Ruapehu WorX Ltd

Ruapehu WorX continues to provide local opportunity and employment outcomes for our community of southern Ruapehu, Hāpaitia to ora – uplift our people our place.

Ruapehu WorX has increased in size to 9 fulltime kaimahi who have delivered over 11000 hours in conservation management protecting our Taiao and Ngāhere within the rohe of Ngāti Rangi.

We are committed to providing opportunities which have historically not been available to the wider community within our rohe, these opportunities are now reality with the success of winning contracts in environmental management and construction spanning multiple years.

Karioi Rāhui

The Karioi Rāhui partnership with the Department of Conservation (DOC) has been reignited through the Jobs for Nature initiative that we were successful in securing. This was one of the first examples of comanagement with DOC in the country that started back in 1990s led by our pahake of the time.

Te Ara Mangawhero

Ruapehu WorX has been successful in being awarded the contract for design and build of Te Ara Mangawhero, this is another first in Aotearoa being an iwi owned, designed, and build of a nationally significant trail project on the southern slopes of Ruapehu.

Te Ara Mangawhero project started in 2013 in partnership with DOC, Ngāti Rangi, and the wider Ohakune community, funding was secured late 2020 and the construction will be phased over the next 3 years. Once constructed ownership will be transferred back to Ngāti Rangi, this nationally significant trail will have lasting benefits spanning multiple generations and aligning with Ngāti Rangi being vibrant for 1000 years.

The Year Ahead

A key goal has been to be active kaitiaki within our rohe. Our team’s hard work has paid off as we continue to grow and secure contracts resulting in better outcomes for the Taiao. In conjunction with the wider Ngāti Rangi group we continue to ensure that stakeholders know our expectations when it comes to working within our rohe.

Ruapehu WorX real success extends beyond financial success and securing contracts. The hidden benefits is the shift in kaimahi from being perceived as “unskilled” to now skilled labour by gaining valuable qualifications. Ruapehu WorX has committed over 1100 hours to training kaimahi from September 2021 through to March 2022, this will be continued over the next 3 years enabling opportunities for many different career options into the future.

Ruapehu WorX is still in its infancy as the first direct investment for Te Kumete o Paerangi. The past year has been challenging brought upon by COVID-19, upskilling new staff and trying to find a balance between commercial viability as well as delivering social and environmental outcomes. We remain committed to ensuring we uphold our mantra of Hāpaitia te ora – uplift our people, our place!

Paul Carr, General Manager, Ruapehu Worx Ltd