Te Kahu o Taonui which is a collective of Taitokerau Iwi Chairs and CEOs from Te Aupouri, Ngāti Kuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāi Takoto, Ngāpuhi, Kahukuraariki, Whangaroa, Ngāti Wai and Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara have collectively acknowledged that the Government is looking to move from Alert Level 4 to Level 3.

Although, Te Kahu o Taonui understands the Crown will provide a national response with regional nuancing, we will be led by the wishes and needs of our people.

Harry Burkhardt, Pandemic Chair of Te Kahu o Taonui states, “while responding to the sentiment of our collective we have contacted key community leaders and Kaumātua. The local response is firm, they believe it is critical to stay where they are now as they do not believe they are safe yet”.

Te Aupouri and Ngati Kuri Covid19 Incident Team co-leader Sheridan Waitai has informed Te Kahu o Taonui that they will take a “phased approach to ensure that their communities are fully informed, engaged and empowered to transition through alert levels confidently and safely at their own pace. As Iwi we have developed a comprehensive communications process and have moved towards enhanced community patrols supported by the local police and the use of integrated data systems, to assist with rapid resource deployment and decision making”.

Overall as Te Kahu o Taonui Chairs, we agree that:

• Iwi will exercise our obligations to keep our Uri safe.
• It is important that as we respond to Covid19 we continue our focus on two critical tools, distant socialising and reinforced messaging of personal hygiene and whānau care.
• Our decisions will be judged by our history and actions. A precautionary approach is our only principled response to a virus that has no vaccine.
• We need to find a way to live with the ever present danger of Covid 19 in ways that keeps our whānau safe.

Signed Iwi Chairs: Harry Burkhardt (Ngati Kuri), Rick Witana (Te Aupouri), Haami Piripi (Te Rarawa), Wallace Rivers (Ngai Takoto), Margaret Mutu (Ngāti Kahu), Roger Kingi (Kahukuraariki), Murray Moses (Whaingaroa), Mere Mangu (Ngāpuhi), Haydn Edmonds (Ngāti Wai), Naida Glavish (Ngāti Whātua).

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