Te Manatū Waka - Ministry of Transport Te Manatū Waka

You may have noticed that our name and visual identity looks different. That’s because we’re now using our te reo name, Te Manatū Waka as well as our English name. ‘Te Manatū’ means 'The Ministry' and 'Waka' means ‘vessel’ so our Māori name clearly conveys our role as the Government’s system lead on transport.

 

We have an important role to play in the Crown-Māori relationship in all the work we do, and we recognise that this means a transport system that delivers for Māori. That’s why we developed Hei Arataki - the Ministry’s Māori Strategy(external link) - to ensure we understand how the transport system can better deliver for Māori, and how to act on it. Hei Arataki aims to improve transport outcomes for Māori and underscores our commitment to our Crown-Māori partnership responsibilities.

 

It is important that our ambition, as articulated through Hei Arataki, is reflected in our organisational culture, our work programmes and also our identity. We wanted our identity to proudly reflect the Ministry as a part of Aotearoa New Zealand, while delivering a transport system for all New Zealanders. To reflect this commitment, our refreshed visual identity and our naming protocol proudly places our te reo name front and centre, and affirms our role to improve transport outcomes for Māori, and with Māori.

 

Since it was established in 1968, The Ministry of Transport has been the Government’s system lead on transport. Our purpose is to enable New Zealanders to flourish, reflecting transport’s role in shaping our society, economy and environment. Today, that commitment remains as strong as it was over 50 years ago.