Becoming Āpōpō

Becoming Āpōpō
Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals

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Org Name FAQs

Last updated 12 May 2023

What is the new legal name for IPWEA NZ?

Answer

Our organisation was formed in 1948 as the New Zealand Institute of County Engineers and has been known by a number of legal names since. The Board recommended the following new legal name for our organisation which was approved by members at a SGM on 11 May:

Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals Incorporated

What will the new brand look like?

Answer

Work is continuing on our rebrand, including how Āpōpō can be used, together with the recommended legal name. We anticipate launching our new brand and identity at our Inspiring our Next Generation | Te Whakaohooho i ngā Rangatira o Āpōpō conference in Rotorua 21-23 June 2023.

Why is Āpōpō not part of the recommended legal name?

Answer

The Board has taken particular care in developing both the new legal name, and the brand.  For SGM purposes, the Board recommended the legal name while indicating to members the preferred brand identity is Āpōpō. Completing the associated brand and identity work to fully represent our organisation requires some additional time.

What does Āpōpō mean?

Answer

Āpōpō means tomorrow …and so much more. Āpōpō acknowledges that we have come from the past to the present, and are raising our gaze to the future for not only ourselves but for our next generations. For infrastructure asset management professionals, looking past the immediacy of tomorrow to ensure our rangatahi thrive is the motivation for striving for excellence.

Looking after tomorrow is what makes our organisation critically different and valuable. Building a stronger, more sustainable, more resilient future for everyone. But the word Āpōpō has far more depth and resonance in te ao Māori. Āpōpō is a challenge and an inspiration to plan better, to see longer, to have a future focus and to think sustainably for our children and our children’s children.

Āpōpō is our why.

Why was Āpōpō chosen?

Answer

Āpōpō is an inspiring word, full of the promise of our future. It is different to our peer organisations such as Water New Zealand or IPWEA. It is te reo Māori and therefore represents one of the two Te Tiriti partners through language.

I expected a Māori name, but not this.

Answer

Āpōpō may be unexpected. The name Āpōpō and the culture behind it provides an intrinsic blessing and warmth to its users. With a little patience, the word grows on you, it becomes comfortable, and its depth of meaning begins to reveal itself. Change can be disruptive, but can also create new opportunities and a sense of belonging as you begin to know its meaning and mana. Over time, Āpōpō will be associated with infrastructure asset management professionals throughout Aotearoa New Zealand – it will be part of our belonging and will form part of our DNA.

How was Āpōpō chosen?

Answer

An expert brand firm, Dick&Jane, was engaged to assist the Board to select a new name. The Board appointed a representative panel which included Board members, Staff, Corporate Partners, and Māori members to work closely with Dick&Jane on identifying a new name. Working collaboratively, Dick&Jane and the panel considered a range of options before preparing a recommendation for the Board.

Who chose Āpōpō?

Answer

The representative panel joined the full Board to consider the recommended name Āpōpō. With 20 in the room for this process, there was first constructive debate, quickly developing into a genuine consensus that Āpōpō was an inspiring, uplifting, and engaging name. Some members may find it interesting that a similar process and representative involvement was used in the early 2000’s to select the organisation’s former trading name INGENIUM.

What options for a name were considered?

Answer

Dick&Jane prepared a wide range of possible names for consideration. Examples included Halo, Tomorrow, Future, Macro, Living, Kaitiaki, Tahi, Assets Aotearoa, Rawa Whakahaere Aotearoa, and Sustainable Asset Management. A range of criteria were used to consider the possibilities, including, uniqueness, memorability, enduring relevance, appropriate use, meaning, focus, warmth, personability, breadth, connection, etc.

Why don’t we just have a name that says ‘what’s in the box’?

Answer

We want to stand out. We want to take a different path that is authentically derived from our Te Tiriti partnership. For our name, we could be the same as others, such as IFME, SAAMA, CNAM, IPWEA, or APWA and create an acronym or string of letters derived from our activity. But we want our brand to be memorable, warm, personable, inclusive, inspirational, enduring, and something that will come to represent exactly our purpose.

How do I say Āpōpō?

