Toi Pakihi - Hau Kainga Group, Neil Maihi

Neil Maihi is a familiar figure in the Ōrākei community. With a security career spanning over 3 decades, and almost 10 years of which were spent in the NZDF, Neil has branched out on his own as an independent pakihi, providing safety and security consultancy, facilitating security audits, threat and risk assessments, operational support and planning for, iwi, local business, schools and community organisations. And the haerenga to this point has been fuelled by passion and a deep sense of responsibility to protect and serve his Marae, kaumātua and the community that helped raise him.

Neil’s whakapapa traces back through generations of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, though he says, “the most famous of them that most here will know are my grandad, Pateoro “Digger” Maihi, my Nanna, Puti Maihi (née Wilson)” and of course, Uncle Matt. Although born in Ōrākei, Neil spent most of his youth growing up in Māngere on the Ihumātao marae, before returning home his teens.

When he was 19 years old, he got into the security starting on the doors of downtown Auckland. Over the years, he grew in experience and knowledge moving through the various aspects of security, establishing his first security pakihi in 1999 in Whangamatā. It was after he sold that business Neil wanted a different challenge and at the age of 33, he joined the Army.

The decade following was an exciting one, training, service, and travel, accruing new skills and experiences, advancing his security knowledge. But when he sustained an injury, he was no longer able to continue in the role he held, around the same time his family grew even larger, and he came back home to Ōrākei.  

“At first I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do after the Army”, he says, but I wanted something completely different, I worked at the ports, I worked on our maunga, but my intent was to always bring my experience back home and use it to make a difference.”

Neil began his mahi at the Ōrākei Marae before there was any sort of security role or funding, locking up, providing after-hours patrols and response and consulting to, or in his words “being hōhā” to the Taumata and the marae committee, to improve security measures and practices.

In 2013, with support from the Ports of Auckland, the marae, and the local board, he established the Ōrākei Community Patrol “To provide a safety and patrol profile for our community”, liaising with locals residents and businesses, helping to set up and support safety initiatives at our local schools, also supporting teachers and staff to better manage conflict situations.

“It is important to have good community relationships, not only with our own papa kāinga whānau, our extended community, including the Local Board, Council, Police, and other key community stakeholders.”

Eventually, Neil took on the role of the Marae Health and Safety Representative before becoming the Marae Security Manager in 2016.

Four years later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Neil’s work dramatically changed.

“It was all hands-on deck,” he says. “I am proud to say that with the Trust’s support, we established the first checkpoint in the motu. Our checkpoints provided access control for the marae road, establishing and maintaining our bubble, controlling who came into and through our community to keep our people safe.”

The pandemic was a crucial turning point for Neil’s role. The community began looking towards these whanau kaitiaki for safety, thus strengthening trust between the parties.

“A big part of security, and especially community security is about relationships” says Neil. “You build trust by being there when you are called, day and night, ready to help whenever it is needed, 24/7. And through the community patrols, we really got to know the wider Ōrākei community. There have been many good outcomes and achievements, and I made mistakes in that space, learning to approach situations with the mindset that you are not there to enforce, but to assist, and sometimes to educate and enlighten, setting the tone for a positive engagement and outcome”

It is that latter point that is at the base of Neil’s operations. He is not interested in the private sector, for him, providing security, first to the iwi, and then the wider community, is more than a job – there is a sincere sense of obligation to serve people and whānau.” This is what my Grandparents, Mother, Uncle’s, and Aunties have shown my cousins and I, for me, there is no greater Why”

“It can be one of the most beautiful things, to work for our whānau... and at times, the most challenging,” he smiles. But despite these challenges that often arise from changing political and social climates, Neil maintains an immense sense of pride giving back to iwi through his mahi. As he states, “if our safety and security is prioritised, we can be enabled to provide a safer and more secure environment for our whānau, tamariki and mokopuna, there is so much change we can achieve for the better.”

Presently, Neil is a security contractor working with the Hawaiki papa kāinga development, and other iwi-owned properties, and has most recently consulted to Auckland council, the Auckland CBD safety committee, Ōrākei Residents Association, and iwi.

Neil is also currently assisting Eastcliffe Retirement Village to improve their security systems, enjoying their proactive approach to supporting and implementing the recommendations he has provided.

He encourages others looking for a job in security to “aim high”. There are so many aspects to security – it can take you around the world and be meaningful. So, aim high, get out into the world, learn from other organisations, cultures, and people, and then bring it home, and apply your knowledge here.”

He is also keen to make people understand the realities of the job. ““At the end of the day, this is a service role.”

“It’s not all about ego, looking tough or the action... if you do your mahi properly, there is no action, it’s 99 per cent preparation and planning and only 1 per cent delivery – and sometimes panic mode! but that’s when the prior preparation, planning and training kicks in”

Recently Neil has been re-evaluating his approach to business. He has learnt to say no to opportunities that do not align with his values and vision while remaining open to ideas and prioritising his family and work life balance.

It is the same advice he gives to other aspiring business owners, “Feel the fear and do it anyway,” adding “Be honest with yourself about your limitations and get support as you need to”.

“And never stop changing. You must evolve to be relevant and that often means leaving your comfort zone to advance.”

Looking ahead, Neil shares his aspirations for the iwi and Ōrākei community. “My moemoeā has always been to standardise our security systems across our entities, marae, and papa kāinga community, to plan against and counter the range of safety and security concerns and issues that, not only we as individuals and whānau face, but as a community, will continue to face”.

With the hope that one day, “all the security systems across our iwi will be consolidated and run by our people, for our people, and in the best way.”