Trust Horizon backs sustainable future for Māori-owned whenua at Tawhitiwhiti
Morgan Matekuare, Whanau Enterprise Development Trust Kaumatua and respected elder of Minginui with the Horizon Networks team onsite to install new poles.
A Māori-owned block of land in Te Whaiti is taking another step towards a more sustainable and self-sufficient future, with a grant from Trust Horizon to support necessary upgrades to its power supply and infrastructure.
Trust Horizon has provided a $110,320 grant to the Whānau Enterprise Development Trust (WEDT) for electrical work across the Tawhitiwhiti development, including the project’s micro-greens processing facility and plant nursery.
The electrical upgrades form part of a larger programme of development on the highly productive 50-hectare Tawhitiwhiti Block, owned by Matekuare Whānau Trust – helping provide future opportunities for whānau through climate-resilient food production, housing, and employment.
“This power supply is critical. We can’t move forward without it,” says WEDT Trustee and Manager, Tony Goodman. “Trust Horizon is a real community-minded organisation, and they’ve taken a real interest in what we’re doing in Te Whaiti.”
The Tawhitiwhiti Block was once home to a thriving community. Since 2014, the WEDT has been working to bring the land back under their own development and create new opportunities for whānau – including establishing a papakāinga with around 40 homes. Planning is now at an advanced stage, with negotiations underway for the first four homes.
For the Trustees, providing houses is only part of the equation. “We’ve always said there’s no point plonking homes there – what will the people do?” says Goodman. “That’s why we decided to progress initiatives that will give whānau members who call the property home the ability to make a living there.”
Alongside the planned housing, the trustees have invested in fencing, water infrastructure, wetlands and other site improvements, while establishing facilities to support agricultural production. The project has also received funding from other organisations, including the Ministry for Primary Industries and BayTrust.
Trust Horizon Trustee, Edwina O’Brien, says the project demonstrates how funding for energy infrastructure can have a much wider impact. “This project is an important step in creating the infrastructure that allows whānau to build sustainable livelihoods, develop their whenua, and create a future for generations to come.”
From food and energy production to papakāinga housing, the WEDT trustees are working towards a future where the whenua can once again support a thriving community.
“It’s taken us 10 years to get to this point, and the project is progressing well,” says Goodman. “We’re very thankful to Trust Horizon. They’re genuinely interested in seeing communities thrive with sustainable and affordable energy, and that’s exactly what we’re working to achieve.”
To apply for funding from Trust Horizon, visit our funding page for more information.