Te Taitokerau iwi Ngatiwai has been called on by the Ministry for Primary Industries to be part of any national biosecurity response in the region.
A resource management assistant at the Ngatiwai Trust Board, Dane Karapu, has been invited to attend a three-day MPI workshop starting on Tuesday.
Whangarei Heads, part of Ngatiwai's rohe. Photo: RNZ / Lois Williams
He said it came after Ngatiwai raised concerns with the ministry for not engaging enough with the iwi during the recent Queensland fruit fly scares in its region.
Mr Karapu said the iwi could offer general local knowledge and an understanding of Maori cultural values within the area, which should be treated with the utmost respect.
He will train as an operations manager in the MPI unit, taking iwi involvement in biosecurity to the next level.