As Principal Māori Design Advisor at Wellington City Council, I was brought in to support the Parks team through my existing relationships with Mana Whenua (Te Ātiawa, Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) ensuring authentic cultural alignment throughout the project's delivery.

​Mana Whenua design lead is Manukorihi Winiata and Len Hetet (Te Wai Whenua Design Co Ltd) and lead skatepark specialist company Convic. 

My role is about managing cultural advisory inside Council—bridging Parks, Mana Whenua, and urban design teams to ensure local narratives are woven into the space alongside technical user needs.

​Key work includes:

• Mana Whenua Advocacy: Connected Mana Whenua with the Parks team, helping navigate relationships and ensuring cultural expression—such as rock sculptures—remained a core part of the design.

• Tikanga & Ceremony Facilitation: Facilitated cultural services with Mana Whenua to organize and lead the ground-breaking ceremony prior to physical construction starting on site.

• Narrative & Storytelling: Brought in Council’s Senior Cultural Heritage Interpretation lead to support cultural narrative interpretations and storytelling signage across the site.