New Hauora Reports Call for Locally Designed Health Solutions Across Hauraki Rohe

New hauora reports released by Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board on Friday, 25 September 2026, are highlighting the unique health requirements of neighbouring communities in the Hauraki district. The findings, which focus on Paeroa and Thames, argue for a shift away from one-size-fits-all healthcare in favour of locally designed services that address specific community gaps. Te Tiratū, which represents approximately 121,000 Māori within the wider Tainui waka rohe, compiled the reports by blending local health data with direct insights from its Whānau Voice programme. The research demonstrates how two towns separated by only a short distance can face vastly different challenges. In Paeroa, the report identifies a critical lack of dental care and significant affordability barriers for whānau. Conversely, the findings in Thames highlight the pressure of managing an ageing population while simultaneously planning for the needs of tamariki and rangatahi. According to the reports, broad regional statistics often mask these localized issues. Te Tiratū asserts that improving hauora Māori requires health investment to be guided by the lived realities of each town. This approach places whānau at the centre of both identifying problems and developing solutions, ensuring that future health planning is grounded in community-specific evidence. As part of the wider Hauora Report Series, these documents serve the core mission of Iwi Māori Partnership Boards: to identify Māori health priorities and ensure whānau perspectives are integrated into decision-making. By building a town-by-town picture across the Tainui rohe, the board aims to bridge service gaps and advocate for a health system that responds directly to the people it serves.