Answer

The macrons above the vowels in the word Āpōpō lengthen the sound of each letter. Like much of te reo Māori, the sounds are soft and rounded.

Say: Ah-paw-paw

You can listen to the word here.

You might recognise the sound pō from the pronunciation of Taupō – Toe-paw.

Will Āpōpō stand the test of time?

Answer

Choosing a name for an organisation can be a challenging undertaking. In the last 75 years, our organisation has been known by four different names – New Zealand Institute of County Engineers, Association of Local Government Engineers New Zealand, INGENIUM, and Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia New Zealand Division. Your Board has recommended Āpōpō after an extensive and deliberate process to find a name that takes ownership of our space as the organisation that represents New Zealand’s infrastructure asset management professionals. The express ambition is that Āpōpō takes us to our centenary in 2048.

Does Āpōpō need to be gifted by Iwi/Hapu?

Answer

Often a name in te reo Māori will be only adopted by an organisation if it is formally gifted to it by relevant Iwi/Hapu. This is when the gifted name is in honour of a place or person or treasure that is of significance to the Iwi/Hapu. In the case of Āpōpō, the word is a common, widely used te reo Māori word, not associated with any thing owned by or precious to any Iwi/Hapu. Cultural advice offered by Kaumātua familiar with our organisation and our own Māori members as part of our reference group has indicated that Āpōpō is not a name that requires gifting.

Will Āpōpō be blessed by Iwi/Hapu?

Answer

We are part way through the process of rebranding our organisation. Selecting our name is an important step which will be followed by the development of our visual identity (together our brand). We anticipate that an appropriate blessing of our brand will occur with its launch on the last day of our conference Inspiring our Next Generation | Te Whakaohooho i ngā Rangatira o Āpōpō in Rotorua on 23 June 2023.

Is it a coincidence that Āpōpō forms part of the 2023 Conference name in te reo Maori?

Answer

Actually yes! The te reo Māori name for our Inspiring our Next Generation conference, Te Whakaohooho i ngā Rangatira o Āpōpō, was established last year, well before Āpōpō was considered as a possible name for our organisation. We were quite happy when the coincidence was recognised though.

Why wasn’t Āpōpō part of the member and stakeholder survey?

Answer

To make a definitive shift in the perception of our organisation the Board and Branding Reference Group worked with branding experts Dick&Jane. This work took into account the views of Māori members, Corporate Partners, members, and staff. However, this group, together, recognised that Āpōpō on its own required further positioning, even though there was excitement at the depth of meaning conveyed by the word. The Board requested that member and stakeholder views be sought on what that further positioning could be, in order to provide context for our name and to fully express our purpose.

What did the survey show?

Answer

Asked “how you would like our future selves understood”, over 100 survey respondents indicated that the words infrastructure management and asset management were important. The standard to which our work is done was also considered important, such as by professionals or to achieve excellence.

Describing ourselves as from New Zealand was supported, although the use of Aotearoa was less so. Phrases including the future or tomorrow were less well supported.

If future and tomorrow were not popular in the survey, why has Āpōpō been chosen?

Answer

A simple translation of Āpōpō is “tomorrow”. However, its use in te reo Māori is much deeper than the literal meaning. Āpōpō conveys both the day and the night (the night after tomorrow) and therefore balance between all things. Such balance is consistent with our initiative to embrace the knowledge and expertise of both Te Tiriti partners. Āpōpō is about the future, with a sense of optimism and responsibility. All these deeper meanings lift the word high, from the literal to the representative. Representative of infrastructure asset management professionals.

How were the survey results used?

Answer

The survey results informed the legal name that was recommended to members at the 11 May 2023 Special General Meeting. The Board carefully considered all the feedback received and balanced this against the objectives of rebranding.

How does the new name respect our past?

Answer

Since 1948 we have changed with the times to meet the needs of our members, stakeholders and communities. We began with local government and public works origins and have grown into broader areas of infrastructure and asset management. Our whakapaka will travel with us into the future and will always be honoured. Āpōpō implies the past, present and future, and will help us to remember where we have come from as we chart the course of where we are going to.

Who is Dick&Jane?

