25.09.22: The National Kaumātua Service Providers Conference is back following a two-year hiatus and will address the challenges that face kaumātua, while harnessing the opportunities an ageing population can bring.

Whanganui Kaumātua Kaunihera and Ngā Tai o te Awa will host this year’s conference, which is being held from 14 to 16 November at the Whanganui Function Centre.

The theme is ‘Kaumātua Tino Rangatiratanga – He Iringa Kōrero ki Āpōpō: From Yesterday to Tomorrow’. Five keys streams will feature during the conference – Pandemic & Emergency Response, Technology, Health, Housing, and Wellbeing.

Conference organising committee chairperson, John Niko Maihi, says Whanganui tikanga will be upheld throughout the conference, offering a cultural and educational experience for all delegates.

“The river is the source of spiritual and physical sustenance. Te Awa Tupua is a spiritual and physical entity that supports and sustains both the life and natural resources within the river and the health and wellbeing of the iwi, hapū and other communities to the river.

“The conference aims to foster the sharing of knowledge, promotion, resources, and best practice models from within Aotearoa and internationally,” says Mr Maihi.

RKCT chief executive and organising committee member, Rangimahora Reddy, says it was crucial to re-establish the conference following the challenges Covid has presented over the past two years.

“New Zealand, in line with global trends, faces a significantly increasing ageing population, with forecasts for those aged 65 years and overreaching up to 25.5 per cent by 2051. This fact, accompanied with the recent experience of Covid lockdowns, the digitisation of kaumātua lives, and the prevalence of inequities in hauora, housing and welfare, has led to the need for this conference.

“The pandemic has revealed who in our community are most at risk of losing their lives from Covid-19 and who continue to be impacted today. Unfortunately, kaumātua feature predominantly in that space, so highlighting the lessons from the last few years and the importance of wellbeing, housing security, connectedness, financial security, and resourcing is critical. Particularly, if kaumātua are to safely navigate today’s environment and whatever the future holds.

“While there are no major funding streams available to support kaumātua to move from a situation of surviving to one of thriving, this year’s conference will focus on finding solutions to benefit kaumātua and their whānau,” says Mrs Reddy.

She says this year’s conference is an investment to positively impact the shape of the kaumātua sector in the future.

“Our kaumātua of today and tomorrow deserve a sector which is culturally responsive, well-informed, well-resourced, and well-staffed to support the aspirations of a growing ageing population. To achieve this, our hui will bring experts from fields who either serve, have lived experience, conduct research and/or develop policy instrumental to kaumātua wellbeing, independence, and self-determination,” she says.

The three-day conference will include ministerial speakers, keynote presentations, world café style workshops, panel discussions, networking opportunities, conference dinner, and exhibitor stalls. It will build on learnings from past conferences, and identify actions needed to ensure kaumātua of today and tomorrow are better informed, connected, healthier, resourced and experience a greater sense of self-determination in their ageing journey.

The intended audience for the conference is kaumātua and aged sector service providers (including iwi groups), government ministers and agencies, policymakers, the academic community, National Science Challenges, funders, NGOs, and others interested in the challenges and potential of a rapidly growing kaumātua sector.

Early bird tickets are still available. CLICK HERE to register.

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