Our Whenu
Whenu are woven strands that provide strength and structure, we have used five whenu that capture our uri aspirations.
Taranakitanga
Whiria te muka
The muka strands are stronng woven together.
‘Te more i Hāwaiki, te tupu rau matomato’
- the tap root of Hāwaiki, the promise of new growth.
Strategic Goal
To strengthen our Taranaki iwi cultural identity and bring us together as whānau.
Taiao
Uwhia te huhi
Speaks to the importance of water and our wetlands that give us life and sustain our environment and biodiversity.
‘He whakaipurangi mounga, he puna e kore mimiti’
- a lofty mountain source is a perprtual spring.
Strategic Goal
To protect the wellbeing of our taiao, our mounga, awa, moana and whenua.
Whanaki mai ai
Puia ki te hauangi
Speaks to the distribution of seeds and favourable conditions for growth and development.
‘He pua whakakōkō, he kōrari whakahorapa’
- an inviting flower, a prosperous seed.
Strategic Goal
To support our whānau, marae pā, hapū, and uri to reach their potential.
Our Values
Kia rongomau
To act with humility, respect and empathy
Kia manawanui
To be courageous and determined
Kia aroha ki te tangata
That we care for and manaaki our perople and environment
Kia tika, kia pono
To act with honesty and integrity
Taketake Tangata
Takea ki te pūtake
Our mounga provides the foundation of authority to stand and represent.
Kawe Whakahaere
Rurungia ki te pā whakaruru
Providing shelter from the elements for protection and growth.
- bedrock supports the highest summit, the basis for our success.
Strategic Goal
To ensure and enable the voice of influence and advocacy for Taranaki iwi and our marae pā, hapu and uri.
- sanctuary from the storms, protection from the cold.
Strategic Goal
Providing the shelter and environment to protect and grow the capacity and capability to implement our iwi aspirations.
Mihi Whakawai
Tahi tahia te marae, koia ko Tarawainuku
Horahia atu te takapou nei, ko Tapaki marae tōna ingoa
Ko te takotoranga o ngā kōrero tuputupua o ngā matua i ahu mai i te whare nei i Kaimirumiru
E titiro iho ai ki a Tāne i uta, i te ahi a Tahurangi
Uru atu ai au i te paepae roa, i te paepae tapu o te whare a Tāne Uru atu ai au nei e Tāne ki roto, tiritiria ngā ngārahu tapu ki waho e hai!
Huihuia mai tātou ngā uri o Rua Taranaki kia rangirangi tahi tātou i ngā ngārahu i tiritiria e ngā mātua. Tēnā rā tātou i te āhuatanga o ngā kōrero tuputupua kua tukuna mai ai ki tēnei whakatupuranga.
Huihuia mai hoki hō tātou manukura, ngā kākā wahanui, ngā manu tītaka, ngā manu taupua, ngā manu tīoriori me ngā raukura o te iwi kua riro i te tau kua paremo ake nei. E kore hoki e mutu ngā mihi ki a rātou kua whakangaro atu rā ki te papa o Tangaroa ki te Tatau o te pō, ki whenuku pouri, ki whenuku pōtango. He oti anō te kōrero,
Haehaea te pō
Kia tū mai ngā whetu
Takiritia te arai kapua
Kia takiri mai ko te pūao o te atatū
Kia ara mai ko te rā i te tihi o Taranaki Maunga
Ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea
Nau mai ra te awatea kia kātea te hinengaro me te ngākau kia whitirere te māramatanga ki a tātou, ki ngā mahi hoki o te tau kua huri tatū iho ki ngā mahi kei mua tonu i te aroaro.
Kia hoki ake ki te whakawai “ko Tataraimaka, ko Waireka kia paiherea, ka whakairi ki te Ikaroa-a-Māui kia tarewa ki runga” e kōrero ana mō te kotahitanga o te iwi i te wā o te pakanga.
Nō reira e te iwi e, purutia tō mana kia mou, kia ita, aha ita, ita mou tonu e!
me tōngai harakeke
Our collective Taranaki Iwi strength is like the harakeke weave resilient, versatile and dynamic inspiring success and intergenerational growth.
Chair Report
Jacqui King
It is a great pleasure as chair of Te Kāhui o Taranaki Board of Trustees to present the Annual Report for the financial year ending 30 June 2023. Our iwi priorities were laid down for us by our whānau and are articulated in the aspirations we have described as our whenu. This report summarises the advances, initiatives and challenges that have shaped our journey over the past year.
We have been purposeful in our work to advance socioeconomic wellbeing, prosperity and the aspirations of our uri. I have been especially pleased with the increase in our range of initiatives to connect whānau to themselves, to each other and to place.
Our presence and place as tangata whenua has been strengthened week-by-week, not only through our housing initiatives in Ōpunakē and Ōkato, but also in other areas of critical focus including Takutai and Taiao protection, and a growing number of representation responsibilities across the rohe.
Backing all this work is a strong asset base. Te Kāhui o Taranaki continues to build and protect this foundation and I am pleased to report that our equity base has grown to $125 million.
The following highlights are just a few key strategic areas we have worked on in the past year.
Taranakitanga Whiria te muka
Our Wānanga Mounga Reo pilot programme was launched online in the year past. The next programme will be run in the year ahead. Led by Ruakere Hond and Hawaiiki Tamati, the 10-week virtual course teaches Taranaki kōrero and is full-immersion for beginners to advanced. The pilot was oversubscribed with 120 students, and registrations for the coming year’s 150 places were closed off at nearly 230 students.
This drive from our uri to know their reo is representative of our reclamation journey as a people. Our whānau are engaging and connecting more and more to reclaim and strengthen identity as Taranaki Iwi and our place in our landscapes.
Our membership base has grown by the hundreds over the past year, continuing the significant growth of prior years. This uplift reflects both the desire and the aspirations for our whānau to be connected to their Iwi. It is uplifting and inspiring. I acknowledge and warmly welcome each of our newly registered members of Taranaki Iwi.
