A raft of changes have been announced for two Maōri government departments, with one picking up many new responsibilities.

Remember the aunty in Boy who had all the jobs? Te Puni Kōkiri, or the Ministry of Māori Development, is about to become that aunty.

Māori community, commemoration, education, employment, governance, housing, marae, enterprise, rangatahi, te reo Māori, whānau ora, whenua Māori, whānau resillience, economic development, education, health, social services – these are all areas in which Te Puni Kōkiri currently provides services.

Now it’s about to have a whole suite of new jobs: monitoring and reporting on the Crown’s implementation of Treaty settlements; leading post-settlement relationships; co-ordinating significant events on behalf of the Crown; providing strategic advice on the distinct rights, interests and responsibilities of iwi, hapū and Māori, except as they relate to Treaty settlements; and Takutai Moana matters are being placed under its remit. It’s a hefty and wide reaching list of responsibilities.

The additional duties for Te Puni Kōkiri are part of structural changes to two ministries announced by Māori Crown relations minister Tama Potaka last week. Te Arawhiti – Office for Māori-Crown Relations has had its responsibilities scaled back to now only being focussed on historical Treaty claims and customary marine title claims under the Marine and Coastal Areas Act. This move is reportedly part of a broader government strategy to double the Māori economy by 2035.

According to Labour leader Chris Hipkins, the proposed changes are indicative of the government’s attitude of all things to do with Māori. He suggested the government is repeating mistakes of the past and should instead be drawing upon the insights and expertise that Te Arawhiti had to offer, rather than narrowing its scope. “The Māori economy is growing enormously in the post-Treaty settlement era and we should be making sure that the whole country’s benefiting from that and that we’re also avoiding entering into things that create contemporary Treaty grievances,” Hipkins told RNZ.

Meanwhile, Te Kaihautū Māori for the Public Service Association (PSA) Janice Panaho criticised the government’s decision to diminish Te Arawhiti, calling it a disappointing move against the role of Māori in Aotearoa. The PSA, representing 200 staff at Te Arawhiti, said the changes undermine the agency’s progress in improving outcomes for Māori and risks damaging staff morale. It urged the government to reconsider the restructure, which it believes is poorly planned and communicated.

“The splitting off of functions means Te Arawhiti will lose the connection it had with the teams getting the settlements agreed and the context behind them. How is that efficient? By limiting Te Arawhiti to treaty settlements and Takutai Moana it sends a signal that the agency will be left doing the bare minimum as both are legislated requirements,” Panaho said in a release.

Leith Comer, chair of Ngāti Rangitihi, told Waatea News he thought the move could be a positive one. A former chief executive of Te Puni Kōkiri, Comer said he was keen to see Tama Potaka, as the responsible minister for both agencies, and Shane Jones as regional development minister working together. “I’ll be reserving a little bit of my support for this new move, until I see how it’s being implemented… I hope to see some better outcomes for Maori,” he said.

Te Arawhiti, meaning “The Bridge”, was established in 2018 as an office within the government to focus specifically on Māori-Crown relations. Its creation signalled the government’s recognition of the need for an agency dedicated to managing the ongoing relationship between the Crown and Māori, beyond the scope of treaty settlements. Te Arawhiti was tasked with overseeing the implementation of treaty settlements, supporting Māori governance entities, and ensuring that the Crown fulfilled its obligations under te Tiriti o Waitangi. It collaborates with various ministries and ministers to engage with iwi and manage the relationship between the government and groups like the National Iwi Chairs Forum and the Waitangi National Trust.

However, earlier this year it was reported Te Arawhiti was facing a major funding shortfall and struggling to pay its bills. This shortfall jeopardised the ability of Te Arawhiti to support Māori claims for customary rights over the foreshore and seabed and left many lawyers unpaid for completed work. In July, Te Arawhiti announced the organisation was consulting with staff on disestablishing 51 of the organisation’s 200 roles and creating 38 new ones. The disestablished jobs included vacancies and fixed-term roles that were due to end.

Now, with the streamlining of its role, Potaka hopes Te Arawhiti will be able to settle all outstanding treaty claims by 2030. What remains unclear however, is exactly what resources the struggling agency will receive to help it achieve such a lofty goal. “There will be engagement with iwi and Māori leaders shortly to provide more detail, joint decision-making with ministers, and consultation with staff before any final changes are affected,” Potaka told The Spinoff.

Te Puni Kōkiri currently contracts various providers to deliver social and cultural services within the community. The agency also oversees Whānau Ora, which allocates funding to Māori and Pasifika-led social service initiatives, and has a dedicated housing team focussed on the development of Māori housing and land. With the changes, it has picked up several functions previously held by Te Arawhiti but is already facing its own challenges. As illustrated in its latest annual report, the performance of Te Puni Kōkiri over 2022 and 2023 shows a mixed picture, with some improvements in employment rates and public trust in services but challenges remaining, particularly in housing conditions, Māori business participation, and the implementation of whānau-centred approaches, with several indicators showing stagnation or worsening trends.

As Te Puni Kōkiri prepares to take on an expanded role, the ministry finds itself at a critical juncture. The addition of new responsibilities, including overseeing post-settlement relationships and providing strategic advice on Māori rights and interests, further solidifies its position as the central pillar of Māori development. However, this shift also raises significant concerns about the ministry’s capacity to manage its increasingly complex portfolio, especially in light of the challenges highlighted in its recent annual report and continued uncertainty about resourcing.

While detail around exactly how the changes would be implemented was scant, Potaka said he expected his “vision for Māori development” would be unveiled in full in a cabinet paper set to be released in the coming weeks. Ultimately, while the government’s intentions to streamline operations and clarify roles are clear, the real test will be in the execution. For Te Puni Kōkiri, the challenge will be to navigate these new responsibilities without losing sight of its core mission to empower Māori to achieve their aspirations across all aspects of life. Only then can Te Puni Kōkiri truly become the effective and resilient “aunty” that Māori communities need in this ever-evolving landscape