Whakatūpato is a New Zealand Police-supported Firearms Safety Programme designed specifically for remote and rural communities and delivered by contracted Police trainers in partnership with iwi.
In Taumarunui, one of the many remote communities the programme is offered in, the Morero Marae attached to the Taumarunui Police Station plays a key part in the course by hosting its participants and instructors.
The community Marae was built with the station in 1996 and has tukutuku panels and whakairo (carvings) that represent the 13 Marae in the Taumarunui area.
A recent collaboration between Central District Arms Vetters and the Historical Files Support Team within the newly branded Te Tari Pūreke: Firearms Safety Authority sought to remove some of the backlog of applications that had come from the Taumarunui Whakatūpato programme over the past 12 months.
Central District Arms Manager Senior Sergeant Steve Field says there were a good number of people from this community stuck in the vetting queue, because of delays across the firearms licensing business due to high demand volume.
“The impact is that employment opportunities reliant on obtaining a firearms licence were being missed, as were legitimate opportunities to hunt and gather kai for many whānau,” says Steve.
Steve attended a pōwhiri at the Morero Marae last month with Māori Responsiveness Advisor Senior Sergeant Geoff Ryan and his Iwi Liaison team to see first-hand all the mahi put in at a local level by our people and the community.
“Police has partnered with the Te Awanui a Rua Charitable Trust who are passionate about enabling their community with training that leads to employment, as are we,” says Steve.
“We have a shared kaupapa and the Whakatūpato Programme is a real example of positive and powerful partnerships in action. Geoff and his team have been an essential part of this partnership, and I feel privileged to have been invited to the table to find solutions to ensure better outcomes for Ngāti Hauā whānau.
“The support for the course delivery from Anahera Hose, Director of the Trust, and her team is fantastic and something we are very grateful for – her drive to help her community is admirable.”
Anahera says the Trust’s relationship with New Zealand Police has created positive avenues within their Kaitiaki Firearms Licensing and Kaitiaki Kaimahi Programs.
“With the support of New Zealand Police and Police Iwi Liaison Officers, we have been able to accomplish getting many of our Kaitiaki students through a vetting process that was needed for our Kaitiaki to get their firearms license for employment - a process that was long and is now achieved for those to start work in December,” says Anahera.
“We look forward to the continuous relationship and assisting those who participate in our Kaitiaki Kaimahi programmes for sustainable education, licensing and employment.”
The Whakatūpato qualification is equivalent to the National Firearms Safety Course delivered by NZ Mountain Safety Council, as the Whakatūpato training programme covers the same requirements.
The training covers the fundamentals of firearms safety and handling and includes the same theory test as the National Firearms Safety Course.
The main goal is to ensure firearms users and the people around them are safe at all times. Course participants are also encouraged to apply for their New Zealand Firearms Licence if they don’t have one.
“The course is delivered with a Te Ao Māori lens, and it is often held on a marae or local shared space where students can feel more comfortable,” says Steve.