Our team takes home the Social Impact Award for Ngā Kakau Paraha Māori Supplier Network
17 October 2024Last night, we were honoured with the Social Impact Award at the New Zealand Procurement Excellence Awards for its innovative Ngā Kakau Paraha Māori supplier network.
This award highlights our dedication to engaging Māori businesses and promoting economic prosperity.
Our deputy chief executive officer Jamie Sinclair says: “We’re incredibly proud of winning the Social Impact Award for Ngā Kakau Paraha. This award acknowledges our ongoing mahi to create opportunities for Māori businesses, ensuring their sustained participation in our projects.”
Head of supply chain and procurement Stuart Bird says Ngā Kakau Paraha is the first Māori supplier network in New Zealand to be integrated into a major procuring organisation.
“The network of fifteen Māori-owned businesses was set up to help deliver the first stage of our $3.5 billion asset upgrade and renewal programme. The businesses went through a robust tender and verification process to be included in the network. They represent a number of construction trades used by Watercare and our contractors for work in the water and wastewater networks, including electrical, landscaping, earth works, pipelaying, traffic management and plant and labour hire.”
Bird says the network also aims to identify Māori businesses capable of delivering at the scale required by Watercare’s projects, which often need large crews and extensive resources.
“At Watercare, we have set a target to allocate 5% of our annual spend to Māori businesses by 2025.
“We’re not quite there yet. We hope Ngā Kakau Paraha will help us reach – and surpass – this goal, but we also need to keep finding opportunities across all areas of the business.
“Ngā Kakau Paraha is more than just a supplier network; it’s a platform for fostering long-term relationships and supporting the growth of Māori enterprises.
“We are committed to continuing this journey and making a tangible difference in the lives of many.”