A word from our Board Chair - Zalene Douglas

He mihi nui ki a koutou katoa i runga i ngā ahuatanga o te wā

We are coming to the end of the 2016-2020 strategic plan that has guided Waka Ama NZ for the past four years.  From that plan we have seen growth and many important milestones achieved.  That is the purpose of the strategic plan; it enables us to set a course and then follow it and achieve new milestones.

I am excited by the draft strategic plan for 2021-2025 as it reflects several key priorities and opportunities.  I encourage you to read it and, if you have any feedback, please provide it either in writing via our feedback link or at one of the upcoming hui that will be taking place in your region soon.

I wish to acknowledge the work of the Board, Waka Ama New Zealand staff and the contribution of Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr and Rangimarie Parata Takurua.

Ngā mihi

Zalene Douglas 
Board Chair – Waka Ama New Zealand

A word from our Chief Executive – Lara Collins

Kia ora koutou,

I want to acknowledge those individuals, clubs, Regions and members who contributed to our current strategic plan (2016-2020), we have achieved a lot during this time and our sport has continued to grow and flourish throughout Aotearoa. We also acknowledge that our Sport would not be where it is today and none of this could have been achieved without the mahi and guidance from those who have come before us on this waka ama journey.

Over the past few months, the Waka Ama NZ Board with the support from Sport New Zealand, Hotu Barclay-Kerr, and Rangimarie Parata-Takurua have undergone the process of reviewing where our sport is at now and drafting a new Strategic Plan for Waka Ama in Aotearoa. This plan will help guide our sport from 2021 to 2025 and beyond.

The initial process involved gathering feedback and input  from our Waka Ama Clubs, Regions, paddlers and whānau via a survey where we asked you to tell us (amongst other things) what your dream for Waka Ama in Aotearoa is. This input was invaluable!
We then came together as an organisation onboard the Waka Hourua: Aotearoa One to brainstorm and share ideas, followed by several full-day hui and more recently meeting via zoom for further discussions.

The Waka Ama NZ Board has worked hard on this plan to reflect the input from our membership and plot a strategic course of our waka in today’s environment. We are now looking forward to sharing the Draft Plan with our membership and gathering feedback that can help us ensure we are on the right course. 

The Plan is now available on our website (see attached) and social media and we encourage everyone to read it, share it and provide us with any feedback via the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WANZStratPlanFeedback

Shortly we will email all member clubs and regions with the Draft Plan, we will also be asking Regions to selected from a range of dates where regions and clubs can join a zoom hui where we will present the draft plan, answer questions and gather feedback.

Please see below the timeline of the full consultation process

We hope that you enjoy reading the plan and like us, are excited by the possibilities that Waka Ama provides.

If you have any further questions or would simply like to email us your feedback directly, please don’t hesitate to email us [email protected]  

Ngā Mihi
Lara Collins
CEO – Waka Ama New Zealand

Strategic Plan Consultation Timeline:

Please see below the timeline of the full consultation process

How to give feedback on the plan:

The Plan is now available on our website and social media and we encourage everyone to read it, share it and provide us with any feedback via the following link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WANZStratPlanFeedback

Shortly we will email all member clubs and regions with the Draft Plan, we will also be asking Regions to selected from a range of dates where regions and clubs can join a zoom hui where we will present the draft plan, answer questions and gather feedback.

If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to email us [email protected]