As part of the next iteration of our Green Star tool, Green Star Buildings for New Zealand, we are in the process of drafting the Tohu Mauri Ora Credit.
Te Kaunihera Hanganga Tautaiao o Aotearoa | the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) is a non-for-profit organisation that represents more than 700 organisations across Aotearoa with a combined annual turnover of more than $40billion.
Our vision is for all homes and buildings in Aotearoa to be green and sustainable, making healthier, happier New Zealanders. To achieve this, we run trusted and robust third-party certification schemes that have been developed alongside the industry. These include Green Star for non-residential buildings and communities, and Homestar for new residential development, HomeFit to assess the health of existing homes alongside many other tools.
We regularly review and update these tools to keep up with global sustainability trends and industry knowledge, Green Star Buildings for New Zealand will set a new benchmark for sustainability.
This process began two years ago, when we invited input from the construction and property sector and any others interested across Aotearoa for consultation on how to improve the sustainability and health of our buildings through Green Star. We held two significant rounds of consultation including hui around the motu, one-to-one meetings, surveys, advisory meetings and expert review panels.
We also established a Māori Technical Working Group to integrate Mātauranga Māori into Green Star Buildings for New Zealand. The group is comprised of:
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Tyrone Newson, Director Te Kuaka, Chief Executive Officer at Ngāti Awa Group Holdings
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Anahera Rawiri, Principal – Kaihautū at Jasmax, Auckland City Council Advisory Board Member, Member at Te Kāhui Rangahau o Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Member at Property Council NZ, Auckland Executive Branch, Board Member at Waitematā Local Board, Auckland Council
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Jade Kake, Director at Matakohe Architecture + Urbanism, Senior Lecturer at AUT Huri Te Ao School of Future Environments
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Ngata Tapsell, Principal at Beca, Chair of Te Arawa Management Limited, Chair of Pukaingataru B18, Chair and Panellist of the Auckland Urban Design Panel, Panellist of the Tauranga Urban Design Panel, Advisor to Huri Te Ao, Auckland University of Technology
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Lucy Tukua, Kaihautū Whakarito (Technical Director Regenerative Outcomes) at Mott MacDonald; Board member for Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust, Hauraki Māori Trust Board and Auckland Light Rail Ltd
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Amanda Yates, Associate Professor at AUT and Director of ORA, regenerative action-lab
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Pierre Tohe, General Manager Engagement at Tainui Group Holdings
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Mike Conlon, Head of Project Delivery at Tainui Group Holdings
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Samantha McGavock, Kaihautū, Director at DONE Project Planning + Delivery
Extensive kōrero and hui between the Māori Technical Working Group and the NZGBC have culminated in the current draft of the Tohu Mauri Ora credit which we are currently seeking consultation on from further iwi and hapū.
The Māori Technical Working Group has identified synergies with all credits within the existing Green Star Buildings for New Zealand framework that they believe already align with Mātauranga Māori and encourage iwi working with developers to strive for these credits. In particular they have identified strong synergies with the following credits;
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Responsible Procurement
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Connection To Nature
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Community Resilience
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Water Use
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Enjoyable Places
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Contribution To Place
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Culture, Heritage, And Identity
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Procurement And Workforce Inclusion
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Impacts To Nature
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Biodiversity Enhancement
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Nature Connectivity
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Nature Stewardship
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Waterway Protection
The Tohu Mauri Ora credit is a significant step in our journey to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi as an organisation. We want to extend a massive kia ora to the Māori Technical Working Group for their time, wisdom, collaboration and guidance. We look forward to continuing to work with them in the future as we look to update further tools to encompass Mātauranga Māori.
