As countries move towards a sustainable and inclusive future, integrating indigenous knowledge and practices is paramount.
Many countries have a rich and deeply rooted indigenous heritage and expertise, and weaving this into the practice of asset management translates into a holistic approach where every stakeholder is given a voice, including indigenous peoples.
Indigenous knowledge systems have been essential for sustainable natural resource management for centuries. These communities understand how to use resources responsibly, prompting us to consider our consumption habits and design systems that respect the planet.
By integrating traditional and Indigenous knowledge into all areas of society, including resource management, policy, and built environments, we can preserve these vital practices for future generations and ensure cultural continuity.
Māori Perspectives in Asset Management and Policy
In New Zealand, Māori have been the tangata whenua, the indigenous people of Aotearoa, for thousands of years.
Māori culture is an integral part of New Zealand’s life. However, according to the Minority Rights Group, the Māori are facing social and economic disadvantages, most of which are concentrated in areas of unskilled employment, where wages are low and unemployment rates are high.
To address these discrepancies and inequalities, the New Zealand government has implemented several policies and laws designed to increase Māori participation and engagement.
For instance, with the establishment of the Resource Management Act (1991) and the Conservation Act (1987), Māori participation in resource management and conservation has become increasingly prominent.
These acts have included rights of reparation for past and ongoing violations of the treaty, including the return of government-owned land, which grants them the right to own, control, and manage both the land and its resources in accordance with their cultural values.
Additionally, in 1994, the New Zealand government aimed to settle all Māori grievances once and for all by offering a total of NZ$1 billion. After this amount was paid out, the government would consider all Treaty claims to be resolved.
Recently, there has been an increasing recognition of Te Ao Māori values, including the rise of the usage of Te Ao Māori or the Māori language in the country. Te Ao Māori values encompass respect and acknowledgement of Māori customs and protocols, as well as the Māori story and identity, embracing what that means not only for Māori but also for all New Zealand residents and people worldwide (Embracing Te Ao Māori, 2025).
It also emphasizes a balance between the natural environment, community welfare, and sustainable growth, thereby offering a fresh perspective on asset management that focuses not just on physical outcomes but also on the intangible wealth of community, culture, and the environment.
According to the Insite article, New Zealand’s infrastructure experienced a transformative impact when it incorporated the Te Ao Māori philosophy into planning, adopting a system-wide approach that blends traditional wisdom with modern technologies.
It notes that “the core principles of the Māori approach are to see humans as part of the natural world and not separate from it, and also recognize the spiritual significance of the environment and how it impacts on mental and physical health”.
Acknowledging the benefits and economic value of integrating natural capital frameworks and nature-based asset management solutions into planning, the article features two New Zealand institutions collaborating with a consultancy firm to incorporate the Māori worldview into infrastructure planning and decision-making.
The first is the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, which is collaborating with a consultancy firm to develop an asset management framework that integrates the Māori worldview into infrastructure planning and decision-making.
The second is the Hauraki Rail Charitable Trust, which aims to promote the use of the NZ Cycle Trail Great Ride Network to deliver economic and social benefits to communities. The approach incorporated Māori knowledge and design principles to enhance connectivity and the user experience.
The Āpōpō Guide: Blending Mātauranga Māori with Modern Practice
In 2023, the Āpōpō (Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals Incorporated), the leading professional association for infrastructure asset management in New Zealand, introduced the Āpōpō Guide.
The Guide is a comprehensive online resource, the first of its kind, as it goes beyond the traditional asset management approach by weaving the Māori world view (Te Reo Māori) with ISO 55000 standards and other international best practices in managing both built and natural environments in the pursuit of sustainable communities through excellent asset management.
The Guide targets professionals involved with infrastructure asset management in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and other countries with indigenous populations.
As a dynamic online resource, it offers an easy-to-search platform accessible to all Āpōpō members, enabling them to tap into the real-world experience and expertise of experts in various subjects and gain confidence that they can access both best practices from Traditional (Indigenous) knowledge and Western-based knowledge.
Priyani de Silva-Currie, outgoing Āpōpō President and the current Vice President of the International Federation of Municipal Engineering (IFME), explains, “The Āpōpō Guide is New Zealand’s first indigenous asset management guide – bringing together the principles of Mātauranga Māori and our best asset management knowledge.
The Guide is designed for asset management practitioners and also for a wider audience who wish to learn more about asset management and how it can benefit their work in holistic ways.”
Mātauranga Māori is about a Māori way of being and engaging in the world – in its simplest form, it uses kawa (cultural practices) and tikanga (cultural principles) to critique, examine, analyze, and understand the world.
Access the Āpōpō Guide here.
Sources:
Asset management and the First Nations approach. (2025, June 25). Insite. Retrieved from https://insite.ipwea.org/asset-management-and-the-first-nations-approach/
Embracing Te Ao Māori – an offshore guide. (2025). Kea. Retrieved from https://keanewzealand.com/embracing-te-ao-maori-an-offshore-guide/
Māori in New Zealand. (2018). Minority Rights Group. Retrieved from https://minorityrights.org/communities/maori/#:
De Silva-Currie, P. (2023, October 31). New Zealand Asset Management Guidance for Indigenous Communities – The Āpōpō Guide. Retrieved from https://www.ifmeworld.org/blogs/priyani-de-silva-currie/2023/10/31/new-zealand-am-guidance-for-indigenous-communities
The Āpōpō Guide. (2025). Āpōpō. Retrieved from https://apopo.co.nz/apopo-guide/
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