Iwi-led organisation enters next chapter to restore Te Raukūmara
- Jul 1
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 6
Media Release: 1 July 2026 - For Immediate Release
Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for Raukūmara Pae Maunga as it transitions from a successful Jobs for Nature programme into a long-term, iwi-led restoration organisation committed to protecting and growing the gains achieved over the past six years.
While the funding model has evolved, the kaupapa remains unchanged: restoring the mauri of Te Raukūmara for future generations. Te Raukūmara is the last remaining, large native forest (250,000 ha) from ‘mountain to sea’ in the North Island of Aotearoa and holds cultural, historical, and spiritual significance for both Ngāti Porou and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui.
Supported by continued Government investment through the International Visitor Levy and the Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai, alongside strategic partnerships with BayTrust, the Lottery Grants Board and a growing network of philanthropic supporters, Raukūmara Pae Maunga is focused on ensuring the momentum built over the past six years continues for decades to come.
A new chapter built on six years of success
Raukūmara Pae Maunga Trust Chair, Michelle Hippolite says the transition marks an important milestone - not the end of a programme, but the beginning of a long-term commitment.
"Six years ago, Jobs for Nature gave us an opportunity to demonstrate what iwi-led conservation could achieve. Today we stand on those foundations with confidence. The results belong to our people, our partners, our communities and everyone who believed that Te Raukūmara deserved to thrive once again."
Walking through the ngahere today reveals the transformation already underway.
"The forest is beginning to breathe again. The canopy is recovering, the understorey is regenerating, and birdsong is returning. There is still much work ahead, but Te Raukūmara is responding because people have committed themselves to its healing," says Ms Hippolite.
Over the past six years, Raukūmara Pae Maunga has delivered one of Aotearoa New Zealand's largest landscape-scale restoration programmes, reducing predators and browsing animals across vast areas of native forest while creating skilled local employment and strengthening iwi capability.
"Every rat removed, every possum controlled, every deer taken from sensitive ecosystems, and every kiwi and whio protected reflects the commitment of our people. This work has only been possible because of extraordinary kaimahi, supportive communities and governments willing to trust iwi to lead."
The Trust acknowledges the Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai and Ministers, past and present, for backing the vision from its earliest days.
"Their willingness to invest in iwi-led restoration has created benefits that extend well beyond conservation. It has strengthened communities, created meaningful employment and restored hope alongside biodiversity," says Ms Hippolite.
A legacy to build upon
Outgoing Ngāti Porou Trustee Rei Kohere said the greatest achievement has been proving what can happen when local people are trusted to care for their own whenua.
"When we first began this journey, we believed our people could lead restoration at a scale many thought wasn't possible. Six years later, we've shown exactly that. The gains we've made belong to everyone who has walked this journey together - our whānau, our kaimahi, our partners and our tipuna who continue to guide us."
"What gives me the greatest pride isn't simply the hectares treated or the operational milestones. It's seeing our people leading, making decisions together and restoring confidence that indigenous leadership delivers enduring outcomes," said Mr Kohere.
Growing the gains
As Raukūmara Pae Maunga moves beyond Jobs for Nature, the Trustees say the focus is now on protecting the investment already made and ensuring ecological recovery continues.
"Nature doesn't pause. If we step back, predators return, biodiversity declines and years of investment can quickly be undone," says Ms Hippolite.
"Today isn't about finishing one programme. It's about ensuring the gains we've made continue to grow. This next phase is about giving Te Raukūmara every opportunity to fully recover."
With continued Government investment over the next three years, Raukūmara Pae Maunga will continue large-scale predator and ungulate management while expanding ecological monitoring, iwi capability and local employment.
Conservation is natural infrastructure
Te Whānau-a-Apanui Trustee Ora Barlow said the programme has demonstrated that healthy forests underpin healthy communities.
"For us, the Raukūmara is far more than a forest. She is our tipuna. She is the source of our rivers, our food systems, our climate resilience and the wellbeing of our people."