Answer

Dick&Jane are expert brand consultants engaged to assist our organisation to rebrand. The firm’s principles, Olivia (Jane) Swinn and Paul (Dick) Johnson are personally responsible for some of New Zealand’s most recognisable brands, including the silver fern of Qualmark, the Spark star, Engineering New Zealand’s butterfly and Wonder Project, Mercury Energy’s bee, and recently ACE New Zealand’s quote mark.

NZ approach to member communications

Answer

The New Zealand Board committed to providing our members with a full account of its decisions and ensuring that members are very well informed with accurate transparent information to support the recommended SGM resolution. Video clip discussions, online information and discussion sessions and hui, FAQs, direct emails, a member and stakeholder survey, invitations for submissions, and one to one discussions with the NZ President, Vice President and CEO were all part of the New Zealand programme of communications.

What are the objectives of rebranding?

Answer

Over the last two years the Board has been considering how best to meet the future needs of our members and stakeholders. Through this work, two fundamentals crystallised:

The identity we use for our organisation needs to reflect our purpose; and
Our organisation needs to honour both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We exist to represent, develop and enhance the infrastructure asset management profession for Aotearoa. Demonstrating an inclusive and authentic organisation for all of Aotearoa that reflects Te Tiriti partnership, and promotes the best of both treaty partners’ knowledge as the standard to aspire to, is critical for a successful professional body in 2023 and beyond.

Please explain the full name.

Answer

By law, the legal name of an incorporated society must include the word “Incorporated”. Each word in the new legal name has been carefully analysed and purposely chosen. The following presents that full analysis.

In selecting a full-name for our organisation, the following elements were separately and collectively considered for how they could be best conveyed by the selected words:

Where we are from
Relationship to Te Tiriti partnership
Balance of te reo Māori and English
Recognisable from New Zealand and global perspectives
Describes why we do what we do
Describes what we do
Describes what we do it to
Describes who does it
Describes how we do it
Minimises length and complexity

Where we are from

Answer

Āpōpō, by being te reo Māori, takes away the need to refer explicitly to Aotearoa or New Zealand for the New Zealand audience. For our global audience for whom Āpōpō will not automatically associate with New Zealand, knowing what we do is (arguably) more important than where we are from.

Relationship to Te Tiriti partnership

Answer

The selection of Āpōpō, through the use of te reo Māori, signals that the Te Tiriti partnership with Māori is being recognised through our name. The story behind the word (lifting our gaze beyond tomorrow) goes further in recognising maturanga Māori and Te Ao Māori as being valuable contributors to best practices in Aotearoa infrastructure asset management.

Balance of te reo Māori and English – and being recognisable

Answer

Having selected Āpōpō, an English descriptor balances the name, so as to represent both Te Tiriti partners.

In New Zealand, Āpōpō is readily recognised as being from New Zealand. Even if the meaning of the word is not known, it will be assumed to be or known to be te reo Māori and therefore from New Zealand.

However, the meaning of Āpōpō may not be recognised globally, an English descriptor is necessary to understand what the organisation is. This will be relevant for many in New Zealand as well.

Describes why we do what we do

Answer

Āpōpō clearly describes our why. We do what we do, often using what has been done before us, for not only today, but for our future generations too.

Describes what we do, what we do it to, who does it, and how we do it

Answer

The remaining English based descriptor is the opportunity to clearly and succinctly describe our what, who and how. Being able to convey all this information in a single phrase should complete the explanation of our purpose through our name.

Particularly the how we do it criteria enables us to distinguish our organisation from being a business and be recognisable as a professional or industry body.

Option analysis

Answer

Three phrases gained virtually equal support through a member and stakeholder survey that was open from 27 March to 17 April 2023.