Taiao
Uwhia te huhi
Our kaitiakitanga team based in our Whare Taiao in Pungarehu has grown considerably over the past year, reflecting the importance of our mounga, awa, moana and whenua to Taranaki Iwi.
The decision to support hapū by invoking a Section 186a Temporary Closure over 70km of our takutai was significant. Applying this legal mechanism was a response to the violation of the customary rāhui laid by our people in January because of the severely depleted state of the fishery. Te Kāhui o Taranaki advocated for and supported hapū to work with the local community on this customary coastal protection initiative, one of the largest in the country. The effort and dedication of
our hapū and takutai monitors and educators has been immense, but became more and more challenging to manage. Utilising s186a under the Fisheries Act was a necessary action to gain legal enforcement for our lore.
With s186a protection in place by mid-December 2022, Te Kāhui o Taranaki made a decision to commit considerable pūtea (approximagely $250,000 over the period of the ban to support the rāhui), establishing a Takutai Team with a fulltime co-ordinator and three part-time kaimahi. These roles have been critical in assisting our hapū and cultural monitors. The team has co-ordinated information and collaboration hui and wānanga, and has begun surveying the takutai moana to collect evidence of recovery during this phase of rest. Their mahi has also included working with our tamariki to maintain their connections with the takutai.
Focus is also on ensuring that the aspirations of hapū and marae pā, as kaitiaki of their fisheries, are seen
and heard through the protection mechanisms put in place longer term. It is our hapū and marae pā who will determine what happens next. To avoid the current protection being lifted before longer-term protection is in place, any applications will need to be made by the end of the year.
Whanake mai ai
Puia ki te hauangi
Our work to support uri, marae pā and hapū to reach their potential has continued in several key areas.
The development of our housing programme has made great strides. Together with the progressive home ownership model developed by Ka Uruora to support whānau into their own whare, these initiatives will deliver security and affordable housing for our uri. It is truly
rewarding to see some of our people already in their own homes, putting down roots, helping to cement our place as Taranaki Iwi in our rohe.
Te Kāhui o Taranaki is delighted to continue the increased level of contribution to our marae pā through annual distributions of $60,000 as well as an additional $15,000 each year toward administration costs.
While we have previously focused distributions on marae pā as the primary hubs for our people, we also wish to acknowledge the desire of established hapū to advance their priorities, and of others to stand themselves up again as active hapū. I am therefore delighted to announce the Hapū E Tū grants initiative (up to a maximum pool of $100k per annum). This range of annual grants will be available according to the extent of hapū activity – for example, for hapū functioning as non-legal entity, we will support activities up to $2,500 annually. Hapū working to formally establish themselves will be supported with a one-off grant of up to $5,000 for legal advice, and mandated hapū operating as a legal entity will be granted $10,000 annually. This initiative will be reviewed after 12 months to ensure it is fit for purpose.
In terms of our marae pā distributions, many have utilised this pūtea for redevelopment work. However many have also benefitted from the opportunity to reinvest the funds in our asset holdings entity Taranaki Iwi Holdings Limited Partnership. This option has provided low-risk, higher-return (when compared with a bank term deposit) investment opportunity to accumulate and grow initial distribution amounts for longer-term plans, such as building papakāinga or buying back whenua.
There has also been continued investment in whānau, hapū, iwi and marae pā through our grants programme, savings contributions, and wānanga aimed at building capability and capacity to deliver in areas such as kai resilience.
Taketake Tangata
Takea ki te pūtake
Our Taketake Tangata representatives to a wide range of bodies, councils, community organisations and leadership groups serve an increasingly important role as advocate voices alongside our hapū, educating, influencing and nurturing relationships across our rohe and at national level with our stakeholders, partners, supporters and communities.
Our work to support the introduction of Māori wards to local authorities continued as our new representatives took up roles as elected or iwi-appointed members. I want to acknowledge all Taranaki Iwi candidates and congratulate those who have taken up these vital roles on behalf of our people.
In particular, I acknowledge the election of previous Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Leanne Horo to the South Taranaki District Council’s Māori ward.
Representing iwi in these roles is crucial as local bodies and partnership boards work through a multitude of reforms. Te Kāhui o Taranaki is committed to supporting our representatives to ensure iwi rights and interests are included and protected in policy, practice and all decision-making.
And finally, the collective mahi of our eight Taranaki iwi has been a highlight. The momentus and historical milestone of Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo (the Maunga Redress) has demonstrated our ability to work together for the collective good. Continuing to work together through our collective vehicles as Ngā Iwi o Taranaki will be a key feature of the new arrangements and will continue the important work to identify opportunities to expand our collaboration and the potential to share specialised services and resources.
Kawe Whakahaere Rurungia ki te pā whakaruru
Over the past 12 months we have focused on building the right team to ensure we are able to respond to whānau needs and meet the demands of event and identity programmes and environmental activism. Each activity has a cultural component. This can be a challenging space for those who have been disconnected from their tikanga and reo. In response to this, a cultural lead role is being developed to support our whānau, kaimahi and governors alike to ensure we are able to support and represent our people well.
Following last year’s Annual General Meeting, Miaana Patene joined our Board and we farewelled retiring governor Dennis Ngawhare. As we strengthen our commercial operations, we are looking to extend our commercial board governance team from three to five, adding an additional independent trustee and one from the Board of Te Kāhui o Taranaki.
Financial highlights
We continue to protect and grow the asset base, and I am pleased to again report a strong financial performance for the past year. A net surplus after tax of $2.4m (FY22 $7.7m) has been posted for the year. This is made up of $1.0m (FY22 $4.0m) in cash operating profit and $1.4m (FY22 $3.7m) in non-cash capital gains. Total equity is $126.1m (FY22 $123.7m), an increase of $2.4m or 2% on the previous year.
