Hoani Waititi Marae – Manaakitanga i o tĀtou marae project
OVERVIEW
Hoani Waititi is a local marae situated in Waitakere. The marae is an ancestral home and place of gathering for Māori and whānau in the community. It is significant that the purpose and dreams of the establishing committee still remain pertinent and relevant to the existence of the marae in the 21st century.
On a daily basis, many different activities take place at the marae. For example, kapa haka groups frequent the marae during evenings and weekends to practise for upcoming competitions, and community programmes such as Te Whānau Āwhina (restorative justice programme) and Patua Te Ngangara (education and prevention of methamphetamine in the community) are held at the marae.
Hoani Waititi Marae is also a place of work. Māori immersion Te Kōhanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Māori and Te Wharekura Kaupapa Māori schools are located at the marae. The marae also provides administration support for the hundreds of whanau and manuhiri that come from near and far to take part in community programmes and events.
The aim of the Manaakitanga i o Tātou Marae Project was to improve health and safety practices on the marae by ensuring that while operating with the context of traditional tīkanga, everyday practice also meets regulatory standards.
SHIFTING TO A HEALTH AND SAFETY FOCUS
As a whānau orientated environment with a 30 year history of operations without serious injuries or fatalities, it wasn’t apparent to Hoani Waititi Marae that policies were required to help ensure health and safety at the marae.
In June 2007, the marae suffered a tragic loss when a steel gate fell on a 3 year old mokopuna. A thorough investigation into the accident was undertaken by both the Police and Department of Labour.
From this investigation recommendations were made that the Department of Labour work with the Trust to formalise robust health and safety systems. Once established, these systems would be shared with other similar organisations.
The most challenging aspect for marae whānau was an understanding that the marae is not only a place for whānau, but that it is also a workplace and has a responsibility to ensure safety and wellbeing. The Department of Labour worked with marae employees to increase the value of applying health and safety systems and processes.
DEMONSTRATING WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY BEST PRACTICE
The Department of Labour engaged with Hoani Waititi Marae in 2008 to identify their level of knowledge and understanding of duties and responsibilities to the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, including any barriers to be encountered by staff and management when implementing these new systems.
The marae management took hold of the challenge – “Te Wero” – laid down in order to demonstrate to whanau their commitment to ensuring measures and systems would be put in place to prevent another tragedy from occurring. Over a 6 month period these included:
- one staff member was nominated as a health and safety representative to attend the workers union training
- all marae staff attended and completed a certified Red Cross first aid course Hazards were identified within each work area, including the marae complex (hazard registers are now available for these areas)
- a hazard management recording system was developed
- strategies to eliminate, isolate or minimise significant hazards were implemented
- health and safety and hazard control information were added to contracts for manuhiri when hiring or utilising the marae facilities
- an induction programme for all contractors to the marae was introduced
- the LPG gas facility was upgraded with a new storage cage and certified under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act until 2011
- all power points, light fittings, electrical appliances and heavy machinery were checked, tested and tagged and are to be inspected again on an annual basis
- illuminated exit signs were installed for the Wharenui and Whare kai
- signage has been (and continues to be) added to identify the exact location of marae buildings and important health and safety locations like the evacuation assembly point
- maps were sent to the Ambulance and Fire Service to inform them how to get to individual buildings on the marae.
The project has resulted in the Hoani Waititi Marae Trust:
- undergoing attitudinal changes and increasing the awareness that the marae also functions as a workplace
- developing a template that can be adopted by other marae and/or Māori businesses
- making use of the full range of Department of Labour Workplace Services in a way that meets the needs of Māori.
The project has resulted in the Department of Labour:
- meeting its Health and Safety obligations
- realising its vision of building sustainable relationships with Māori
- developing an ongoing working relationship with the marae.
A WORTHY JOURNEY
Recognition of this transformation at Hoani Waititi Marae was celebrated when the project was awarded with the IPANZ Crown-Māori Relationship Award on 18 June 2009. The name “Manaakitanga i o Tātou Marae” was given to this project so the message can be shared with other similar organisations.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
The Department continues to work with Hoani Waititi Marae on a number of initiatives and projects. One example is the construction of a new school building, Te Kura Hononga, a transition unit from kōhanga reo to kura kaupapa māori. Department of Labour employees have been working with the marae from the beginning planning stages of this project to ensure that health and safety standards are planned for and included in the construction of this new school building.
It was also recognised that due to the business aspect of the marae that there was opportunity to raise awareness around employment relation matters. During seminars conducted in partnership at the marae, advice and information was provided around employment agreements including the employment agreement builder. Further engagement around employment relation issues will be a future focus.
The Marae Trust regards the project as a beginning and recognises the need to continuously improve its Health and Safety practices. A key component of this will be the development of protocols that provide government agencies and other third parties with kanohi ki te kanohi – a more personalised approach to dealing with Māori.
GLOSSARY OF MāORI WORDS
- Manaakitanga i o tātou marae
- Taking care of our marae
- Whānau
- family
- Kapa Haka
- Māori performance groups
- Manuhiri
- visitors, guests
- Mokopuna
- child, grandchild
- Te wero
- the challenge
- Te Kōhanga Reo
- Māori immersion Pre-school
- Tīkanga
- Māori protocol
- Kura Kaupapa Māori
- Māori immersion primary
- Te Whare Honohono
- the new Māori immersion intermediate
- Te Wharekura Kaupapa Māori
- Māori immersion college
- Wharenui
- main marae
- Wharekai
- dining hall
- Kanohi ki te kanohi
- face to face
Bilingual signage appropriate for a marae setting has been developed in partnership between Hoani Waititi marae and the Department of Labour These are available as free downloads.
