Tēnā koutou katoa,
This pānui comes to you in the middle of Youth Week 2026. This Youth Week our team were being hosted by Ngāi Tahu, and had the opportunity to hear from the team at Tokona Te Raki about their mahi scaling and activating hope with a toolkit going into 500 classrooms, and working alongside 70 civically engaged rangatahi from across the motu.
This week has certainly been a big one with our second kanohi ki te kanohi hui with the Tangata Whenua Forum here in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, with a three year work programme, Constellation engagement and meetings with government officials.
It is with a mix of pride and heavy hearts that we farewell our Kai Tūhono, Jess, after 18 months of being the absolute backbone of Hui E!, holding us, the Community Constellation, and the Tangata Whenua Forum together. Jess is off to a dream role coordinating local environmental kaupapa. Jess, we will miss the sunshine-in-human-form that you are. Haere pai atu, e hoa.
Finally, CNA hosted a political panel last week to give communities a direct line to political parties ahead of the election. MC Jehan Casinader rightly observed that the conversation was eerily cordial; “community” treated as a benign, uncontroversial topic that can be kept safely separate from the gritty realities of funding cuts and chronic underinvestment. But communities are not a polite sideshow. We will not settle for a model that thanks us for doing what the state can’t or won’t, while expecting us to do more and more with less and less. Watch for our Budget 2026 analysis at the end of next week.
Ngā mihi nui,
Katie and Patrick
PS. Some of you may have noticed that Katie is using a different surname now. She has gone back to using her birth surname of Boxall, so if you see that name instead of Bruce, you’ll know it’s the same Katie!
What Hui E! has been working on
New interactive map launched
We are excited to bring to you the first look at our newly launched interactive map of the Community Constellation – what we all do and how we are connected and collaborating. Please share this far and wide so that the supports for our sector are transparent and accessible.
Follow this link to view the map: https://www.huie.org.nz/community-constellation-sector-mapping/
Submission on proposed Policing Amendment Bill
Community resilience comes from being community-led and community-rooted. So does community safety. We recently submitted on the Policing Amendment Bill. Community organisations build trust every day with rangatahi and whānau who have reason to be wary of authority. This Bill makes that work harder by widening Police powers without fixing the equity problems already identified. Follow this link to read the submission: https://www.huie.org.nz/submissions/
Social Investment Agency update
Hui E! have been working at pace to secure a first up meeting with the Social Investment Agency’s new Chief Executive Brendan Boyle who has been in office less than a month.In the meantime, the new community-led commission pathway is open for expressions of interest, closing on 12 June: https://www.sia.govt.nz/social-investment-fund/pathway-three-community-commissioning. Watch your email inboxes for updates.
Impact of rising fuel costs on the community sector
We know that the fuel crisis is severely impacting the ability of community organisations and their volunteers to deliver essential services that keep New Zealand communities safe, healthy, and functioning. The Community Constellation has urge the Government to recognise these services as critical infrastructure requiring protection under Phase 3 of the National Fuel Response Plan. Follow this link to read the letter to the minister: https://www.huie.org.nz/submissions/
Katie Boxall on RNZ speaking about changes to the Lottery Committees
Lottery committees exist to return gambling proceeds to communities. Recently, Minister van Veldon announced the disestablishment of the specialist committees and a reduction in the number of regional committees with no consultation. Find out more in Katie’s RNZ interview. The Community Constellation has written to the Minister to express significant concerns, and while we await a response, Katie, Patrick and members of the Tangata Whenua Forum are meeting with the Chief Executive of the Department of Internal Affairs today.
To listen to the full interview follow this link: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019033519/community-groups-upset-at-changes-to-lottery-grants-board