"When we restore the mauri of the ngahere, we strengthen everything downstream - our waterways, our coastlines, our marae, our communities and our regional economy."
Ms Barlow says the Raukūmara should increasingly be recognised as essential natural infrastructure.
"Healthy forests stabilise hillsides, reduce erosion, improve water quality, store carbon and protect biodiversity. Investing in the Raukūmara is no different from investing in roads, bridges or flood protection. Nature is infrastructure, and restoring it is one of the smartest long-term investments we can make."
Building enduring partnerships
The Trustees welcomed the support of new long-term funding partners helping secure the next phase of restoration.
"We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Lottery Grants Board, BayTrust and all those who have chosen to invest in this kaupapa. Their commitment recognises that healthy ecosystems create environmental, cultural, social and economic benefits for everyone," says Ms Barlow. She notes that caring for one of New Zealand's largest remaining native forests requires long-term commitment and diverse investment.
Alongside domestic funding, Raukūmara Pae Maunga is exploring international research collaborations and philanthropic partnerships, with growing global interest in indigenous-led approaches to biodiversity restoration and climate resilience.
Looking to the next generation
Incoming Ngāti Porou Trustee Karen McClutchie said she was honoured to join the Trust as it enters its next chapter.
"It is a privilege to join this kaupapa at such an exciting time. The responsibility we now carry is ensuring these restoration gains continue to grow for generations yet to come.”
"The Raukūmara has always been a place of learning, identity and belonging for our people. Restoring the ngahere is also about restoring opportunity, knowledge and hope for our tamariki and mokopuna.”
“The programme demonstrates that environmental restoration and community development are inseparable. Every investment we make in the ngahere is also an investment in our people," says Ms McClutchie.
Growing people alongside the forest
Te Whānau-a-Apanui Trustee Rikirangi Gage said one of the programme's greatest successes has been developing local capability.
"We've watched local people become skilled conservation practitioners, operational leaders and trusted professionals. Those capabilities remain here long after individual projects finish.
"The next chapter isn't about starting again. It's about taking everything we've learned over the past six years and continuing to build a restoration movement that will endure for decades," says Mr Gage.
One waka, one kaupapa
Reflecting on the milestone, Ms Hippolite said the Trustees remain united in their commitment to Te Raukūmara.
"Raukūmara Pae Maunga has never simply been about restoring a forest. It has always been about restoring the relationship between people and place."
"As Raukumara Pae Maunga we paddle this waka together. We honour the many hands that have brought us to this moment, which have carved the way forward for our future.”
"The next chapter is not defined by the end of Jobs for Nature. It is defined by our shared commitment to ensure the Raukūmara continues to flourish for generations. That journey has only just begun," says Ms Hippolite.
ENDS
Notes to Editor
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About Raukūmara Pae Maunga:
Established in 2020, the project was a partnership between Ngāti Porou, Te-Whānau-ā-Apanui and the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai delivering large-scale pest control, forest regeneration, community engagement, and species protection.
Te Raukūmara holds cultural, historical, and spiritual significance for both Ngāti Porou and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui. Te Raukūmara is the only large forest in the North Island that stretches uninterrupted from the mountains to the sea (Ki uta ki tai). The health of its rivers and land reflects the mauri of the ngahere – now in a critical state of decline after decades of cumulative pest damage. Restoring Te Raukūmara is not only about protecting biodiversity, but also about upholding the mana and legacy of those who whakapapa to her.
The Raukūmara Pae Maunga kaupapa was born when iwi raised alarm at the rapid decline of the mana and mauri of the ngahere. Following a unified call to action, the project received Jobs for Nature funding in 2020 to undertake large-scale pest control operations.
The establishment of Raukūmara Pae Maunga led to the creation of 37 jobs for ngā uri of Te Raukūmara in the conservation space – with more than 20 currently employed today.
In October 2025, Minister of Conservation, Hon Tama Potaka announced $6m Government funding for the next three years.
Raukūmara Pae Maunga became a charitable trust in October 2025.
Charity registration #CC63873
