Māori Forestry Leadership VET Framework

Originator/Sponsor: Food and Fibre CoVE

Portfolio Managers:Lilla du Toit

Status: Completed June 2025

Lead Agency/Service Provider: Tonkin + Taylor

Primary Objective(s):

Māori forestry is changing direction with substantial implications for vocational education and training (VET). Ngā Pou ā Tāne (NPAT), the national Māori Forestry Association, represents approximately 14,000 members, including Māori landowners and hapū/iwi, who have a vested interest in forestry. Earlier in 2025, Ngā Pou ā Tāne unveiled its first strategic plan, which outlined significant shifts in the Māori forestry sector. These changes are particularly relevant for VET, with substantial implications for forestry program content, learner outcomes, delivery methods, suitable providers, tutor expertise, in support of the new systems and processes necessary to support Māori forestry’s new direction. Māori leadership was viewed as a critical thread through these changes.

The primary objective for this project was to utilise the insights gained from desktop research and interviews of overseas indigenous nation representatives to enhance processes, systems, and programs that guide vocational education and training (VET) in leadership aligned with the new direction for Māori forestry. The project made a good start but funding constraints resulted in a reduced scope i.e. to publish the results of phase one: the findings from the desktop research and interviews.

Read the full report here.

​The above information was current as at 17 September 2025