There was so much going on at our conference themed ‘Ko te heke mai ināianei – the future is now’ from 23-24 November 2022 – however, we’ve managed to pick out a few key points to share with you. We’ve also got lots of photos from the conference to share, details of how you can help our closing keynote speaker Ezra Hirawani support Kiwis experiencing power poverty, as well as a date and venue for Taituarā Conference 2023.
Photos from the conference
View the photos from the morning of day one.
View the photos from the afternoon of day one.
View the photos from the morning of day two.
View the photos from the afternoon of day two.
The Minister’s gift – it’s our vision, our future
The Minister said that in this complex time we have much to look forward to, and that this could be seen in the nature of developing partnerships: between Māori and Pākehā, between central and local government, and within communities.
She reminded us that partnerships are not just about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. When considering our future, we should ask what is the outcome we are seeking and what is the problem we are trying to solve. We will be creating communities for good quality of life, finding different ways of working, and creating greater visibility of how our programmes are aligned.
Reform happens because we know we could do better, and she thanked us for looking after the people in their communities in New Zealand.
Carbon offsets are a lie we tell ourselves, and a fraud upon our children
We could not start to talk about the future of our communities without mentioning our warming planet, and what this will mean for each and every Kiwi in 2050. Dr Rod Carr provided a rundown of the science as well as the parameters for its suggested emissions caps that the Government has adopted almost to the letter.
A memorable quote was that “carbon offsets are a lie we tell ourselves, and a fraud upon our children”. Therefore our choices in everything we do in local government should focus on lowering absolute emissions, rather than planting trees or creative carbon accounting which simply passes the problem on to our children, and he reminded us what you don't measure you cannot manage.
The Future for Local Government Review Panel
It was fantastic to have the Future for Local Government Review Panel to personally front up to give further depth to their draft report and answer our questions.
Taituarā is preparing a response on behalf of the sector. In order to do this, we will hold hui in five locations across the country.
Find out more about our Future for Local Government Roadshow in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Ōtautahi Christchurch, Ōtepoti Dunedin, Taupō, and Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington.
Which people? where?
The Rt Hon Sir Bill English joined us on day two and said the key to understanding impact was to 'get a grip' – using data systems and technology to find out who is in the most need, and who can benefit the most.
According to the former Prime Minister, the fundamental questions are "which people? where?", and "what change, and how will we know?"
He advised us to not wait around for central government, saying local government will always better understand its own communities.
Joining the fight to end power poverty
We were moved to hear closing keynote speaker Ezra Hirawani’s story. Determined to find solutions for whānau without power, Ezra, along with Ben Armstrong, co-founded Nau Mai Rā, a purpose-built, kaupapa Māori electricity retailer, delivering affordable, ‘always-on’ power, after discovering how many families lived in power poverty.
Ezra inspired us to think differently about our mahi and the way we support people, groups, and organisations to make a difference within our communities.
If you would like to start supporting our closing keynote speaker Ezra Hirawani, why not visit the Nau Mai Rā website now? Anyone can join, and by doing so you can make a real difference to whānau experiencing power poverty.
A thank you to our sponsors
We would like to acknowledge the sponsors of Taituarā Conference 2022 below. We thank them all for their asistance – we could not have brought the event together without their support.
Join us again in 2023
We have already confirmed a date and venue for Taituarā Conference 2023. We invite you to save the date in your calendar.
Taituarā would like to thank Hastings District Council - Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Heretaunga in advance for hosting us at Toitoi Hawke’s Bay Arts & Events Centre.
Toitoi was recently stunningly renovated and is now a premiere venue for the region and its community.