Conclusion
As inflation, cost-of-living and global and political pressures mount, we will adapt wisely and find solutions to navigate the challenging times ahead. Our foundations are strong as an iwi but we cannot be complacent. The pandemic will always remind us that we must be equipped and ready to respond to the needs of our whānau. As a kinship organisation, we will be proactive in the year ahead to ensure our whānau can access the opportunities we are here to provide through our Treaty settlement.
Finally, I extend gratitude to our Board, our kaimahi whānau led by our Chief Executive Wharehoka Wano, and all those who have contributed their time and expertise over the year past. Your leadership and commitment to advancing our people’s aspirations has been pivotal in driving our successes and pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve as Taranaki Iwi.
Me tōngai harakeke e te whānau.
Board of Trustees
Organisational Structure
Chief Executive Report
Wharehoka Wano
It is an honour to present to you the annual Chief Executive’s Report for Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust, offering a comprehensive overview of the strides we have made, the issues we have navigated and the achievements we can celebrate as Taranaki Iwi.
It has been a year of purposeful progress. From the cultural events that uphold our traditions and connect our people, to the kaitiakitanga efforts that safeguard our natural and historical assets, this report summarises our work over the past financial year to reinforce and foster the wellbeing and prosperity of our people, culture and land.
The year has posed its own set of challenges. The ongoing aftermath of the pandemic, climate events, and social, economic and political pressures have all had their impact here at home. But there have been opportunities, too. We have not only adapted to te ao hurihuri but have harnessed it as a catalyst for
innovation and progress. One example is our plan to create an engineered wetland to treat stormwater on our 20-home housing development in Ōkato; the runaway success of our oversubscribed virtual Wānanga Mounga Reo programme is another.
As chief executive, however, the highlight of the 20222023 financial year has been once again working ā-kanohi as a team and as an iwi, and re-introducing opportunities for uri to reconnect kanohi-ki-te-kanohi after the restrictions of Covid. We have dedicated significant resource to those joyful events, among them the two mainstays of our iwi calendar, Taranaki Tū Mai and Tiripoua.
In our Taiao spaces also, with our expanded team of nearly 20 Toa Taiao leading the charge, we have been able to get back to the whenua and moana to advance mahi on the ground, such as our cultural programmes for freshwater restoration, the work to rejuvenate our lamprey eel populations, the development of our Pungarehu seedling nursery and our further plans to establish a sustainable commercial nursery.
It has been a pleasure, too, to see the development of our Te Patu Kiore trapping team. After a two-year apprenticeship with the support of Te Papa Atawhai and the Taranaki Mounga Project, Mawene Bidois and Tipunakore Rangiwai are running traplines in our ngahere and on our mounga to keep our sites predator free.
We have continued to back our rangatahi at tertiary and high school level, with our investment in education grants and scholarships now totalling $120,000. Our intern, cadet and work experience programmes are also thriving, aiming to provide rangatahi with opportunities to gain an understanding of the many workstreams in our Taranaki Iwi space.
The decommissioning of the Tui oil field has reached stage three, the final phase. This has been an enormous learning opportunity for Taranaki Iwi and the uri involved. Our kuia Fran Davey stepped aside from her role as engagement lead in this project earlier this year. Her wisdom and influence will be greatly missed.
We also farewelled some key members of our team over the past year, including Maria Hokopaura, Raymond Tuuta, Ngahina Capper and Shane Wallace-Hoskin. I acknowledge and thank them for their mahi and wish them all the best in their new roles.
In the following pages, you will find an exploration of the milestones we’ve reached, the projects we’ve embarked upon, and the collaborations and initiatives that are propelling us toward our shared aspirations.
Reflecting on the journey over the past year, it is pleasing indeed to acknowledge the results that are building steadily from our endeavours. With each accomplishment, we move forward as we remain committed to shaping a legacy we can be proud of.
On behalf of our kaimahi at Te Kāhui o Taranaki, thank you for your continued tautoko and manaakitanga.
E te mareikura, e te ruruhi kuia, e te pou ko Taranaki Iwi e tangi atu nei ki a koe e moe i te moenga roa te moe e kore hoki mai ki te ao.
Fran Davey was firstly a treasured uri of Taranaki iwi and also a valued member of our team over the last 3 years, who passed recently after a brave battle against cancer.
She was a passionate advocate for her hapū and marae pā around Ōpunakē and beyond, and a staunch supporter of the rāhui takutai over recent years. Her strength, resilience and calmness along with that beautiful, cheeky smile will be missed by us all.
Haere rā koe ki o rarangi tupuna e tatari mai rā.
Kaimahi
Operations Taiao
Takutai
Patu Kiore
Taranakitanga
Whiria te muka
Strenthening our Taranaki Iwi cultural identity by bringing us together as whānau.
Taranakitanga: Taking the lead in everything we do as Taranaki Iwi
Advancing Taranakitanga is at the heart of every activity and initiative supported by Te Kāhui o Taranaki.
“Taranakitanga is our priority whenu,” says Tumuwhakarito Wharehoka Wano. “It is about our cultural identity and coming together as whānau.
“We’re always looking for innovative ways to reach out to whānau who live away from home. During the Covid years, we set up online ohu for whānau in Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin and other places to connect with each other. But we were always waiting for the time when we could come back together, at home on our whenua.”
Those days finally came. With the restrictions of Covid lifted, whānau flocked home to reconnect ā-kanohi.
“We saw the fruition of those ohu when many of our whānau came home to Tiripoua at Parihaka and Taranaki Tū Mai in Hāwera.
“We watched those connections grow and our whānau draw strength from their history and kōrero, our iwi journey, and each other.”
Tiripoua
A celebration of the Taranaki Iwi Treaty Settlement
Tiripoua marks the milestone achieved on 23 February 2017 when Taranaki Iwi signed a Treaty of Waitangi settlement with the Crown. That time has been celebrated every year in the last week of February since 2017.
“For three years we had not been able to come together ā-tinana on this, the most important day of our calendar,” says Whare. “This year, at Parihaka, we really celebrated being together again on our whenua.”
