An iwi organisation is teaming up with Veterans’ Affairs to identify and support the veterans who have “fallen through the cracks” in the Bay of Plenty.

In a statement, Veterans’ Affairs said it had about 550 clients in the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne districts, but this number was estimated to be a “significant underrepresentation” of the total number of veterans in the area.

Veterans Minister Chris Penk said Veterans’ Affairs and pan-iwi charitable trust Te Puna Ora o Mataatua had teamed up to extend the reach and range of support available to veterans in the Bay of Plenty.

“A major issue we face is identifying veterans who are eligible for support,” Penk said.

“Incredibly, we do not yet have centralised data for all our veterans and must rely on them registering with Veterans’ Affairs to receive their entitlements.

“This means many veterans have fallen through the cracks.

“That’s why Veterans’ Affairs is partnering with Te Puna Ora o Mataatua to identify veterans in Bay of Plenty to ensure they know what support is available to them.”

Penk said trust was the third largest hauora provider in New Zealand. It had extensive service networks and well-established relationships with the Mataatua Veterans Collective, RSAs, hapū and community groups, he said.

The memorandum of understanding would bolster data collaboration between the organisations to improve referrals and promotion of services, and to increase understanding of the health conditions veterans may have.

Veterans’ Affairs and Te Puna Ora o Mataatua will also jointly run health and support clinics, including social and employment support.

“The success of this agreement could provide a blueprint for how Veterans’ Affairs can work with iwi across the country,” Penk said.

“The initiative is an example of this Government’s commitment to working with iwi and communities, to deliver public services that improve New Zealanders’ lives.”