A milestone moment for Murihiku!

Our new Murihiku Health Hub – Te Hauora o Murihiku was officially opened by Sir Tipene O’Regan, marking an exciting step forward for whānau wellbeing in Southland.

The new space, shared by WellSouth and Te Rūnanga o Hokonui, provides a central base for primary care and after-hours services, ensuring better access to health support for the local community. With dedicated rooms and future plans for dental care facilities, the hub is set to grow into a comprehensive centre for whānau health and wellbeing.

Sir Tipene O’Regan acknowledged the contribution of Ngāi Tahu and local partners, noting that the hub represents a new era of Māori-led initiatives that benefit all Murihiku citizens.

Hokonui Rūnanga is proud to play a role in this journey — connecting people, services, and care in one welcoming space for our community.

He waka eke noa — we’re all in this together.

Throughout September, our dedicated taiao team carried out an incredible effort — capturing and caring for hundreds of kanakana (piharau/lamprey) from the base of the Mataura Falls. This mahi plays a vital role in protecting one of our most treasured taonga species and ensuring their natural migration upstream continues safely.

The team spent many long days in the awa, carefully collecting kanakana by hand from the rock faces and pools, then relocating them to safer habitats. Each moment reinforced the deep connection between kaitiakitanga, conservation, and the lifeforce of our waterways.

This kaupapa reflects the power of working together — weaving mātauranga Māori and science to safeguard the future of our taonga species for generations to come.

He taonga tuku iho, he tohu aroha mō te taiao – Treasures handed down, symbols of our love for the environment.

Hokonui Community-Led Health (HCLH, formerly Hokonui Locality) has achieved significant outcomes shaped directly by local needs and priorities. Operating at full capacity since late 2023, HCLH has already demonstrated the power of community voice in shaping health and wellbeing services in our community.

An external evaluation commissioned earlier this year gathered valuable insights through interviews and a community survey. Highlights include providing urgent dental care for more than 70 people through the Adult Oral Health Programme – making a real difference for working whānau who otherwise could not access or afford essential treatment.

More than 20 local groups have also received small grants through the HCLH Hauora Fund, supporting kai, transport, equipment, and venue hire costs. These grants have enabled hundreds of local people to come together for fun, affordable, community-focused events and activities.

Frontline health and wellbeing staff across the wider Gore District completed the bespoke HCLH Manaakitanga Customer Service Mastery programme, designed to strengthen professional skills, capacity, and mana. 43 participants took part across two delivery blocks in 2024 and 2025, engaging in face-to-face workshops, webinars, and coaching sessions over 12 weeks.

Other achievements include establishing a monthly Meth Whānau Support Group – a safe, non-judgemental space for those supporting loved ones impacted by meth. HCLH has also helped fill service gaps, such as hand delivering bowel cancer screening kits, with improved screening participation rates as a result, particularly among our Māori and Pasifika whānau. Importantly, HCLH influenced the design of the local Comprehensive Primary Care Team (CPCT), ensuring new clinical and non-clinical roles were created to better meet local needs.

In more good news, three-quarters of survey respondents said they felt good about themselves and were satisfied with their quality of life, with many also expressing optimism about the future of local health and wellbeing. These insights show a community that, while realistic about challenges such as access to GPs and dentists, remains hopeful and engaged in shaping better outcomes together.

What makes our progress so special is that it has been genuinely driven by community voice. As an iwi-led initiative managed by the Rūnanga, we have worked alongside health providers and community organisations to ensure local needs are heard and acted upon.

The evaluation shows that Hokonui Community-Led Health is already making a real difference and laying strong foundations for long term health and wellbeing in our community. But there is still much to do. We look forward to building on this success in the years ahead.