About
Porirua Assembly

The Porirua Assembly brings people from across our city together to learn, listen and deliberate on our changing world. Grounded in community voices, it empowers everyday people to shape shared solutions for Porirua, now and for future generations.

Why Porirua Assembly Began

To Connect

Harnessing the power of our community to drive local change is what the Porirua Assembly is all about. Assembly principles are including everyday people, fairness and transparency.

To Discuss

The Porirua Assembly is a Te Tiriti participatory democracy approach. For the Assembly on Climate a group of 50 Porirua people reflecting the broader population of Porirua, alongside a Mana Whenua group and a Rangatahi group came together to deliberate and make recommendations for Porirua.

To Act

Recommendations from the Climate Assembly have been handed directly to local and regional decision makers and Porirua’s own Community Leaders’ Forum for action.

Timeline of The Porirua Assembly

Documents and Resources

The Porirua Assembly Toolkit is a practical guide documenting how a Tiriti-based citizens’ assembly on climate was designed and delivered in Porirua, centring Indigenous rights, child participation, and community-led deliberative democracy to produce inclusive, credible climate action recommendations.
View the Toolkit: Section 1>
View the Toolkit: Section 2>
The PCLF Operating Model outlines how the Porirua Community Leaders Forum functions to strengthen local connections and coordinate collective action by bringing diverse community leaders together, guiding shared priorities through stages of connection, action, alignment, support, and stewardship.
View the Porirua Leaders Operating Model >>
This report contains the final recommendations from the Porirua Te Tiriti-based Assembly on Climate. In the early parts of 2025, 100+ Porirua locals came together and spent 5 days, for around 8 hours at a time, addressing the question: “Learning to live in Porirua’s changing world together - How do we connect and respond as our climate changes?”
View the Assembly Recommendations >
These minutes record key discussions, reflections, decisions and emerging themes from Porirua Assembly sessions:
These minutes record key discussions, reflections, decisions and emerging themes from Mana Whenua sessions:
- Day 2
- Day 1

The expert sessions brought climate-relevant specialists together with assembly participants to share evidence, insights and diverse perspectives on key topics (e.g., health impacts, food systems, ecology, emergency management and institutional responses). They supported informed deliberation by grounding community discussion in expert knowledge and lived experience.
The Assembly Kaikōrero created space for mana whenua and community voices to speak openly from lived experience, values and tikanga.
- Kiritapu Allan
- Wahleah Johns
- Peter Barrett
- Eirenei Vailaau- Ah Kuoi
- Tom FitzGerald (Coming Soon)
Rangatahi were involved in the Assembly as active contributors. They were supported with dedicated resources and facilitation to participate meaningfully, share their perspectives, and influence discussions and recommendations, recognising their rights, lived experience, and stake in long-term climate outcomes.
- Rangatahi Resource Booklet
- Rangatahi Wānanga Waiata
IteThe Exhibition of Community-Based Initiatives document showcases a curated collection of local projects, programmes and ideas from Porirua residents, organisations and partners that contribute to climate action, wellbeing and resilience — highlighting community strengths, creativity and grassroots solutions alongside assembly deliberations and recommendations.
- View here