Hauraki Opportunity

The Hauraki Opportunity is a multi-year project dedicated to understanding and improving the wellbeing of the communities across Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki, and Matamata-Piako districts.

Co-designed with the people who live, work, and whakapapa to the region, the project has created a robust, community-driven Wellbeing Measurement and Management System.

The Hauraki Opportunity is brought to you by the Waikato Wellbeing Project, in partnership with Te Tara o Te Whai and the people of Hauraki. Supporting partners include Hauraki District Council, Matamata Piako District Council, and Thames Coromandel District Council. This is by us, for us.

Public Launch: The Hauraki Opportunity research and results

The Hauraki Opportunity Findings Report is the result of data collected from almost 900 individuals across Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki, and Matamata-Piako District council areas from October 2024 - March 2025.

The survey, co-designed and co-constructed with community, asked questions about levels of capability, opportunity, and subjective wellbeing, across more than 78 different factors for the people of Hauraki.

Join us to hear about the project, and the results!

This 90-minute session has been designed to introduce the project and its findings to individuals and organisations working with and for the people of Hauraki, so that they are empowered to use them to best serve our communities.This session will cover:

Introduction to the Hauraki Opportunity project
Explanation of the approach, critical success factors, and limitations
Introduction to the Hauraki Opportunity Findings Report
Deep dive into key findings
Walk through of the components of the measurement system (tools available beyond the report), and how you might use them
Practical steps to utilise this research to support your mahi
Q&A

Hosted by Waikato Wellbeing Project Executive Director Harvey Brookes, this session will be presented by Huber Social CEO and Hauraki Opportunity co-lead Michelle Macaskill, and Huber Social Delivery Manager Pascarn Dickinson. Huber Social are social impact and wellbeing measurement experts; they facilitated the delivery of this research project.

Register Here

The Final Report: Key Insights for the Future

After extensive research and over 205 hours of direct survey input, the final 2024-2025 Wellbeing Baseline Report is now available. This report highlights what matters most to the people of Hauraki, providing valuable insights into:

Wellbeing patterns and challenges, such as physical health, mental health, and social division
Cultural and spiritual connections, with a focus on the Māori community’s experiences
Social and environmental issues, including climate action and emergency preparedness

The findings highlight significant opportunities for improvement in areas such as housing, accessibility, and employment, while showcasing the strengths of community connections and connection to nature.

The key findings of the research are:

Wellbeing patterns repeat across findings; older adults scored highest, while those with disability or mobility challenges consistently scored lowest.

Physical health is enduring across all measurement groups as a key area to improve what matters most, but barriers persist in accessing care services.

While respondents reported high frequencies of happiness, written responses indicated a range of wider issues negatively impacting mental health.

Māori had the strongest responses to questions around cultural and spiritual connection, but respect around cultural identity scored low across groups.

Social division in community was reported across a range of issues, with knock-on effects for community connection and feelings of safety.

Connection to nature was a strength across measurement groups, accompanying calls for more environmental and climate action, as well as more emergency preparedness support.

Structures and services around housing, accessibility, financial support, and job opportunities were key areas with opportunities to improve what matters most across groups.