2025.
The agreement brings together Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, Porirua City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington City Council and Tiaki Wai in a shared commitment to restoring the ecological, cultural and environmental wellbeing of Porirua Harbour.
The Accord provides a collaborative framework for protecting and restoring the harbour, working alongside community organisations, environmental groups and other stakeholders.
On-the-ground achievements include planting and environmental restoration projects, alongside stronger emergency preparedness and resilience planning involving Ngāti Toa Rangatira, marae and community organisations.
The Council has also supported Māori enterprise through initiatives including BizHub, BizFest and Biz Ezi, creating opportunities to strengthen local businesses and encourage Māori economic development.
Other progress includes expanded bilingual signage across the city, improved te reo Māori and tikanga capability among Council staff, and the adoption of a new naming policy.
The developments reflect a broader effort to make Māori identity, language and cultural values more visible in Council operations and public spaces.
At the Council meeting, Ngāti Toa kaumātua Dr Taku Parai highlighted the cultural significance of grounding the strategy in Te Maungaroa, a taonga uniquely connected to Porirua.
His contribution reinforced the importance of developing local government strategies that reflect the histories, identities and aspirations of mana whenua rather than relying on generic approaches.
Mayor Anita Baker welcomed the report, pointing to stronger partnerships with Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Māori communities, greater cultural visibility, improved community resilience and growing capability within the Council.
Another major milestone came in August 2026, when Porirua City Council and Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira refreshed and signed Whakaaetanga Patuitanga 2026 – Strategic Partnership Agreement 2026.
The agreement reinforces the relationship between the Council and Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira and provides opportunities for Ngāti Toa to contribute to Council decisions and exercise leadership alongside the local authority.
The partnership is intended to strengthen how mana whenua perspectives are incorporated into planning, policy and decisions affecting the future of Porirua.
While the progress report identifies substantial achievements, it also acknowledges that gaps and opportunities remain and will need to guide the next phase of the strategy.
The Council says the first three years have established a foundation for further work towards 2050, with continued attention needed to ensure strategic commitments translate into practical and lasting outcomes for Māori.
For Porirua, the challenge now is to build on that progress, turning partnerships, cultural recognition and strategic commitments into measurable improvements for whānau, iwi, hapū and the wider community.
And with harbour restoration, Māori economic development, language revitalisation and shared decision-making all part of the programme, Maungaroa 2050 provides an example of how local government and mana whenua can work together towards a common future.
The full designed progress report is expected to be published in the coming weeks.
The Maungaroa 2050 Māori Strategy is available on the https://poriruacity.govt.nz/your-council/city-planning-and-reporting/maungaroa-2050-maori-strategy/.
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