Whakakotahitanga i te Kaupapa | Unity of Purpose, released by Scion and Rotoiti 15 Trust, is a video capturing activity from a cultural exchange in November 2023 that aimed to discuss the challenges posed by myrtle rust in New Zealand and Australia.

Hosted in Rotorua, the exchange welcomed representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Queensland and New South Wales), the University of Tasmania, the Butchulla Nation (K’gari Queensland), the Gumbaynggirr Nation (Coffs Harbour, New South Wales) and the Bundjalung Nations (New South Wales).

The exchange offered a unique opportunity for cultures and researchers on both sides of the Tasman to connect and learn from each other.

The eight-day visit highlighted the importance of sharing traditional knowledge held within indigenous communities as well as Western science, and how they each have a role to play in protecting our environment from exotic diseases, such as myrtle rust.