Spaces were created for whanaunga to enjoy their time together, with different wānanga for tamariki, taiohi and pāhake: an activity programme including mahi toi and games for the youngest age-group, a tech and gaming camp for rangatahi run by LearnerMe, and a Taiao haerenga for pāhake, taking in aspects of the work being done in the Taiao space, including the rāhui, coastal planting, maara kai, and the seedling nursery and Whare Taiao at Pungarehu.
While uri are encouraged to return each month for the 18th and 19th at Parihaka, especially when bringing back kawe mate and important kaupapa, Tiripoua remains a specific focus.
The name Tiripoua refers to embedding the mana of the kaupapa among the people and ensuring it is passed on from generation to generation, acknowledging both the mamae of the past and the promise of the future. It is a celebration of history, a reiteration of values, and a recommitment to the shared journey.
“We remember that we survived the brutality of going through settlement. We remember its significance. It is our day to work on the strategies we have in play and to bring our uri home so they know where they belong.”
Iwi-branded clothing was a runaway success, with every uri sporting a Tiripoua t-shirt.
“That was quite empowering. It showed pride, the huge positive impact of a shared identity and that our people want to represent themselves as Taranaki Iwi.”
Taranaki Tū Mai
Taranaki stands strong at all-iwi festival
In Hāwera this year, Taranaki Tū Mai continued to stand strong as a cultural touchstone of iwi identity and commitment to Taranaki traditions, language and customs.
The biennual platform for competition, performance and whanaungatanga brings all eight Taranaki iwi together for the three-day event.
“The number of uri who came back to represent Taranaki iwi were significantly higher this year thanks to that strategy of reaching out to our uri who live outside our rohe,” Whare says.
“We had a huge marquee as our base in Hāwera, where we were able to manaaki our people. In among all the sports and kapa haka, there were many opportunities to simply enjoy being together, to build connections, learn history and tell our stories.”
Xtreme Hip Hop
Taranaki Iwi uri have been inspired by the high intensity step and dance aerobics fitness classes. Xtreme Hip Hop was developed by Phil Weeden in the USA and taken up across the world.
Our team of licenced and certified instructors have been motivating communities to become more active.
Ari Capper has free weekly classes in Opunake and Rawinia Leatherby-Toia & Hone Toia have begun free weekly classes in Ngāmotu and will soon be offering classes in Waitara.
Close to 1,300 uri and community members have attended over 36 classes in the past year and with Raumati coming, what better way to get active and have fun. He Oranga Iwi tātou!
Indigenous Sustainable Food Systems
For three seasons and during the pandemic, Te Kāhui o Taranaki continue to support around 200 uri households to grow healthy huawhenua and huarakau in whānau backyards within Aotearoa and Australia.
Our wānanga bring uri together to discuss reclaiming indigenous knowledge systems which includes learning about maramataka, seed saving and the all time favourite ‘how to grow kūmara’. With the cost of everyday living rising each year, saving pūtea and eating healthy kai has been the most desired outcome for uri.
Registered uri with Ka Uruora will also receive the support of the programme in their quest towards financial independence and security for them and their whānau.
Rawinia Leatherby-Toia (Pou Rautaki - Strategic Project Manager) is excited to support two other Taranaki Iwi who are planning to offer Tātai Tangata ki te Whenua Maara kai programme to their membership. Like Tohu Kakahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai, we are inspired to empower ourselves, stay positive and be supportive of others.
Images:
Previous page (left): Ngā uri o Taranaki - attendees: Tiripoua, March 2023. Taken outside Mahi Kuare.
Previous page (right): Hone Toia, Pounamu Skelton, Moana Tamati and whānau - attendees: Tiripoua, March 2023.
Opposite page (top): Tania Niwa and Troy Wano - Table Tennis participants: Taranaki Tū Mai ki Te Hāwera, November 2022.
Opposite page (bottom): Nia Tipene, William Edwards, Christopher Ashby, Albie Tipene, Te Hanakore Mahutonga, Pauline Seymour, Dennis Ngawhare and Keita Seymour - Volleyball participants: Taranaki Tū Mai ki Te Hāwera, November 2022.
Below: Mahi Maara at Ngā Tupunga - Tiripoua, March 2023.
Instagram total page followers
627 Instagram total reach: 1339
Engagement
Virtual Events (via Zoom)
Hui-ā-Tau AGM (Oct 2022) 36 attendees Hui-ā-Iwi (May 2023) 12 attendees
TOTAL 48 attendees
Virtual Wānanga (via Zoom)
Merchandise
Merchandise was at several events throughout the year and it was a highlight to engage with Taranaki Iwi uri at these events as well as through social media and our online store.
We continue to look for ways to connect with our Taiohi through clothing. The Kōanga 2022 Collection was the first of such designs and the Tiripoua 2023 Tees the second collaboration of co-designed garments with Game Changer.
Top selling products for 2023
1. Mens Tee (black)
2. Adult Hoodie (black)
Mounga Reo (Sep to Nov 2022)
Te Aka Tū Whenua (Aug 2022 to Oct 2023)
Tātai Tangata ki te Whenua (Sep 2022 to Apr 2023)
Taranaki Maunga Negotiations 21 March 2023
8
70 Sessions Participants
7 50 Sessions Participants
12 200 Sessions Participants
1 10 Sessions Participants
Total 28 Sessions 330 Participants
3. Adult Sublimated Hoodie
4. Sublimated bucket hat
5. Womens tee black Kaimahi
Kaimahi Increase from 14 - 25
New kaimahi
Taiao 10 Operations 1
New Operations Kaimahi
Casio Austin - Digital Communications Cadet
Taiao
Uwhia te huhi
Protecting the wellbeing of our taiao, our mounga, awa, moana and whenua.
Rāhui and Section 186A: Safeguarding the takutai moana
Hapū along 70km of the Taranaki takutai are considering their next steps as the Government’s two-year ban on collecting mātaitai nears the halfway mark.
The ban using Section 186a of the Fisheries Act was put in place on December 16, following a request by hapū shocked at “relentless plundering” of mātaitai –especially pāua – by visitors in their hundreds.
