From Temporary Solutions to Sustainable Change

From Temporary Solutions to Sustainable Change: Porirua's ‘Community-Led’ Way Forward

Opinion Editorial written by Te Wāhi Tiaki Tātou

From Temporary Solutions to Sustainable Change: Porirua's 'Community-Led' Way Forward

If we want better outcomes for whānau in Porirua, we must work differently.

Through the Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities (ROCC) kaupapa, we’re trialling a new way of commissioning and delivery of support services - one that’s driven by community priorities, built on trust, and focused on prevention, as much as response.

It’s early days, and while we don’t yet have long-term data, we’re already seeing encouraging shifts: stronger collaboration between providers, more trust from whānau, and services beginning to align around shared goals.

For too long, responses to harm have been reactive and fragmented. Whānau are moved between disconnected services, trust erodes, and intergenerational cycles of harm remain unbroken.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• Methamphetamine – an average of 13,750 common doses consumed each week in Porirua, costing an estimated $288,258 in social harm.

• Family harm – 40% of all Police callouts in the city.

• Youth violence – increasing in both severity and frequency.

These are not isolated issues. These reflect symptoms of structural inequities, decades of short-term funding, and systems that respond to harm rather than prevent it.

Porirua is drawing a line.

We’re reimagining how transformation happens and who drives it.

A System Reimagined

Instead of disconnected agencies with competing priorities, we are bringing iwi, providers, community leaders, and government into one space with a shared kaupapa.

Our emphasis is on prevention, resilience, and solutions based on lived experiences, not just policy templates.

At the core of ROCC is the voice of lived experience. Those affected by harm every day are shaping where and how we invest to break these cycles.

Commissioning Differently – Good for Our Community

One of the most significant changes we've implemented is in the way services are commissioned.

Traditional contracts are often short-term, very specific, and created without input from the community. This approach restricts innovation, compels providers to compete rather than collaborate, and keeps services in a constant state of survival.

We have completely revamped our approach. In Porirua, the commissioning process begins with the aspirations outlined in the ROCC in Porirua—Building a Strong, Resilient, and Thriving Community plan. We trust and empower providers to collaboratively design solutions that are centred on whānau, culturally appropriate, and aimed at achieving long-term outcomes.

This approach:

• Centres lived experience – Solutions shaped by those who know the realities first-hand.

• Fosters collaboration – Funding for collective impact, not competing bids.

• Invests in prevention – Tackling root causes, not just symptoms.

• Builds capability – Reducing compliance burdens so providers can focus on impact.

Although this mahi is supported by short-term funding, it is already enhancing local capacity and demonstrating what’s possible when commissioning is done in partnership with the community.

 Why This Matters 

When we approach commissioning differently, we lead in new ways. We create opportunities for providers to innovate, adapt, and collaborate. We prioritise prevention alongside crisis response and integrate cultural approaches while breaking down silos.

We are in the early stages of development, and while we don't have long-term results yet, the initial signs are very encouraging. Providers are collaborating more closely than ever, and investments are supporting the community's identified priorities, addressing the most pressing issues effectively. These changes lay the groundwork for the deep and sustained change that Porirua requires.

Real change requires time and ongoing investment. Without such support, communities must repeatedly rebuild trust, relationships, and services every time funding cycles end.

A Call to Act Together

Porirua is showing that when the community's voice is at the forefront and stakeholders such as funders, government, iwi, and providers collaborate as partners, meaningful change can be achieved.

We need the courage to support this approach for the long term. 

Our children deserve better. Our communities deserve better.

If you’re ready to be part of this kaupapa, email us at: TeWahiTiakiTatou@ngatitoa.iwi.nz

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