Thousands spent on whanau gatherings
THOUSANDS has been spent on food, chefs and travel for family gatherings under a multimilliondollar Government ‘‘whanau innovation fund’’.
The Dominion Post has obtained, under the Official Information Act, details of the 25 most recent successful applicants to the controversial Whanau Integration, Innovation and Engagement (WIIE) Fund.
Most successful applicants are paid $5000 to help develop ‘‘whanau plans’’ that are supposed to help plot a course for families to become more self-reliant.
Funding increases to about $20,000 for groups implementing their plans.
More than $6 million is believed to have been allocated since the fund was set up in 2010.
One $5000 contract agreed between the Maori development agency Te Puni Kokiri (TPK) and an unnamed Hawke’s Bay whanau of 20 members details how the cash would be spent on a hui.
The hui would finalise ‘‘spiritual balance’’ and ‘‘family development’’ among other things.
Two ‘‘facilitators’’ would be paid $500 each and $400 would be spent on a venue for the hui.
There would also be $1000 for a hangi and $600 for a chef as well as a $500 administration fee and $300 for travel on top of $1200 for ‘‘resources’’.
The funding agreement was signed on January 12, with $4000 paid upfront on the understanding a report on the hui would be filed with TPK by the end of April. The remaining $1000 would be paid when the whanau plans were completed, which was expected by the end of June.
TPK chief executive Leith Comer said WIIE Fund allocations were designed to ‘‘strengthen whanau capacity’’ so that whanau were strongly connected with each other.
WIIE Fund projects also helped people ‘‘actively engage in wider society, have strong leadership that empowers [whanau] members and fosters resilience and have the knowledge, capability and tools to achieve whanau goals and aspirations’’.
Any family could apply for WIIE funding but a legal entity or