Parihaka kaumātua Mahara Okeroa and Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King applied to the Oceans and Fisheries Minister for the temporary closure, seeking legal backing for a rāhui placed in January last year by hapū of Taranaki Iwi.
Covering from Rawa o Turi in the south to Paritutu in the north, the rāhui places temporary restrictions on that specified area to preserve and protect taonga species from overfishing and give the marine ecosystem time to recover and regenerate.
The Section 186a temporary closure gives legal effect to the rāhui and enables Fishery Officers to enforce the prohibition on taking all species of shellfish, anemones, octopus, conger eels and seaweed, except beach cast. Kōura are included under the rāhui but currently not the legal ban.
Legal closure was sought following clashes between those breaching the rāhui and volunteers monitoring behaviour.
The legal notice covers about 300sq km from the Herekawe Stream near Paritutu to the Taungātara Stream south of Ōpunakē, and two nautical miles offshore, with fines of up to $5000 or up to $100,000 if mātaitai is taken for sale.
Mahara says legal enforcement is critical to ending unethical harvesting by visitors stripping reefs that had been protected for generations by traditional practices.
“They take anything and everything that clings to rock. If it moves, they take it. There’s a deeply held concern not only by Māori but the wider community as well about the imbalance in our ecosystem and the gradual disappearance of species of kai.”
He hopes a long-term protection plan can be put in place such as a mātaitai reserve to support hapū and marae pā kaitiaki to manage fisheries resources sustainably. The work to achieve that is urgent, he says.
“We worked really hard to get legal backing for the rāhui, we advocated strongly and really pushed it. It took a hell of a lot of effort and time.”
“We’re on a deadline. The Section 186a expires on 15 December 2024. There is the possibility of an extension but if we can’t get to where we want to be, it would revert to the situation that existed before the rāhui.”
“There’s a deeply held concern not only by Māori but the wider community as well about the imbalance in our ecosystem and the gradual disappearance of species of kai.”
Mahara Okeroa
“That’s disconcerting. All our coastlines are under threat, open to relentless plunder and the breaching of our tikanga. We want to retain the quantity and quality of the kai just like it was when our old people practised customary ways to ensure replenishment of the kai.”
A four-person Takutai Team and programme was put in place this year by Te Kāhui o Taranaki to support the rāhui and use of Section 186a.
Co-ordinated by Lisa Ison, who helped kaumātua lead out and monitor the rāhui in its early days, the Takutai Team advocates for sustainable fishing practices, fosters community collaboration, and through outreach programmes empowers younger generations to develop a strong sense of kaitiakitanga over their coastal heritage.
Working with marine biologists and scientists, the team has also started surveying kaimoana stocks to gather baseline information in preparation for ongoing monitoring.
“It’s going to be something that keeps having to be monitored given the pressures coming into this space, including climate change,” Lisa says.
“Moving forward, we are going to have to be kaitiaki in so many different places that we never thought we’d need to be.”
“We don’t want our tamariki, our mokopuna and our mokomokopuna to be sitting at the end of Arawhata Rd having to monitor poachers.”
The team has held wānanga with hapū on customary rights and marine protection tools available to Māori.
“We’re waiting to hear back as to what hapū want to do to support kaitiakitanga in the future.”
“That was quite empowering. It showed pride, the huge positive impact of a shared identity and that our people want to represent themselves as Taranaki Iwi.”
“We want to retain the quantity and quality of the kai just like it was when our old people practised customary ways to ensure replenishment of the kai.”
Mahara Okeroa
Taiao Team updates
Pou Taiao
Ngāwai Terry has been appointed Pou Taiao, filling a long-term vacancy. The work focuses on policy and engagement between local and central government and hapū and iwi on Taiao matters, as well as managing the large Taiao team.
Ngāwai says demands on iwi, including consenting processes, reforms, new legislation and policy, mean the Taiao space will remain a critical area for Taranaki Iwi, underscoring the importance of enabling hapū in expanded kaitiakitanga roles.
Pou Whirinaki
Carl Owen has been welcomed to the Pou Whirinaki planning and resource consents role. The work focuses primarily on engaging with hapū around resource consenting processes, and also utilises Carl’s experience and knowledge in awa monitoring, rāhui, takutai and sites of significance, including Reserve Management Plan sites.
Jobs for Nature
The team is almost halfway through the Jobs for Nature programme. Having met many of the funding targets in the first few months, including completing a significant planting programme, future work will be additional to the requirements of the funding. A major initiative has been establishing the nursery at Pungarehu, with 90% of plants eco-sourced from the rohe and with whakapapa to Taranaki Iwi.
GIS monitoring
Taipuni Ruakere, one of the original Toa Taiao team of four, has taken up the new role of GIS technician. Having almost completed his GIS qualifications, Taipuni will now focus fulltime on GIS mapping and information services, including gathering and interpreting data in maps and overlays to provide visual information on sites of significance, awa and takutai monitoring and surveys, erosion and other areas.
Images:
Previous page (left): Mekhi and Mark Wipatene - Tiripoua, March 2023. Taken at the Ikaparua awa.
Previous page (right): Te Kāhui o Taranaki Takutai team members observing reef activity.
Oppostie page: Ngā uri o Taranaki - attendees Tiripoua, March 2023. Taken at Ikaparua awa.
Above (top): Ngāwai Terry and Aaliyah Turnbull-Terryattendees Tiripoua, March 2023.
Above (bottom): We have completed a significant planting programme this year as part of the Jobs for Nature programme.
Planting
Volunteer Rāhui Monitors
30-40
Whanake mai ai
Puia ki te hauangi
Supporting our whānau, marae pā, hapū and uri to reach their potential.
Falling for te Taiao:
The mahi transforming ngahere and kaimahi rangatahi
He jumped at a chance to join the Toa Taiao trapping team, Te Patu Kiore, working to protect and restore biodiversity on ancestral lands by controlling invasive species.
