Te Tiriti Commitment

Our Commitment to the Te Tiriti o Waitangi

BayTrust recognises the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the unique relationship of tangata whenua to place across the rohe we serve.

As a regional community trust, BayTrust is committed to working with Māori in ways that are respectful, enduring and consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Our approach is grounded in building trusted relationships, understanding the local context of iwi and hapū, seeking appropriate advice, and ensuring our funding, investment and organisational practices support Māori aspirations.

We recognise that meaningful relationships take time and require listening, reciprocity, appropriate resourcing and a willingness to continually learn and improve.

Putting Our Commitment Into Practice

We are continuing to strengthen how Te Tiriti and our relationships with tangata whenua are reflected across BayTrust.

This includes:

• building and maintaining respectful relationships with iwi, hapū, mana whenua and Māori organisations across our rohe;
• strengthening Trustee and staff understanding of Te Tiriti, local histories, tikanga and te reo Māori;
• seeking advice and engaging appropriately rather than assuming expertise;
• identifying and reducing barriers Māori may experience when engaging with BayTrust;
• ensuring our funding practices and applicant experience are responsive to Māori communities and aspirations;
• embedding Māori perspectives and mātauranga Māori appropriately within our work;
• supporting Māori-led solutions and long-term intergenerational outcomes; and
• regularly reviewing our practice and reporting on progress.

Tū Māori Mai

Tū Māori Mai is one of BayTrust's four strategic priority areas.

Through Tū Māori Mai, we seek to support Māori across the Bay of Plenty to achieve their aspirations and strengthen outcomes for whānau, communities, te taiao and Te Ao Māori.

This includes supporting kaupapa that:

• strengthen Māori cultural identity, te reo Māori and tikanga;
• build understanding of local Māori histories;
• support Māori-led community development;
• strengthen whānau and community wellbeing;
• support Māori housing aspirations and intergenerational outcomes;
• strengthen kaitiakitanga and relationships with te taiao;
• build the capability and capacity of Māori organisations; and
• enable Māori aspirations to be led and defined by Māori.

Our commitment to Māori is not limited to Tū Māori Mai funding. We continue to consider how Māori aspirations and perspectives are reflected across Community Wellbeing, Housing, Environment, our investment activity and the way BayTrust operates.

Governance and Te Tiriti

BayTrust's Trust Deed includes provisions relating to Māori representation and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Trust Deed requires BayTrust to have sufficient Trustees who whakapapa Māori and provides that Trustees should have regard to Te Tiriti o Waitangi when interpreting the Trust Deed and carrying out their responsibilities.

These provisions form part of a wider commitment to ensuring Te Tiriti and relationships with Māori are meaningfully reflected in BayTrust's governance and organisational practice.

Continuing Our Journey

BayTrust recognises that this work is ongoing.

We are committed to continuing to build our cultural capability, strengthen relationships with tangata whenua and Māori communities, and ensure our systems, decisions and ways of working increasingly reflect this commitment.

Our 2030 Strategy provides the framework for continuing this work and for holding ourselves accountable for progress.

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A prominent local Māori artist Kelcy Taratoa (Ngai Te Rangi, Ngāti Raukawa) co-designed our funding framework and brand identity.

The many mountains in the Bay of Plenty area are symbolised by the triangle shape.

The river flowing through it connects all parts as one.

The stingray is the guardian of the environment and its people, just as BayTrust is a guardian.

The stingray’s heart is emphasised, reflecting a spirit of generosity. Also, the central Taupō area is the heart of Te Ika-a-Maui (the North Island).

The shape of the stingray’s tail symbolises sharks, representing thriving people, boldly engaging with their community.

Development of our logo…

Aonui—the triangle shape references Kete Aonui, one of the three baskets of knowledge, associated with benefiting the environment and all living things.

Pūhoro koru—synonymous with movement, swiftness and agility and often seen on waka and as Tā moko on the thigh; and the division of the koro stem in the two communicates the notion of generosity and hospitality.

Nihoniho—the zig zag pattern is a symbol of teeth, commonly found on Pātaka (Māori storage houses) and represents the importance of generosity and hospitality

If you would like a logo pack for media or advertising (click here)

BayTrust Whakatauki

We have solidified our kaupapa and developed a whakatauki for BayTrust. (As above) This represents our commitment to supporting our community, its people, and its environment through the power of generosity.