Toitū Tairāwhiti is leading the charge in delivering 201 affordable, whānau-focused homes across Gisborne and the East Coast, through a regionally responsive and culturally grounded approach.

Land Matters was engaged to co-develop programme management systems and tools to support the initiative. Ensuring delivery agility, compliance with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD), and alignment with local iwi aspirations.

The programme reflects not only the response to long-term housing demand but also addresses immediate post-cyclone accommodation needs, calling for a high degree of flexibility, partnership, and local insight.

Land Matters worked alongside iwi partners, delivery teams, and governance stakeholders to:

• Co-design project management frameworks tailored to diverse iwi delivery models
• Build milestone tracking dashboards and financial tools
• Create templates for QA, risk management, and stakeholder communication
• Support MHUD compliance and funder reporting
• Integrate cultural considerations and regional insights into all systems

The systems were designed to be simple, adaptable, and accessible, supporting multiple parties working across a large and geographically varied region.

This was not a one-size-fits-all delivery. The programme spanned remote areas, multiple iwi partners with differing delivery capacities, and projects already in motion.

To respond, Land Matters:

• Retrofitted systems into live projects without disrupting delivery
• Conducted site visits and PCG meetings to maintain clear scope alignment
• Facilitated collaborative solution-building with Toitū and their partners
• Delivered tools that reduced the administrative burden on local teams

These solutions enabled greater visibility and accountability across the programme—without compromising the mana of iwi-led delivery.

Key Outcomes:

• Programme-wide tools embedded across iwi and partner teams
• Responsive and culturally aligned systems to suit remote delivery environments
• Improved compliance and funding outcomes through better reporting structures

By building systems that reflect both the regional context and the cultural kaupapa of Toitū, Land Matters helped strengthen delivery pathways for whānau housing in Tairāwhiti—supporting sustainable housing outcomes for generations to come.