The 33-year-old had notched up 12 years in scaffolding when he was drawn to work he saw iwi doing in te Taiao.
“All I knew was that I wanted to get in there, too. I didn’t quite know what I was getting into – I just wanted to get back to our iwi, our whānau and our people.”
“When you’ve been brought up around te ao Māori and go through kōhanga and kura, the transition into te ao hurihuri, the Pākehā world, leads to a lot of mistakes and trials and tribulations. I noticed I was going up and down in that world. I wanted to change – that’s what brought me back to here.”
Mawene took up a cadet ranger role several years ago with the Taranaki Mounga Project, a conservation partnership between Taranaki Iwi, the community and government to eradicate pests and weeds and restore wildlife across more than 34,000ha.
“I worked alongside Te Papa Atawhai/Department of Conservation (DOC) to pick up skills and mātauranga to bring back to wānanga with our iwi.”
The team’s name Toa Taiao – Guardians of the Environment – resonates with Mawene. He has found the work is nurturing deep connections back to the whenua.
“I didn’t know much about trapping, I didn’t know our manu were in decline. Being in this Taiao space opened up my whakaaro and mātauranga around our rākau, our manu, our awa, our mounga.”
“It wasn’t just trapping, it was everything about reconnecting ourselves to the Taiao. And the best thing for me is that my mahi is for our whānau, our iwi.”
“Fast forward two years, and I have completed my Level 3 pest management course. Now I’ve put my hand up for the Level 4 conservation course. It’s been a challenge, but I’ve accepted that wero. I’m not the type of person to give up.”
Mawene says the introduction of invasive predators like rats, stoats and possums has caused serious damage to native flora and fauna. He says intensive pest control programmes like Te Patu Kiore help protect and restore fragile ecosystems.
“It involves trapping kiore, stoats, ferrets, possums and sometimes feral cats on the 29 pā sites that have been handed back to Taranaki Iwi by treaty settlement. It also covers the trap network on the western face of the
Toa Taiao trapper Mawene Bidois knew nothing about the Taiao when he came to work for Taranaki Iwi.
“Being in this Taiao space opened up my whakaaro and mātauranga around our rākau, our manu, our awa, our mounga.”
Mawene Bidois
mounga. That’s a virgin area with no trap boxes. We’re just starting the network, working from the bottom.”
The father of two says he hopes more rangatahi will adopt kaitiakitanga as a philosophy for life.
“It’s taken getting to 30 for me to know that we have a beautiful Taiao. There’s a lot of areas we need to be working in. It’s not just trapping – it’s growing our native rākau, looking after our waterways, and we’ve got a big moana out here, too.”
“All that mātauranga that’s passed down to me, hopefully I can pass down to future generations. I’d like to keep this ball rolling. I want our tamariki to want to be in the Taiao. I want my mokopuna to one day look back and say ‘my koro was the man’. So I give back to our whānau and tamariki for āpōpō.”
Tipunakore Rangiwai also came to Te Patu Kiore from the Taranaki Mounga Project. He was welcomed as a 16-year-old, one of the first cadet rangers under the START (Supporting Today’s At Risk Teenagers) programme and working closely with DOC on predator control.
“I was in my teenage phase and playing up a little bit, I guess, learning right from wrong.
I literally did not know anything about mahi Taiao, but after my first day I couldn’t believe you could consider that a job. It just didn’t feel like it. You get to be out in nature all day, up on the maunga. It’s just beautiful. I pretty much fell in love.”
Now 20, Tipunakore says he enjoys the physical challenge.
“I thought I was fit from sport but up on the maunga it’s a whole different type of fitness. I enjoy the challenge, the hikes, being able to walk kilometres every day in the bush … not many other people get to do that. It has been a confidence boost for me.”
After completing his two-year Taiao apprenticeship, Tipunakore joined the Taranaki Iwi environmental team.
“I like being able to use what I’ve learnt and develop new skills, like organising trap lines. This mahi has changed my life drastically, in so many ways. I have the opportunity to better myself and keep working toward being my best version.”
“It’s a massive privilege to be able to honour those taiao spaces by trying to revitalise them. It just feels purposeful. You can actually make an impact on something.”
“From the time that I’ve worked in there, you can see a difference. You hear and see more manu and there aren’t as many pests in the traps. You see the ngahere grow. It used to be really grey in the undergrowth, and now in certain parts of the bush that we’re trapping out, you see growth, it’s green and the canopy’s thriving.”
“I’m just grateful to Taranaki Mounga Project for giving me the opportunity and to everyone who has helped me and taught me something on my journey.”
“It’s a massive privilege to be able to honour those taiao spaces by trying to revitalise them. It just feels purposeful. You can actually make an impact on something.”
Tipunakore RangiwaiImages: Previous page (left): Ngā Iwi o Taranaki hikoi through Pungarehu School - Tiripoua, March 2023. Previous page (right): Mawene Bidois. Left: Tipunakore Rangiwai.
What does it mean to work for the iwi?
Internships, cadetships and work experience opportunities are creating pathways for young people into Taranaki Iwi spaces.
Pou Kōkiri Mark Wipatene says a key initiative is opening the doors for uri to experience working in the iwi environment.
“We’re making a conscious effort to create opportunities in everything we do to include cadets, interns and experiences that will forge a pathway for uri, particularly taiohi.”
“These opportunities bring uri in to find out what it is to work for the iwi. It exposes them to the many things we do as an organisation. It also allows us to identify talent, to develop pathways for our young ones to be involved and to grow our succession plans.”
Te Kāhui runs an internship programme providing paid opportunities for several tertiary students each semester break, a total of at least 10 throughout the year. The short periods of on-the-job experience are pitched mainly at university students but are also open to any uri who may be interested.
Interns generally work in the office with management and administration teams, and in the summer help organise wānanga and events.
Cadet programmes are a longer-term investment, providing deeper insights into working for the iwi. Cadetships are currently in place in two areas – design and communications, and te Taiao.
