Hon Te Ururoa Flavell
Te Minita Whakawhanaketanga Māori
Minister for Māori Development
21 June 2016 Media Statement
Minister honours passing of Māori health leader Robert Cooper
Kua hinga he tōtara i te wao-nui-ā-Tāne.
Whānau Ora Minister Te Ururoa Flavell acknowledges the passing of Māori health leader and Whānau Ora pioneer Robert
Cooper today.
Mr Flavell says Mr Cooper, who is of Ngāti Hine Ngāpuhi descent and lived in Northland, led an impressive career
improving the lives of whānau through health, social services, and leadership.
“It gives me great regret to see such a valuable leader pass away. As the inaugural Chair of the Whānau Ora Governance
Group in 2010, Robert did much to help his community and the wider the country.”
“Further to that, his integral work as part of the taskforce to set up Whānau Ora in 2009 helped bring the rich value
of Māori values and tikanga to Government agencies and departments. The worth of this to Aotearoa-New Zealand is
immeasurable.”
Mr Cooper was until 2013 the Chief Executive of Northland’s Ngāti Hine Health Trust. In this role he won several
accolades and in 2012 he opened the internationally acclaimed early childhood education centre Te Mirumiru in Kawakawa.
In 2015 he was awarded the Companion of the New Zealand order of Merit for service to Māori Health.
Nō reira kei taku rangatira, haere atu rā koe ki a rātou mā. Moe mai rā.