Name (italics: surveyed phrase)	Āpōpō New Zealand Infrastructure Management	Āpōpō Asset Management Professionals	Āpōpō Infrastructure Asset Management
Why we do it	Yes – Āpōpō	Yes – Āpōpō	Yes – Āpōpō
Where we are from	Yes – NZ	No	No
Relationship to Te Tiriti	Yes – te reo	Yes – te reo	Yes – te reo
Balanced and recognisable	Yes – te reo and English	Yes – te reo and English	Yes – te reo and English
Why we do it	Yes – Āpōpō	Yes – Āpōpō	Yes – Āpōpō
What we do	Yes – Management	Yes – Management	Yes – Management
What we do it to	Yes – Infrastructure, but excludes non-built assets	Yes – Assets but includes financial assets	Yes – Infrastructure Assets
Who does it	No	Yes – professionals	No
How we do it	No	Yes – professionally	No


Perfect?	No	No	No

None of the surveyed phrases exactly achieve all the criteria. Obviously, these phrases can be combined to meet all the criteria, however that becomes bulky and intrusive – much like the string of words we currently use as our name.

The keywords identified are:

Āpōpō
New Zealand
Infrastructure
Asset
Management
Professionals

Length and complexity

Answer

To simplify the key word list, length and complexity was considered.

Where we are from

Answer

We do not need to have in our legal name “New Zealand” to be clear about where we are from. Āpōpō is clearly from New Zealand for a New Zealand audience. We are incorporated in New Zealand and operate here.

However not stating New Zealand is a compromise for the global audience. We will likely need to take the opportunity to explain ourselves further when engaging globally.

What we do and who does it

Answer

Management is what we do and professionals are who do it. To avoid using both words, “managers” could be used to cover both the what and who elements. However, this compromises the inference of how we do it, ie professionally, and also leaves a potential name being mistaken for a business rather than the member organisation that we are. Professionals infers a standard of behaviour and expertise, as well as a group that is unlikely to be a commercial business.

What we do it to

Answer

The survey showed a strong debate between the appropriateness of either asset or infrastructure. Arguments for and against the scope of each word in relation to the work our members all have merit.

Infrastructure is a crowded market (Infrastructure Commission, Infrastructure New Zealand), but so is Asset Management (Institute of Asset Management, Asset Management Council). ISO55000 refers to asset management, but the IIMM is an infrastructure management manual.

To differentiate ourselves in this crowded market, both words were found to be necessary to fully describe what we apply management to.

Will my membership continue with IPWEA (Aust) or with Āpōpō?

Answer

Your membership of Āpōpō will continue into the 2023/24 membership year as the legal entity of the organisation does not change, only the name. You or your organisation will soon receive an invoice from Āpōpō dated 1 July 2023 for your member subscription fees for the 2023/24 year, which will be due for payment by 20 July 2023. Subscription rates for 2023/24 will be the same as they have been since 2019/2020.

Your membership of IPWEA via IPWEA NZ will end on 30 June 2023.

Why will my membership of IPWEA (Aust) end on 30 June 2023?

Answer

In February 2023 IPWEA NZ provided notice to IPWEA that the Memorandum of Understanding that acknowledged the New Zealand organisation as a Special Division of IPWEA would end on 30 June 2023. A Special Divisions’ members are, under the Australasian constitution, members of the Australasian organisation. From 1 July 2023, Āpōpō will not be a Special Division and therefore Āpōpō members will no longer automatically be IPWEA members.

What happens if my Āpōpō member subscription is not paid by 20 July 2023?

Answer

The Āpōpō Board will consider whether members with overdue subscription fees for the 2023/24 membership year will forfeit their membership in September 2023.

Why is there a grace period for payment of member subscription fees?

Answer

We recognise that, on a case-by-case basis, arranging payment for member subscription fees can take a period of time, particularly for corporate organisations.

Rebrand FAQs

Last updated 12 May 2023

What are the benefits of rebranding?

Answer

By rebranding (new name, new logo, new brand) we will claim a new identity for our organisation that:

genuinely reflects our purpose
sets us up to demonstrate Te Tiriti partnership
creates a differentiated future and
refocuses our organisation on our members and stakeholders

We will be better understood by those with accountability for managing our communities’ infrastructure assets as the authoritative voice for infrastructure asset management for Aotearoa. We will be better recognised by infrastructure asset management practitioners within New Zealand as their organisation – the place where they can turn to for professional development, networking, best practice, and advocacy on their behalf. We will be better recognised globally for our leading infrastructure asset management practices.

What will the changes mean for me as a member?