Digital design and communications cadet Casio Austin’s stint with Te Kāhui comes on the back of training in the first cohort of the LearnerMe information technology programme. The cadetship is developing Casio’s skills and knowledge, and bringing her graphic design skills to iwi communications, merchandise, pānui and web development.
There are also two kaitiaki whenua cadets in the environmental team. Working mainly with the Jobs for
Nature/Maara Kai teams, the cadets are gaining handson experience in all Toa Taiao workstreams.
“We’re always looking for avenues to develop more opportunities for uri, whether cadetships, internships or employment,” Mark says.
The Trust also works with fellow iwi to share mātauranga and skills.
“As the environmental programme has advanced over the past 12 months, a Taiao partnership with Ngā Rauru has developed to bring one of their kaitiaki taiao to join us three days a week.”
“It’s an opportunity for that person to learn, observe and participate in mahi we’re doing and take new skills back to Ngā Rauru to help implement their taiao programme.”
“That’s been working really well. It’s nice to have that relationship with a fellow iwi organisation, to be able to rekindle those relationships and awhi each other.”
Internships
Anika Bailey
Nicola Mathys
Rongomaihenga Waerea-Hohaia
Shaye Witehira
Cadets
Fatiauma Moeahu-Leota
Rhys Young
Work Placement
Iwi collaboration with Ngā Rauru
Kī Tahi: Timara Wallace
Work Experience
Charles Knight
Matthew Knight
Sean Young
Taiora Capper
Te Rauna Whaiapu-Cassidy
Kōrari Pāhake Grants
A partnership with Triton Hearing
A partnership agreement between Te Kāhui o Taranaki and Triton Hearing is giving eligible pāhake free hearing tests, funding for hearing aids and a lifetime care package.
The Kōrari Pāhake Grants were launched at the AGM in October 2022. The partnership initiative offers free diagnostic hearing assessments to eligible pāhake. If a hearing aid is required, a contribution of up to $1000 is made for moulds, examinations or hearing devices.
In addition, Triton Hearing provides a lifetime free care package (valued at $1200) for the iwi member. The package includes free follow-up appointments and onsite repairs for the life of the hearing aid.
Seventeen uri were screened initially, and 12 pāhake have so far received funding of up to $1000 toward their hearing aids.
Te Kāhui has a Hearing Kiosk at our Young Street offices for anyone who would like to drop in and do a hearing check.
Learner Me Hangarau Akoranga (LMHA) programme
The website design and rebuild continued over the past year in conjunction with the ‘no cost’ Information Technology programme led by Learner Me Tech Academy. Learner Me runs programmes based in New Plymouth for taiohi aged between 15 and 24.
A second cohort of nine tauira worked on the design and web pages last year and graduated in November 2022. The third cohort of seven tauira worked on the final design, colour palette, aesthetic look and feel, and dialogue updates, and will graduate in January 2024.
Haoro Hond was contracted to lead the final stage. A programme of guest speakers shared their knowledge with tauira on subjects including Taiao and GIS mapping systems, Māori game development, toi Māori and Taranakitanga. To learn more about Taranaki Iwi sites and historical events, tauira also visited pā sites and marae, and took part in riparian planting.
The draft website design and rebuild will be presented to Te Kāhui o Taranaki operations team for a final review before being coded by Learner Me as a finished product, ready to launch later in 2023.
FREE diagnostic hearing assessments up to $1000 contribution to moulds, exams or hearing devices
FREE lifetime care package
Screened initially 17 12
Funded (up to $1000 for hearing aids)
Grants & Distributions
Total value of pūtea distributed
$861,081
$9,752 Pātaka Whata
Marae/Pā
$420,000
Total 7
Environment delivery model/land management (includes Taiao operating exps)
$170,074
Ka Uruora Whānau Saver Contributions
$19,311
Uri Discretionary Grants
$108,688
Education Grants
$94,320
Total 211
Charitable distribution (to East Coast re: Cyclone Gabrielle)
$15,000
Website, branding & design
$7,735
Cultural, tikanga, marae hui & wānanga includes:
$25,953
Uri Discretionary Grants
• Paepae wānanga
• LM support
• MRL support
• Ngā Iwi whānau day
• Pāhake Hā Tī
Education Grants
$94,320 in
Te
13 Recipients in Masters level of study study
4 Recipients in Doctorate PHD level
of
GRANT RECIPIENT LIST - Secondary ($270 each)
Akapita-Makea, Taleah Jay
Awhitu, Karlos
Behan-Kitto, Ngahina
Bell, Ethan John
Blackburn, Ariria
Bowley, Nathan
Chase-Ropiha, Hinekorangi
Chase-Ropiha, Ngarangi
Cook, Bethany
Cook, Tessa
Donovan, Campbell Shay
Donovan, Renee
Dormer, Lucas
Dunphy, Ella
Edwardson, Zahria
Ewington, Phoebe
Faneva, Levi
Goodchap, Ava
Goodchap, Maddi
Gopal, Agape
Haumate, Zarius
Hema, Keisha
Hema, Te Ariki
Hewson Baldwin, Jackson
Hewson Baldwin, Lachlan
Hockley, Pikihuia Kawarau
Hockley, Russell Ngatauerua
