I’m proud to be working alongside Simon Button (Deputy Chair) and the other board members Nada, Rangitahi, Peter and James for a two-year term. I’m looking forward to building on over 50 years of mahi to grow the mana of the profession in Aotearoa and ensure that the Institute generates value for all of our members.

First, a huge thank you to the outgoing board members. Debbie and John have been a dynamic and collaborative leadership duo over the last two years, leading the Institute through an important transitional phase as Tuia Pito Ora has moved ahead with the new management and governance structure. Alayna has provided strong leadership in matauranga maori, and strengthened our relationships with Ngā Aho and Te Tau-a-Nuku.

The new board will build on the considerable momentum and initiatives that have been established. We are guided by the Strategic Plan ‘Mahere Rautaki’ which defines the kaupapa, values and objectives of Tuia Pito Ora along with an annual plan of action. The strategy is supported by a Knowledge Growth Strategy that has been developed to help prepare practitioners to lead new areas of work like climate adaptation. This will help to direct CPD topics and wānanga themes. The Incorporated Societies Act 2022 has necessitated the drafting of a new Constitution—this has been a lot of work so far, but it’s nearly ready to be shared with members at a Special General Meeting later in the year.

The board is supported by the core management team of Angela, Abigail and Trina together with a couple of contractors and a huge amount of voluntary time and energy that you, our members, put in to help with things like CPD, wānanga, registration, awards, accreditation and the various working groups, panels and branch committees. The new management team has been in place for two years, during which time they have worked really hard to bed-in new structures and improve our processes. The team has often had to do more with less.

These are interesting times. We are facing some big changes and major challenges in the industry. Some issues are shared globally, but many are unique to Aotearoa’s landscape, political and economic context. The recession has been brutal, the worst in 50 years, with government agencies, local government and the private sector all cutting back, or holding back, on capital projects. On top of that, we seem to be caught in a constant state of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity in policy and planning frameworks while the effects of climate change continue to be felt across the country.

The recession is affecting members differently depending on the type of work you do, the type of clients you work for, where the work is based, what scale of business you work in and what stage of your career you're at. Of Tuia Pito Ora’s 650 members, 20% are sole traders, 30% work in small and medium sized practices, 40% are employed by large firms and the remaining 10% are students who are entering the profession at a volatile time. Everyone has different challenges, but it’s important at times like this that we stand together strongly, like the kahikatea.

This April, for the first time in my career, I was made redundant—after 18 years at Isthmus I was included in a restructure that downsized the studio. This has been quite a challenge, but one upside is that I have plenty of time to get behind my new role at Tuia Pito Ora. I’ll be attending the IFLA World Council and Congress in Nantes in September where “the city's innovative approaches to creating resilient urban districts, improving soil health, and developing urban biodiversity will serve as practical examples of landscape architecture's role in addressing major climate challenges”.

As a profession we have been through periods like this before, and we know we will come out of this stronger and more focussed on our kaupapa. In these challenging times it’s more valuable than ever for you to stay engaged with Tuia Pito Ora. From attending branch events, contributing to panels and working groups, submitting articles for Landscape Architecture Aotearoa, catching up with CPD and simply staying connected. Your input, energy and perspectives are what shape us.