Answer

These changes will see IPWEA NZ take a new name and logo. Our website will take on a new look while maintaining all its existing functionality. You will continue to receive our communications informing you of networking, learning, and advocacy opportunities. Unless you separately join IPWEA as a member of that organisation, from 1 July 2023 you will not receive further communications from IPWEA about member matters, although you may continue to receive general communication as a subscriber to their email lists.

What has changed to make this move necessary now?

Answer

Our collective understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, integration of Te Reo Māori in our day to day language, and recognition of Māori based knowledge not currently being widely used, are all indicators of how New Zealand has changed since 2013. Being a part of IPWEA has been a critical stage in our organisation’s long history. However it is a stage that we are now ready to move on from to grow further in our own direction.

Why make these changes now with so much disruption and reform underway in our sector?

Answer

With change comes change. It is critical that your professional body adapts to changes in our environment so that we are on point and relevant to the organisations that rely on our presence through their own change processes. However, we don’t just want to keep up with change, we aim to lead our sector through change and navigate a course that supports our members and our industry to thrive in these times.

Why do we want to make this change now?

Answer

The Board has been considering these changes for some time but wanted to understand fully the opportunities and available alternatives before bringing it to all members. The Board is now comfortable that the opportunities to grow our organisation and strengthen our presence will be best achieved by re-establishing our unique identity through a new name and brand. Having reached these conclusions, the processes to implement the changes have now been initiated, with the first step being to change the legal name of the organisation.

Why should I support these changes?

Answer

After careful and deliberate consideration, the Board unanimously recommended to all members that they support changing the legal name of our organisation. Doing so, we believe, is in the best interest of members, as well as our wider stakeholders, and will best support our objectives to represent, develop and enhance the public asset management profession for Aotearoa. Our Board consists of six representatives and the President, as elected by all members, five Branch Chairs elected by members of their branch, and one co-opted member.

Why Infrastructure Asset Management?

Answer

Infrastructure Asset Management is our discipline that is all about the people who look after infrastructure assets and services, and the communities for whom those infrastructure assets and services are provided for. Our organisation focuses on infrastructure asset management services, skills, techniques, disciplines, and a related body of professional knowledge. ISO55000 is the Asset Management standard we align our best practice guidance to and applies to all types of assets, including infrastructure.

Why are we focused on Infrastructure Asset Management and not the entirety of Public Works?

Answer

New Zealand has been viewed internationally as a leader in infrastructure asset management for a sustained period. Our strengths lie in this area and we want to focus on what we are good at. Perhaps uniquely to New Zealand, public works has an association with the practices of an era where the Public Works Act facilitated both economic growth and deprivation. Further, infrastructure asset ownership has changed – public works of the 20th century are no longer necessarily owned by the public – eg telecommunications, electricity, roading, etc. We believe that New Zealand has evolved past the concept of public works and that infrastructure asset management is a much more inclusive and relevant term for what we do.

Why has the Board decided to no longer be a special division of IPWEA?

Answer

The Board is future focused on representing and supporting New Zealand’s infrastructure asset managers to strive for excellence in their work for their communities. We believe that this will best be accomplished with a unique brand that reflects our purpose and which integrates the best knowledge and practices within the Te Tiriti partnership – so as to reflect the Aotearoa of today and tomorrow. Our current association with IPWEA and use of our current brand no longer supports this focus.

Why is IPWEA considered no longer a good fit for our organisation?

Answer

As a professional association for Aotearoa we need to reflect the unique cultural partnership established by Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We believe that being able to focus on this through an identity that reflects both our purpose and Te Tiriti partnership is best achieved by no longer being perceived as part of another organisation. Although the IPWEA structure allows divisions to operate independently within the federated framework, we believe not being constrained at all is necessary to best meet our organisations’ objectives.

Will we still have a relationship with IPWEA?

Answer

We intend to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with IPWEA and have invited discussion with them on how our future relationship could be developed. Work on this is expected to be ongoing.

Should we have stayed as Ingenium in 2013 instead of merging with IPWEA?

