If Budget 2025 is serious about equity, it must invest in the foundations of oranga – not just patch up the symptoms.
This year, Hāpai Te Hauora is calling for bold, sustained investment in the building blocks of Māori wellbeing – from kai and income to housing, environment and culture.
This is what we need to see in Budget 2025:
Oranga Whenua – A Healthy Environment for All
Healthy kai starts with healthy whenua.
- Invest in Māori-led food sovereignty – not just emergency kai solutions.
- Support food systems grounded in whenua, not supermarkets.
Protect Our Taonga and Wildlife
- Support Māori-led action to protect native species, whenua, and waterways. Invest now to restore what we’ve lost and safeguard what remains – for the health of our taiao, our people, and for our mokopuna.
Culture is a protective factor. Fund it like one.
- Support reo, tikanga, identity and connection.
- Wellbeing isn’t just physical – it’s wairua, whenua, and whakapapa too.
Future-proof climate and health resilience.
- Invest in long-term strategies that protect Māori communities from climate and environmental health impacts.
Oranga Tangata – Thriving Whānau
Fund prevention – not just the fix-up.
- It’s cheaper, smarter, and saves lives.
Warm, dry homes save lives.
- Invest in housing solutions that work for whānau Māori – that means scaling Māori-led housing initiatives, not just boosting state supply.
Every whānau deserves a liveable income.
- Lift income support. Fund kaupapa Māori employment pathways.
- Economic justice is health justice.
Feed the future – don’t cut it.
- Keep and strengthen the Ka Ora, Ka Ako school lunches programme.
- Kids can’t learn or thrive on empty stomachs.
Support what works: Māori-led health services.
- From stop smoking support to SUDI prevention to gambling harm – Māori providers are delivering. Fund us sustainably. Support Māori providers for the long haul.
Fixing the System
Fund Māori health equitably – not equally.
- Māori have been historically disadvantaged and therefore have been contending with the odds stacked against them. Equity means redistributing funding to balance need, not assuming everyone starts on a level playing field and giving everyone the same.
Honour Te Tiriti in practice, not just policy.
- Resource Māori decision-making at all levels.
- Share power – not just feedback forms.
Stop the short-term funding cycle.
- Long-term contracts for Māori providers = long-term impact.
- Give us time and trust.
We’ve seen what works. Now we need the funding and political will to match.
Oranga Tangata. Oranga Whenua.
