The Kāinga Ora housing team braved Auckland’s high humidity earlier this month to deliver 69 Tipu Bowls to welcome Kāinga Ora customers to Mangere Development’s Bader McKenzie complex.

The Tipu Bowls which are a portable maara kai, were supplied by Ngati Whatua Nursery filled with easy to manage seasonal fruits, vegetables and seedlings for the residents to grow their own kai to enjoy.

As a major landowner, Kāinga Ora has committed to increasing urban ngahere, including māra kai, within the communities in which it operates, including here in Mangere. Ngahere Project Lead Jenny Chilcott says, “We wanted to give our customers a koha that would sprout gardening ideas and green their living space. Tipu Bowls are just a small starting point and we are now looking ahead to gauge customer interest in workshops to help grow their gardening knowledge”.

If you are a Kāinga Ora customer who lives in Mangere and would like to learn more about how to grow your own garden please email leanne.rex@kaingaora.govt.nz.