In May and June 2022, Project Kāinga researchers Dr Stephen McTaggart and Dr Raaniera Te Whata conducted an online survey with members of the Tautoro community. We asked about the local environment and climate change and got many great responses on the attitudes and behaviours of the community.

What the tautoro community thinks about the climate crisis: our environment survey 2022
In May and June 2022, Project Kāinga researchers Dr Stephen McTaggart and Dr Raaniera Te Whata conducted an online survey with members of the Tautoro community. We asked about the local environment and climate change and got many great responses on the attitudes and behaviours of the community.
The results of the first Tautoro climate and environment action survey expressed a wide variety of views from a small sample size. Several recurring themes emerged, but key among them is the importance of water, its protection, availability and community access to it, with climate change already causing more severe droughts and floods in the region.
What next?
The data analysis is complete, and consideration of the implications of the findings is ongoing. The survey results will inform how the community focuses on their environment and adapts to change through a Tautoro Kāinga Plan.
Key to adaptation and how the community holistically responds to the challenges ahead is local leadership. An exploration of what and how a formal environmental advisory committee and leadership group for Tautoro ought to look like is underway, with community members playing a role in designing the framework. Meaningful participation in local resource management and collaborative partnerships of marae and tangata whenua with local governments and businesses are key mandates for this organisation.