Whai Rawa — Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

Document name

Whai Rawa Annual Report 2025

Judges’ comments

The judges praised this report for making complex financial information clear and accessible. It successfully translates technical content into plainer language for a broad audience, including those without a financial background. The report stands out for its authentic and engaging tone, which tells the story of Whai Rawa in a way that connects with its readers.

The content is excellent and relevant. Judges highlighted the leadership messages, which felt genuine and informative. Financial terms are explained simply, and the use of both English and te reo Māori is respectful and clear. The report focuses on what matters to its members, answering their likely questions about the scheme’s performance and benefits.

The report’s design and presentation also received positive comments. The use of photos of whānau helps make the information relatable to its community. Judges noted that infographics and pull quotes are used well to present key messages in an engaging way. These elements help readers to absorb information quickly and easily.

Media statement

Tēnā koutou katoa,

Whai Rawa is thrilled to be recognised as a finalist in this year’s Best Plain Language Annual Report. Whai Rawa is an investment scheme that has our whānau at the forefront of our mahi. The Whai Rawa team at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu work hard to ensure that all our communications use clear and accessible language, so no matter your level of understanding of finance, it is engaging and impactful. We purposefully lay out and present information in our Annual Report that allows our whānau to absorb the messaging quickly and easily. This can be seen through the variety of styles in the report, whether it be images, text, or graphs. We also make a conscious effort to include images of our whānau, representing their journeys and huanui/path through life.

This year Whai Rawa celebrated $40 million in withdrawals which reflects the impact of the scheme and the benefit that consistency in saving and working towards their goals can have on the lives of our whānau.

Thank you to the Plain Language Awards for championing impactful plain language.

Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei.

Tēnā koutou.

Josie Crimmins
Marketing Manager, Whai Rawa