Meet Elaine Aorangi
Elaine Aorangi is the HSW Manager on the Te Ara O Te Ata Mt Messenger Bypass Project. We are excited that she will be our keynote speaker for our upcoming Taranaki Women in Trades event on Thursday, 07 May 2026 from 10am - 2pm. You'll be able to ask Elaine questions about her mahi to understand more about what it means to work on a large project!
Ahead of the event, we asked her some questions, which you can read about below!
Elaine didn’t plan a career in safety, like many women she fell into it. She says, about 20 years ago, she was working in community services with young people and studying toward youth work. One day, Elaine went to work with her father, who was a Health and Safety Advisor at the time, on a water pipeline alignment job. As she walked around site, something really stuck with her: the only women there were cleaners. She remembers thinking, why aren’t there any women out here doing this work?
Not long after, Elaine met her dad’s boss and asked him straight out,“How do I do your job?” His response was simple: “Go get educated.” Elaine asked in return, “If I do that, would you give me a job?” He didn’t hesitate, he said yes.
That moment changed everything. It was the beginning of Elaine's safety career in a very male dominated industry, at a time when women weren’t commonly seen on site. Someone in a leadership position took a chance on Elaine, and she took that opportunity seriously. Elaine worked hard to prove that women absolutely belong here too.
As she says, "So yes, I may have fallen into this industry—but every day since, I’ve chosen to stay, to grow, and to be better. Just as importantly, I’ve made space for other women coming through, because they deserve to be here as much as anyone else."
What is the best part of your job?
Elaine says it is the people. People are at the centre of every decision, every risk, and every outcome. When we get safety right, it’s because we’ve taken the time to understand people and how work really happens.
What is one piece of equipment you can’t live without?
Her laptop.
It’s the one tool Elaine needs to be able to do her job. It’s how she communicates, plans, analyse risks, and turns conversations into real improvements. In safety, connection and clarity matter, and her laptop is what keeps her connected to people, share information, and support safer outcomes every day.
What’s your ‘rookie mistake’ story?
Early in her safety career, Elaine thought safety meant she needed to have all the answers and tell everyone how to do their job. It didn’t go well.
That mistake taught her one of the most important lessons of her career: listen first and build relationships. Ask questions. Learn from the people doing the work. When people feel respected and valued, they’ll invite you into the real risks—and that’s where safety actually improves.
That lesson has stayed with Elaine for nearly 20 years and still shapes how she works today.
What’s a common myth about being a tradie that just isn’t true?
A common myth about Safety people is that “Safety People Stop the Work”, when in actual fact we are here to help people get the job done without anyone getting hurt.
What’s your go-to smoko snack?
You can’t go wrong with a good sausage roll.
What’s the most satisfying moment you’ve had on the job?
The most satisfying moments for Elaine are when she sees a shift in people—from safety is here to hinder us to safety is here to help us.
It’s especially meaningful when she sees people who were once resistant start to speak up about risks themselves, or when a team changes the way they work because they understand the why, not just the rule. Knowing that someone goes home safer because we took the time to connect, listen, and work things through together—that’s incredibly rewarding.
Those moments reminds Elaine that safety isn’t about paperwork or policies. It’s about people, trust, and creating space for better conversations. That’s when she knows she exactly where she is meant to be.
If you could give advice to your 16-year-old self, what would it be?
Know that you are enough exactly as you are. Your kindness matters, your voice matters, and your perspective brings something to the world that no one else can. Don’t shrink yourself to fit expectations or wait for permission to take up space. Be curious, be brave, and trust who you are becoming. You don’t have to be perfect—just real.
Be kind. Be awesome. Be unapologetically YOU.