Rēnata Blair: ‘There’s nothing like Te Matatini’
ACC Deputy Chief Executive Māori Rēnata Blair (Ngāti Whātua) is relishing being in Taranaki to celebrate Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga 2025. We’re partnering with the festival to connect with whānau and provide rongoā Māori services.
There’s nothing quite like Te Matatini in the world – it’s an awesome celebration of tikanga Māori and te ao Māori.
It’s going to be special heading back to Taranaki – it’s the first time in more than 30 years that this rohe (region) has hosted Te Matatini festival.
I’m really looking forward to a special week and a celebration of our Māori culture.
Competitors and supporters of Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga 2025 can stop by the ACC tent to witness, and be part of, our strongest ever presence of rongoā Māori at a community event.
The service incorporates a holistic, kaupapa Māori approach to wellbeing that includes ā-tinana (physical), ā-wairua (spiritual), ā-hinengaro (mental and emotional) and ā-whānau (family and social).
We will have up to eight rongoā Māori practitioners joining us each day at the ACC stall to give whānau an experience of rongoā Māori.
Rongoā Māori has been available through ACC as a rehabilitation service since 2020 and has now helped over 13,500 ACC kiritaki (clients) across the country.
The chance to kōrero and connect
Community events like Te Matatini are important for us as they provide a chance to kōrero and connect with whānau about ACC services.
We’re pleased to be able to share information about our Rongoā Māori service, Hāpai – which is our one-to-one recovery support for kaimahi Māori – and Te Ara Tūhono – an independent kaupapa Māori service that can support our kiritaki Māori if they find ACC difficult to navigate.
Our kaimahi (staff) embrace these opportunities to connect with hapori (communities) across the motu (country) to raise awareness and build understanding around the help available through ACC and services that improve access and health outcomes for Māori.
As of February 2025, ACC has provided rongoā Māori in over 15,800 claims, which has seen our practitioners deliver more than 148,500 rongoā sessions.
The regions with the highest number of claims are Waikato (with 5,586), Bay of Plenty (1,811), and Auckland (1,556). Taranaki is the tenth-highest region with 257 rongoā Māori claims.
Supporting wellbeing with Māori options
I’m proud that we at ACC have opened up kaupapa Māori options to support people’s recovery.
We want to provide whānau with a choice of kaupapa Māori services that deliver culturally appropriate care and uphold our responsibilities to Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Supporting events like this enables us to bring our 10-year strategy, Huakina Te Rā, to life.
I believe in the kaupapa of Te Matatini and I want to tautoko (support) whānau to live well.
Māori make up around 17 per cent of the population in Aotearoa but only 12.5 per cent of all ACC claims.
Our data shows Māori are more likely to experience serious life-changing injuries but are less likely to lodge a claim with ACC compared to non-Māori.
We know there are a lot of barriers Māori face to have access to healthcare – we want to ensure Māori are aware of all the support they’re entitled to following an injury.
Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga 2025
25 February to 1 March
Pukekura/Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth
A total of 55 kapa haka groups will perform on stage to an audience of approximately 70,000 spectators and whānau, and an expected 2.5 million television viewers from all around the motu (country).
For performance schedules, how to view the event and all other information please visit the Te Matatini website.