Answer

No. Our association with IPWEA over the last decade has been valuable to both the New Zealand and Australian organisations. Financial viability and organisational stability that was questionable in 2013 has been addressed with now strong organisations on both sides of the Tasman. Collaboration in that time on the IIMM has seen it move to being online and continuously updated. The exchange of learning opportunities and the variety of professional development available through our organisations has been valuable to members.

Will we lose economies of scale by not being a Special Division of IPWEA?

Answer

In 2013, leveraging economies of scale, international connections, sharing professional development programmes and gaining critical mass were all strong drivers for merging with IPWEA. Those historic scale benefits have now changed. Today, technologies have changed our operating environment. International and local connection is simpler through video calls, back-office administration is paperless and mostly automated, and online learning is the norm. We have successfully developed our Digital Badge learning programme which will soon cover 30 micro-credential courses focused on infrastructure asset management skills and knowledge. These changes have allowed us to strengthen our support for New Zealand members while building our organisational resilience and viability.

Will rebranding cost a lot?

Answer

Rebranding is a significant investment in the future of our organisation. By investing in our future, we believe we will be better placed to grow our membership base, improve our advocacy effectiveness, expand our professional development capacity and toolsets, and be the trusted voice for infrastructure asset management professionals. Without investment in our brand these aspirations may not be achieved or will be limited or compromised.

Can we afford to make these changes?

Answer

Net members funds at 30 June 2023 are forecast to be about $400K after allowing for rebranding operating costs (cf net member funds at 31 March 2013 $87K). The organisation is in a stable and maintainable financial position with appropriate operating reserves for our activity and commitments, including rebranding.

What will the new name be?

Answer

The selected name recommended to members by the Board was advised to members on 27 April 2023 in the formal Notice of Special General Meeting which was held on 11 May 2023.

What will the new brand or logo be?

Answer

Work to develop a new brand or logo for our organisation is continuing following the SGM on 11 May 2023. Our new brand and logo will be launched on the closing day of our 2023 Conference: Inspiring our Next Generation – Te Whakaohooho i ngā Rangatira o Āpōpō 21-23 June in Rotorua, ready for it to be in use from 1 July 2023.

What will happen to my Digital Badge credentials?

Answer

If you have completed one of our Digital Badges, the record of your achievement is held in your personal Learning Vault account. The name of the issuer is IPWEA NZ and this will not change.  Digital Badges issued after the name change will be in the new name.

What will happen to my access to the IIMM?

Answer

From 1 July 2023, if you hold a current subscription, you will continue to access the IIMM from the Australian IPWEA website as you do now.

What will happen to my Professional Certificate in Asset Management Planning?

Answer

Certifications obtained by completing IPWEA courses, such as the Professional Certificate in Asset Management Planning are not affected by the changes to IPWEA NZ. Your IPWEA issued qualifications remain personal to you.

What content will change in the IIMM?

Answer

The IIMM will continue to be developed by our organisation and IPWEA to be current and up to date.

A project to develop guidance that reflects Te Ao Māori, Matauranga Māori, Tikanga, Te Mana o Te Wai and related knowledge, experience and expertise will commence from July 2023. We anticipate working groups will be called to consider this material, including how best practice guidance is expressed and delivered with respect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi . This work will be overseen by our NAMS Special Interest Group. Creating such guidance in full will take some time.

Are we allowed to develop our own guidance alongside IIMM?

Answer

Yes. IPWEA NZ currently co- owns the intellectual property in the IIMM with IPWEA.

We will be developing guidance for Aotearoa that is separate to IIMM, to be hosted on our New Zealand platform, in order to meet the needs of and be directly relevant to infrastructure asset managers specifically in Aotearoa.

Are we considering international best practice?

Answer

Yes. Taking a uniquely Aotearoa identity will help us to build a range of valuable relationships with peer organisations around the globe. We intend to invest in and strengthen our direct relationships with organisations like the American Public Works Association, Canadian Network for Asset Management, and the International Federation of Municipal Engineers, alongside IPWEA and others.

How will we keep up with changes in international best practice?

