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The investment supports Tend Health’s acquisition of The Doctors, Green Cross Health’s medical division, comprising 65 medical clinics across New Zealand.
Nāti Growth joins Ngāi Tahu Holdings, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and Ahuahu Group, alongside other New Zealand investors in Tend Health, to support an important part of the country’s primary healthcare infrastructure.
For Nāti Growth, an important part of the investment is the opportunity to connect Ngāti Porou whānau with a healthcare model that is more accessible, flexible and increasingly digital.
Nāti Growth Chief Executive Henare Walker says Tend’s combination of physical medical centres and online healthcare services is particularly relevant for Ngāti Porou whānau, both on the East Coast and across Aotearoa.
“Healthcare is fundamental to the wellbeing of our whānau and communities, and access to primary care can be challenging for many of our people.
“For whānau living on the East Coast, distance, limited local services, severe weather and disruption to transport networks can make getting to a medical centre difficult.
“Tend’s model provides another option. Through its digital services, people can access healthcare online even where there is no Tend clinic nearby.”
Walker says the online model is also relevant because Ngāti Porou whānau live throughout the country.
“Our people live right across Aotearoa. Whether they are at home on the Coast or living elsewhere around the motu, Tend’s online services provide another way to access healthcare with some free of charge mental wellness support.
“For us, accessibility is important. It gives our whānau more choice about how they connect with healthcare and creates opportunities to explore how technology-enabled services could help address some of the particular access challenges faced by our communities on the East Coast.”
Walker says Nāti Growth will continue to explore opportunities through its relationship with Tend that could provide further benefits for Ngāti Porou.
“We see this as more than simply owning an interest in a healthcare business.
“It gives us a relationship with a provider that is developing new ways of delivering primary healthcare, and an opportunity to understand how those services could better support Ngāti Porou whānau over time.”
Alongside those potential healthcare benefits, the investment also has an important economic purpose.
For Nāti Growth, the investment aligns strongly with its Nāti 2050 strategy: strengthening and diversifying the long-term asset base of Ngāti Porou, generating sustainable commercial returns, and supporting distributions that enable the iwi to invest in the wellbeing, development and aspirations of its people.
Walker says investing in businesses with strong national footprints is an important part of building a resilient and diversified portfolio for Ngāti Porou.
“Building and protecting the asset base of Ngāti Porou for future generations is at the heart of our investment strategy.
“We look for quality businesses that can generate sustainable long-term returns and, where possible, create opportunities that also align with the needs and aspirations of our people.
Walker says the economic benefit of investments such as Tend ultimately comes back to Ngāti Porou.
“The returns generated from our investments contribute to the overall performance of the Ngāti Porou asset base and help support the annual distributions made back to the iwi.
“Those distributions support whānau, hapū and iwi priorities and contribute to the long-term development and aspirations of Ngāti Porou.
“Ultimately, we want our investments working hard for Ngāti Porou — generating returns that strengthen the iwi economically, while looking for opportunities that can also make a practical difference for our whānau.”
About Nāti Growth
Nāti Growth is the economic arm of Ngāti Porou, responsible for protecting and growing the commercial asset base of the iwi.
Its investment approach is focused on building a diversified and resilient portfolio capable of generating sustainable long-term returns and supporting distributions to Ngāti Porou, while identifying opportunities that align with the long-term aspirations of the iwi and its people.