Soltice Morrison appointed to Maori Advisory Group Taumata Arowai
Aurecon's Soltice Morrison joins Te Puna to advise The Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai on Māori interests and knowledge in water services.
Change your location to view content tailored for you.
Asia Pacific design, engineering and advisory company, Aurecon has appointed Soltice Morrison as Pou Rautaki Māori and Makaore Wilson as Pou Tikanga Māori to continue the development of the company’s cultural capability and partnerships with mana whenua Māori.
Ko te manu e peke kaupeka, nōna te ngahere,
Ko te kāhu e hāro ki re rangi, nōna te ao.
The bird that jumps onto the branch, his is the forest,
The bird that soars in the sky, his is the world.
Aurecon first launched it’s He Rautaki Māori strategy in 2022 to purposefully outline how the company intended to bring Māori values to life within the business and in its interactions with Māori and the community.
“We saw He Rautaki Māori as an evolving and transformative journey for us to build not only our internal cultural capabilities but also creating meaningful relationships with Māori and Iwi,” Aurecon’s Managing Director, Tracey Ryan said.
“Less than two years later I’m absolutely thrilled we are now taking the next steps in this transformative journey to further build our cultural capability and partner more meaningfully with mana whenua Māori,” Ryan continued.
Of Ngāti Whakaue and Ngāti Rereahu-Maniapoto, Morrison leads the implementation of Aurecon’s ‘He Rautaki Māori – Māori Strategy’ team. Weaving an understanding of te ao Māori into the tapestry of projects across the business, Morrison is here to drive transformational change in the company. With a diverse portfolio, having professional experience working as a Geologist, Contaminated Land Practitioner, and an Environmental Research Scientist – Morrison adeptly navigates both the technical and cultural complexities within her role.
In her time as Pou Rautaki Māori, Morrison has facilitated initiatives to uplift mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and capability across Aurecon, deepening Aurecon’s understanding of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and bi-cultural relations. She also works to actively address cultural bias in Aurecon’s policies and systems and drives meaningful partnerships to achieve broader outcomes.
“Guided by my tūpuna, I am dedicated to elevating Māori knowledge, dismantling cultural biases and forging meaningful partnerships so that everyone can thrive,” Morrison said.
Furthermore, Morrison is determined to embed te ao Māori values and address underrepresentation in the sector, leading programmes such as Aurecon’s Māori Cadetship scheme and STEM workshops in kura (schools) while enhancing team capabilities for authentic engagements with Māori.
“I am excited to be working alongside Wilson in his role as Pou Tikanga. Makaore Wilson brings the skills to guide authentic relationships with te iwi Māori and brings a deep understanding of te reo Māori (Māori language) and tikanga Māori (Māori customs and protocols). Aurecon is fortunate to be under the korowai of Wilson’s leadership, and together under ‘He Rautaki Māori – Māori Strategy’ I believe we can achieve transformational change while guiding the business in a culturally safe space,” Morrison said.
He uri whakaheke a Wilson o Te Āti Awa, o Ngāi Tahu, o Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō. Ahakoa te kaupapa he Māori tana tirohanga atu. Ki ōna whakaaro, he painga mā tātou katoa i te whakaaro Māori me te ao Māori.
Makaore Wilson traces his whakapapa to Te Āti Awa, Ngāi Tahu, and Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō. Within all contexts, Wilson brings a te ao Māori lens to his work and believes everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand can find beneficial outcomes from these teachings.
Onboard to lead and advise around tikanga Māori (protocols) and engagement with te iwi Māori, Wilson comes with an extensive knowledge in the Aotearoa New Zealand education sector.
In more recent years Wilson worked as a professional development facilitator in pedagogy, Māori cultural development, te reo Māori, and digital fluency, while working alongside the Manaiakalani Education Trust.
“I am excited about my new role with Aurecon and the chance to apply my skills and experience to a stimulating and receptive company. My top priority is to lead, support and develop all aspects of te ao Māori for Aurecon to ensure that we continue to strengthen relationships with hapū, iwi, Māori communities, Māori business, and other key stakeholders,” Wilson said.
During his time with the Trust, Wilson led the digital fluency programmes for immersion education. He worked with NZQA (New Zealand Qualification Authority) around Māori immersion assessments and advised the embedding of mātauranga Māori and principles into the Digital Technologies curriculum.
As part of his extensive experience in this sector, Wilson taught as a Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour, and as a reo Māori kaiako (teacher) working predominately with learners aged 11 to 13 years of age (years 6,7,8).
Here to work with ‘He Rautaki Māori’ in cultural capability and te reo Māori, Wilson offers a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role and to the wider business.
“I am looking forward to collaborating with Morrison and supporting colleagues on ‘He Rautaki Māori’ to continue to build cultural capability across Aurecon to help the leadership team in achieving best outcomes,” Wilson said.
Group Director, Brand, Marketing & Communications
Aurecon's Soltice Morrison joins Te Puna to advise The Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai on Māori interests and knowledge in water services.
Aurecon's Tim Watterson earned ICE Fellowship for leadership in major internationally recognised infrastructure projects like NCTIR.
Sarah Ropata, Aurecon's Engagement and Change Advisory, joined the International Association for Public Participation Australasian Board of Directors.
