Tēnā koutou katoa
Spring has arrived, bringing longer days and the promise of brighter gardens and plenty of activity around the villages. Thank you to everyone for welcoming the Community Managers into your homes as the tenancy inspections get underway. These visits are also a good opportunity to update us with your next-of-kin details, so we have the right information on hand if ever needed.
I’m pleased to announce that the Community Services Operations Manager position has been filled by an internal candidate, Mirela Sandhu. For those of you who currently have Mirela as your Community Manager, she will continue to support you until her replacement is appointed, which may take a couple of months.
It’s heartening to hear about the way villages with community spaces have been inviting other villages to shared presentations – such as the recent talks on avoiding banking scams – which are a great way to learn, knowledge share and get to know one another. With summer on the way, I encourage you to make the most of these opportunities, and don’t forget that the Haumaru BBQ is also available for all villages to use.
The International Day of Older Persons will be commemorated on 1 October. The United Nations established this day of recognition to honour the role of older people in society, highlight the opportunities and challenges of ageing populations, and promote policies that improve the wellbeing and inclusion of older individuals. In keeping with these ideals, I’d like to share this whakataukī: He rākau tawhito, e mau ana te taitea i waho rā, e tū te kohiwi / Though the outer parts may weaken, the heart remains strong. This reminds us of the enduring strength and guidance kaumātua bring to their whānau and communities. Many Local Boards will be holding community events to mark the occasion, so keep an eye on your village noticeboards for details.
Finally, we are currently busy preparing our Annual Report for our Annual General Meeting which will take place on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, from 4.00pm – 5.30pm, at the EMA (Employers and Manufacturers Association) offices, 145 Khyber Pass Road, Grafton. This meeting is open to the public, and we will be arranging two minivans for tenants who’d like to attend. If you would like a lift to the event, please call the Helpdesk to book your seat. For those who can’t make it, our Annual Report will be available on the Haumaru website after the meeting.
Wishing you all a bright and connected start to the spring months ahead.
Ngā mihi
Gillian Schweizer,
Chief Executive Officer
Tenants of Te Atatū’s Kaumātua Court were delighted to welcome the Waipareira health bus team who visited the village on 3 September, courtesy of Te Whānau o Waipareira. This mobile service offers free health checks, friendly advice and information on how to look after ongoing health needs. For the past 40 years, Waipareira have provided a range of free health, legal, housing and education services and support for whānau of all ages in West Auckland. The health bus will now be visiting the village every month, with the service also to be extended to all our West Auckland villages, making it easier for tenants to access regular health support close to home.
The village’s community hall provided a relaxed setting for the free check-ups.
Thanks to Manurewa High School and RaWiri Community House, our Leabank Court tenants are fortunate to receive frozen meals and other food items on a weekly basis – with the deliveries kindly made by Wiri’s Inverell Court resident, Les. The meals are prepared for students fresh each day by Manurewa High School in their on-site commercial kitchen, with any meals not used then frozen and passed on to RaWiri for community distribution. Les collects the meals and distributes them to Inverell and also shares them with Leabank Court. These meals have been especially helpful over the winter months when weather or illness may have restricted our tenants from going out to do their shopping. As well as filling the freezer, they help to bring people together even on the rainiest of days.
Les out and about helping to deliver the frozen meals and some happy customers in Leabank Court.
As part of our commitment to keeping you safe, Haumaru Housing is required under the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act to have either fire evacuation procedures or fire evacuation schemes in place for all villages.
We understand trial evacuations can sometimes feel disruptive, but they are an important safety measure. They will be run by specialist consultants working alongside our Community Managers and tenants. After each trial evacuation, FENZ and Haumaru Housing will review the reports and make any improvements needed. Your full cooperation helps us keep everyone safer.
Your safety is our top priority – thank you for working with us to ensure our villages remain safe for all.
Tenants of Beach Haven’s Lancaster Court doing their first six-monthly fire alarm drill
There are many ways people try to scam you out of your money, unfortunately. The scams might be online – through email, the internet and social media – or the scammers might come to your door or contact you by mail, phone or text. Putting a few security measures in place can help protect you from scammers – here are our Top 10 Tips:
The Government’s annual Cyber Smart Week runs from 6 - 12 October; visit www.ownyouronline.govt.nz for further advice on staying safe online.