Citycare Property partners with Manurewa Marlins Rugby League Football & Sports Club Inc to drive local employment through Hāpai Te Hapori Programme

Citycare Property's Hāpai Te Hapori Programme (Uplift The Community) is continuing to grow, with Manurewa Marlins the latest club to join the movement of rethinking local service delivery to create jobs, skills and community pride.

As New Zealand's largest rugby league club, with 57 teams and thousands of players and whānau, the Marlins is now employing its own people to help look after its facilities. Supported by Citycare Property, these jobs are close to home, reducing transport barriers and giving locals the chance to build skills and confidence. Alongside the employment opportunities, it is also weaving stewardship into its culture - from juniors picking up litter before training, to seniors modelling responsibility for facilities, to whole-club clean-up days that bring the community together.

This is the third initiative in Citycare Property's Hāpai Te Hapori programme, which partners with South Auckland clubs and community groups to act as subcontractors, employing local people to maintain their own spaces.

But it's much more than simply handing over a contract. Citycare Property works alongside each club through the full lifecycle – from helping establish them as contractors, to training them in systems and safety, and supporting them to succeed. 

Many of these clubs aren't operational enterprises when we first meet them, so we roll up our sleeves to show them how the work needs to be done, set up processes and reporting, and make sure they have the funding, PPE, and procedures to deliver safely and to a high standard. We also work with Club leaders to help transition their people into employment with us. 

But the benefits ripple out beyond employment. When locals maintain their own parks and facilities, they bring lived knowledge of how those spaces are used day-to-day – when the fields are busiest, what loads they can take, and what really matters to their community. The result is a service that is more responsive, more sustainable, and more empowering – with communities taking ownership in their own spaces. 

The programme began with the Ōtara Scorpions Rugby League & Sports Club Inc, where locals now maintain tracks and fields at Ngāti Ōtara Park.

"This contract is a success story... we employ locals who were on the benefit and transition them onto further employment." says Ōtara Scorpions Rugby League and Sports Club's General Manager Willie Maea. 

It then expanded through the Spring Flush initiative, where Citycare Property, alongside community groups, employed nine rangatahi from four different Local Board areas to support Citycare Property crews during the busiest season, giving participants structure, skills and a pathway back into work. 

The need is clear for this kaupapa. In June 2025, Auckland's unemployment rate was 6.1% - the highest June figure in more than a decade, and well above the national average of 5.2%. Māori and Pacific Peoples faced rates nearly double this, and youth employment along 15-19 year olds sat around one in four. Research suggests that transport costs and interview processes are some of the most significant barriers to employment in Auckland. In areas like Manurewa, around 40% of residents travel outside their own board area for work. 

For Citycare Property, being a good kiwi company means uplifting our communities. Every park mown, every field maintained, and every clean-up day becomes an opportunity to create local jobs, build confidence and strengthen the community.