Nanaia Mahuta will be in Rotorua this week to officially open a national conference aimed at addressing the challenges that face kaumātua.

More than 200 kaumātua, iwi, service providers, research community and government agencies from throughout the motu are attending the 2019 National Kaumātua Service Providers Conference.

The conference theme is ‘Empowering Kaumātua Mana Motuhake', focusing on three streams - Health, Housing and Wellbeing. Hinerangi Edwards will MC the conference, while Paora Te Hurihanganui is hosting the conference dinner event.

Organising committee lead and Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust CEO, Rangimahora Reddy, says New Zealand, in line with global trends, faces a significantly increasing ageing population with forecasts for those aged 65 years and over, reaching up to 25.5 per cent by 2051.

She says the conference, which has been held for over a decade, is to support the kaumātua service provider sector to better serve kaumātua.

'We're privileged to have experts from fields that either serve, conduct research or develop policy instrumental to kaumātua wellbeing, independence and autonomy.

'At last year's conference, poverty, caring for mokopuna, homelessness, poor healthcare, loneliness, the importance of reo, tikanga and marae, were identified as areas kaumātua needed significant help to overcome. We'll be addressing these issues through workshops, panel discussions and presentations throughout the three-day conference.”

Speakers include Hon. Nanaia Mahuta, Hon Te Ururoa Flavell; Ministry of Health deputy director, General Health System Improvement & Innovation, Keriana Brooking; Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency chairperson, Cr Merepeka Raukawa-Tait; IronMāori CEO, Heather Te Au Skipworth; Te Puea Memorial Marae chairperson, Hurimoana Dennis; and University of Waikato professor, John Oetzel, and many more.

Returning for the second year is ‘The Great Debate' during the conference dinner [20 November]. The inter-generational challenge, pitting kaumātua against rangatahi, was a fun highlight of last year's event.

This year's topic is, ‘To Age or Not to Age Naturally', with the kaumātua side arguing against the affirmative. On the kaumātua team is John Maihi, Dr Laurie Morrison, Bev Gibson and Hata Temo. While representing rangatahi are Cr Fisher Wang, Te Mauri Kingi, Danielle Marks and Jimah Ruland-Umata.

The 2019 National Kaumātua Service Providers Conference is being held at Waiteti Marae on 19 November, before moving to Novotel Lakeside from November 20 to 21.

For more information go to www.2019nkspconference.com