Dr Joe Te Rito is of Ngāti Hinemanu descent from Ōmāhu out of Hastings. The community was devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle which flooded the whole community including over 100 houses, the marae, cemetery, school, and kohanga reo.

Hera Ngata-Gibson is of Te Aitanga a Hauiti people of Uawa (Tolaga Bay) on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand, and lives with her family in Anaura. Community and environmental advocate, Hera led the charge in calling for an independent inquiry into land use in the region after the devastation wrought by recent weather events. She is a member of Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti, a group which represents farmers, landowners and conservation workers seeking to change outcomes when adverse weather events occur in the region.

Willie Te Aho is from Raukokore in Te Whanau a Apanui where he lives. He is married to associate Professor Linda Te Aho of Ngati Koroki Kahukura and they have two sons and a mokopuna of 10 months – the new centre of his universe! Willie holds a BA, LLB and MBA. He worked on housing developments within Maori Affairs in the late 1980s and has established a number of papakaenga developments from the Waikato to the Bay of Plenty.

Shaun Awatere is facilitating this webinar. He is a member of the NPM research leadership team and works as a resource economist for Landcare Research. Shaun works to improve the incorporation of Mātauranga Māori into local government planning by developing the systems and processes that enable Māori values to be integrated into urban design and development.

Kelly represents the people of the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa General Ward on the Far North District Council. Her portfolio is housing and she sits on the Joint Climate Change Adaptation Committee and the Civil Defence Emergency Management Committee.

Meihana Watson is of Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāi Te Upokoiri descent and lives in the small rural community of Omahu. He is the current chairperson of Omahu Marae and the Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāi Te Upokoiri me ōna Piringa Hapū Authority Trust (Piringa Hapū). Meihana leads the charge in calling for Piringa Hapū to responded to the devastation left by Cyclone Gabrielle within the takiwā of the authority.