Answer

To advance our thinking and inform our practices we will be seeking to make the best guidance in infrastructure asset management practice from a wide range of global sources available to our members and stakeholders here in Aotearoa. This may involve new relationship agreements as well as strengthening existing ones to bring global best practice to New Zealand. We also want to blend this with the best of Aotearoa itself, including Te Ao Māori and Matauranga Māori knowledge and expertise – creating a unique ‘best for Aotearoa’ set of guidance and development material for our local practitioners.

Will we be respected internationally?

Answer

Yes. As in many areas, Kiwis are looked to as innovators and leaders internationally and we will be seeking to leverage this profile to support relationships with our international peers. It may be that, over time, international jurisdictions addressing first nation and indigenous people’s rights in the context of infrastructure asset management, look to the then body of support available from Aotearoa and how this knowledge was developed through co-design. This would be something we would be proud to share so as to positively enhance such practices globally.

Is it the right time to shift our organisation to be reflective of Te Tiriti partnership?

Answer

Yes. Resetting our organisation to reflect the Te Tiriti partnership is integral to our commitment to strengthen the effective practice of infrastructure asset management in Aotearoa. Your Board is not interested in token gestures of Te Tiriti acknowledgement. The Board is committed to authentically being an organisation that reflects Te Tiriti partnership because it is right, respectful, and will lead us on a path towards serving all communities across Aotearoa with infrastructure asset management that achieves a level of otherwise unattainable excellence.

Why were separate hui held for our Māori members?

Answer

An equal opportunity was created for our Māori members to attend a series of online hui to korero about the changes. European centric decision-making structures, such as voting, are not part of tikanga or tradition for Māori. It is important that our Māori members are provided the opportunity to acknowledge tikanga through collective korero (discussion). A separate hui is an example of a practical approach to demonstrating Te Tiriti partnership.

Have our Māori members been part of these changes?

Answer

We are the beginning of this journey to authentically reflect Te Tiriti partnership. An initial rebranding working group of Board members and staff has been joined by a small group of Māori members and staff to jointly make rebranding recommendations to the Board. This process has been invaluable in bringing the voice of both Treaty partners to the table. In support of this, four Hui for Māori members during April and May provided opportunity for these members to discuss the changes together before the SGM.

Why might IPWEA be writing to me about this matter?

Answer

By way of a 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), supported by a further MoU in 2017, IPWEA NZ is a Special Division of IPWEA. As a Special Division, members of the IPWEA NZ organisation are also recognised under the IPWEA Articles of Association as members of IPWEA. The Board has provided notice to IPWEA of termination of the 2013 and 2017 MoUs effective 30 June 2023 and therefore notice of withdrawal as a Special Division. Until that date you remain a member of IPWEA and IPWEA may contact you in that capacity.

What will my membership renewal look like for 2023/24 and how much will it cost?

Answer

Your annual membership renewal for 2023/2024 will be sent to you after the SGM and will highlight that the name of the organisation will change with effect from 1 July 2023. Membership fees will remain the same as for the 2022/2023 year.

were we asked to vote on leaving IPWEA?

Answer

No. No longer being a Special Division of IPWEA was a decision that the Board took after very careful consideration. Members were asked at the SGM to support an amendment to our constitution that changes the organisation’s legal name from IPWEA NZ to its new name.

What were the consequences of not approving the name change?

Answer

If the Special General Meeting failed to approve the changes, the IPWEA NZ name would have remained unchanged. A further SGM to consider the matter again or seeking permission from IPWEA to continue using the IPWEA name and brand from 1 July 2023 would have been considered.

Please clarify if all members were welcome at the Discussion and Information Sessions, but only Māori were welcome at the Hui.

Answer

Yes, all members were welcome at the sessions. Our Māori members only were welcome at the hui. The sessions and hui were based on the same content, although with different participants the conversations that flowed were different.

Will there be a new legal entity or new organisation following the name change?

Answer

The incorporated society that all members belong to has been in continuous existence since 1948. This legal entity has undergone a number of name changes over that time to best suit the circumstances of the time. Following this name change, our incorporated society will continue uninterrupted as the same legal entity and same organisation, as it has for 75 years.

Becoming Āpōpō

Becoming ĀpōpōInfrastructure Asset Management Professionals

Org Name FAQs

Rebrand FAQs

Becoming Āpōpō
Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals