This programme uses a community-led approach to support communities and hapū to achieve their goals by working together, building on their strengths, encouraging wide participation, developing local leaders and action plans to measure and celebrate their achievements.
The Community-led Development Programme is based on a community or hapū and the Department of Internal Affairs signing a partnership agreement and agreeing to work together.
In this partnership the Department will offer intensive advice and support and will work with other government agencies, tangata whenua, local authorities, funders, businesses and local organisations to support the community achieve their locally-led initiatives. As partnership communities put their plans in place, they will also be able to request funding investment to support them to achieve their community or hapū goals.
The first programme partners were selected in March 2017 and a second group of communities are currently exploring if a community-led partnership could be right for them. Requests to join this programme are now closed for 2017.
This new approach for investing in communities, hapū and iwi was announced on 25 June 2016 by the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector (see the Minister's media release).
Four communities took part in the pilot – North East Valley (Dunedin), Mangakino (Waikato), Mt Roskill (Auckland), and Whirinaki (Far North). Their journeys and stories are strong and meaningful, and reflect deep connection and care within each community.