Healthy Infrastructure and Environments programme update

Papatoetoe Food Hub

The Papatoetoe Food Hub continues to grow in South Auckland, becoming an attraction for those in the community focussed on social innovation, environmental impact and community entrepreneurship.

UpLift Café, a community-led business, has been set up as the operational part of the Food Hub, managing the commercial kitchen and café. It has implemented a comprehensive Food Control Plan for food safety, quality and hygiene standards, scoring 100% under the food grading system, which means that the business can consistently produce the highest level of safe and suitable food.

Originally operating once a week, the Food Hub is now operating Monday to Friday between the hours of 7am and 3pm, allowing a variety of food options to be made and activities from school holiday programmes to language week events and kids cooking classes to be run.

Taiohi Whai Oranga, The Roots Collective, UpLift Café, Kai Tupuna and local guest chefs have become part of the Food Hub ‘collective’, closely supported by TSI and Healthy Families South Auckland. The group is now looking into formalising the collective as a legal entity and will define an operational/business model to match the uniqueness of this project.

Panuku Development Auckland extended the tenancy to June 2020 after reviewing the achievements and deciding to invest more time for the success of the initiative.

The most recent event at the Food Hub was to celebrate the launch of UnderGround Hāngi at the Papatoetoe Food Hub as well as Te Wiki o te Reo Māori in Aotearoa. Underground Hāngi is the newest initiative to join the Food Hub proving that delicious, affordable kai is possible for our communities.

Transform Manukau

The Transform Manukau project led by Panuku Development Auckland focusses on the regeneration of Manukau central. Our role working alongside Healthy Families South Auckland – The Cause Collective and Panuku has been to explore how traditional indigenous knowledge, specifically maramataka can inform the design, decision-making and activations for the Transform Manukau project.

We successfully engaged The Roots to lead the maramataka prototype activations in Hayman Park during June.

We also engaged our surrounding community to undertake a co-design process of reconnecting to green space through a maramataka/Māori lunar calendar process, looking at the different energy phases, high energy, low energy to connecting to the natural landscape and stepping out of their fast paced, high stress environments. A key theme to come out of the co-design process was the concept of ‘retreat’ or ‘sanctuary’ especially around the low energy phases of the moon cycle.

Through activation and leveraging the urban regeneration strategy for the Manukau CBD, and also in response to Auckland Council’s decision to declare a Climate Change emergency, we are now exploring how matauranga Māori/Māori knowledge systems can influence waiora/wellbeing encompassing physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing for people through harmonising and synching with the ebbs and flows of our natural systems.

Puhinui Awa

The Puhinui awa regeneration mahi is another key project for the team. Restoration of the Puhinui has been previously identified in Local Board and community plans, and the Integrated Catchment Management Plan (prepared by the legacy Manukau City Council). It was highlighted as a key project and received support from local boards and mana whenua as an important initiative. As part of the project inception, Craig McIlroy (GM Healthy Waters) has been appointed as the Programme Sponsor and a Programme Steering Group has been established consisting of representatives from mana whenua, Manurewa and Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Boards, Healthy Waters, our team and Panuku. We’re also involved with activations across the Puhinui, engaging the local community to raise awareness as to the significance of the awa, and how they can get involved in the activations. This mahi is ongoing and our mahi in this project will increase going forward.

Te Pua Ngā Maara

Te Pua Ngā Maara is a collaboration with marae, rangatahi, whānau, hapū, tertiary providers, local and central government to help regenerate and care for te taiao (natural environment) through environmental healthy practices underpinned by mātauranga Māori. The project consists of a collective of mana whenua and mataa waka marae; Makaurau, Papatūānuku, and Manurewa, the marae-based youth initiative Taiohi Whai Oranga, Healthy Families South Auckland, digital technology organisation OMG, the Department of Conservation and the University of Auckland. TSI has played a supporting role, helping facilitate a series of wānanga, covering mātauranga-led actions and work programmes, building capacity for rangatahi. Over this year, rangitahi from Manurewa Marae, Makaurau Marae and Papatuanuku Marae have developed an inexpensive water testing kit, applied maramataka in holistic environmental projects, tackled illegal dumping and designed digital mātauranga Maori resources.

This great work was recently recognised with the rangatahi winning this year’s Mayor Conservation Award in the Youth Section.

Te Mata o Rehua

Along with Panuku and Healthy Families, we were again involved with the Te Mata o Rehua market. This year’s market on was Saturday 29 June and was a great success. We set out to showcase indigenous enterprise and innovation, as well as provide a platform for indigenous entrepreneurs to showcase their respective wares.

We had overwhelming positive feedback from vendors, community and attendees, as well as good turnout from the community and a number of vendors sold out.

Regenerating Smiths Ave

Physical works have commenced in regard to phase one of the concept plan/site development at Smiths Ave.

A co-ordinated council family approach is currently aiming to identify opportunities to continue to resource and support activation, co-ordination and connection on site.

Healthy Environments Approach

The Healthy Environments Approach initiative has been driven to support Auckland Council to become a health promoting organisation. Because Council and Local Boards play a vital role in providing spaces that facilitate health and wellbeing outcomes, Healthy Families South Auckland is taking every opportunity to increase the availability and accessibility of healthy food and drink choices, reduce smoking, alcohol and drug related harm and increase opportunities to improve movement.

This year Healthy Families South Auckland has partnered with event organisers to test the healthy environment principles and event guide. Events included Portage Crossing, Manurewa Fun Run, Eye on Nature and ASB Polyfest. Our role involved supporting event organisers to implement the principles and event guide:

• Toolkit developed and provided

• Food aligning to Food & Beverage Guidelines (bronze)

• Water promotion as the drink of choice

• Number of water stations to access free water

• Events focused on movement, water stations strategically placed

• Event organiser messaging smoke-free, alcohol & drug free i.e. main stage throughout the day

The Puketapapa Local Board has also adopted the Healthy Environment Principles and Event Guide 2018/2019.

The Kitchen Project – South Auckland

Starting in West Auckland in March 2018, The Kitchen Project (TKP) is now coming to South Auckland with candidate interviews beginning this month.

At its heart, TKP South is providing opportunity for South Auckland Māori, Pacific and other migrant communities to enter the food industry with reduced cost and excellent wraparound support previously not available to them.

With support from Healthy Families South Auckland, Panuku Development and ATEED, the TKP model draws on local business experts and mentors across the 26-week programme. The West Auckland programme has seen over 25 local business owners, financial advisors, catering industry experts, restauranteurs and organisations either sharing their experience or providing support with one-on-one mentorship.

The new South Auckland site is being provided free of charge by Second Nature Charitable trust, the operators of the Vodafone Events Centre.