Horo, Cassie
Hughes, Kaelah
Hughes, Kavelle John Wiremu
Hurley, Georgina
Ihimaera-Robinson, Christopher
Inia, Beaudine
Ison, Karolin
Jury, Hugo
Kake, Quintin
King, Asha
Leicester, Brody
Lichtwark, Rory
Lind, Tainui
Looney, Payton
Manu, Breez
Mason, Jahkeil
Mason, Rikiana
Mātene, Mātātoa Mathieson-Julian, Taihua Mathieson-Julian, Te Waikaukau
Mathieson-Julian, Wiremu
Mclachlan, Taelyn
Mcminn, Cjay
Mcminn, Francilla kaprice
Millar, Joseph
Millar, Maia
Moeahu, Jaxon
Moeahu, Mason
Nair, Jaia
Nair, Kyan
Ngaia-Ratima, Neihana
Ngaia, Haelyn
Ngaia, Kodee
Ngohe, Kauri
Paratene-Pokai, Tama
Prestney, Keanu Tawhai
Rangi, Levi
Rangi, Ngakau
Rangi, Nikkholas
Rangi, Oracle
Rangiwahia, Jack
Rangiwahia, Ruby
Ratahi-Smith, Cassidy
Raven, Kace
Raven, Mena
Roberts, Griffin
Rodway, Hailee-Jayde
Rona, Kohein
Sands, Jordi
Sinclair, Stacey
Smith, Harlow
Secondary (continued) ($270 each)
Spice, Cooper
Sullivan, Te Rau
Sutherland, Harper
Sutherland, Marley Jae
Taiaroa Bunyan, Jahlee
Takarangi-Smith, Kingston
Tamatea, Jahrese
Tamatea, Jerome
Tamati, Arleigh
Tertiary ($600 each)
Akapita, Ngaputiputi
Alves, Brooklyn
Antipas, Gabriel
Bailey, Hinemarie
Baldwin, Renee
Bell, Owen James
Berge, Jayla
Best, Anna
Bloor, Kaiah
Broad, Taylor
Broughton, Marama
Buchanan, Thomas
Burgess, Neave
Campbell, Aisha
Capper, Tiana
Chase, Helena
Coffey, Reuben
Conaglen, Tere Moana Nui Akiwa
Cook, Ella
Cronin, Paula
Donald, Jasmine
Doyle, Metiria-Hinekorangi
Doyle, Te Puni
Edwards, Thomas
Elkington, Kelsea
Forsyth, Kade
Foster, Teresa
Foster, Tyrone
Gadsby, Wade
Gower, Adriena
Gower, Michael
Grant, Georgia
Hau, Joseph
Hema, Tasheena
Hitchcock, Joshua
Horo, Gabriella
Kemp, Lena
King-Blokker, Petrus
King, Maia King, Narlisa
Tamati, Zion
Taylor, Hugo
Taylor, Oscar
Te Wiki, Jade
TeNana-Eriepa, Komene-James
Tito, Cayden-James
Totorewa, Saul
Tovio-Ratahi, Nathaniel
Vano-Mohi, Tiki
Vano-Mohi, Waitohi
Wallace, Kianu
Weston-Jacobson, Letisha-Rei Aroha
Williams, Lyric
Wilton, Ngapera
Winikerei, Komai
Winikerei, Nataria
Winikerei, Te Aukaha-Ki-Hawaiki
Young, Sean
Young, Taylen
King, Renata
Knuckey, Symon Rangimokai
Komene, William
Kupe, Taylor
Love, Blake
Luke-Taamaru, Janine
MacDonald, Gina
MacDonald, Ray
Maclennan, Anais
Mahura, Sophie
Maruera, Hohapata
Mathieson-Mana, Pehitu
Mathys, Mikayla
Matuku, Ethan
Moeahu, Dinnie
Murray-Taka, Shaylah
Ngaia, Kahana
Ngaia, Teina Te Rangi
Ngata-Turley, Courtney
Osborne, Roka reni
Otene, Zhane
Owen, Tiaan
Pikimaui, Basie
Rameka (nee) Archibald, Bianca
raven, asha
Richter, Paige Taylor
Ritai, Huria
Ritai, Ngatupara
Rona, Sarika
Ruakere Papuni, Tapeka
Ruakere-Norris, Te Karira
Saitala, Clare
Sharland, Wade
Simon, Aimee
Stanyon, Whakairitaua Grace
Swindells, Rebecca
Tamatea, Paige
Tarlton, Ivan
Tauru, Daniel
Taylor, Charlie
Taylor, Dana
Te Rata-Owen, Marino
Te Rei Tuta, Tamaarangi
Tuhaka, Tuomas
Tupangaia, Ana
Waerea-Hohaia, Rongomaihenga
Wagner, Jessica
Wallace-Edwards, Oriana
Wallace, Nika
Wallacehoskin, Symonn
Watson, Morgana
Watts, Naomi
Weston-Jacobson, Pikiteora
Weston, Gabrial
Wipatene, Ella
Wipatene, Sean
Witehira, Shaye
Vocational ($1000 each)
Coffey, Ryan
Koha, Peter (2022 & 2023, both paid FY23)
McGuigan, Gerald Taena
Owen, Caius
Sandbrook, Natasha
Sands, Noah
Non-Funded Short
Course (up to $500 each)
Walters, Liahna
Taketake Tangata
Takea ki te pūtake
Ensure and enable the voice of influence and advocacy for Taranaki iwi and our marae pā, hapū and uri.
Iwi sign off ‘uniquely Taranaki’ redress for maunga confiscation
Collective redress for the confiscation of Taranaki maunga puts in place protection arrangements in a “uniquely Taranaki way”.
Signed by the eight iwi of Taranaki at Owae Marae in Waitara on September 1, the deed of settlement
Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo recognises the peaks of the national park as ancestral maunga and collectively gives them rights of legal personhood.
Crown ownership will end and ngā maunga – known as Te Kāhui Tupua – will own themselves. Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo will take precedence over the National Park Act.
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust chair Jacqui King says the settlement, negotiated with the Crown by the Taranaki Maunga Collective, is rooted in Taranaki values and includes an historical account of the confiscation, a Crown apology and shared governance of the 36,000ha Te Papakura o Taranaki national park.
“Fundamentally, what this means is recognition that whatever arrangements are put in place for the maunga, they have to be for the benefit of ngā maunga.”
“The arrangements articulate that in a uniquely Taranaki way. They describe the distinct characteristics of ngā maunga and are representative of both Te Kāhui Tupua and the people of Taranaki.”
The deed negotiated over six years with the Crown was initialled in March by iwi negotiators at Aotearoa Pā in the rohe of Ngāruahine, and ratified in August by uri of the eight iwi. Each iwi ran its own ratification process and poll.
The Trust chair says there was plenty of opportunity for uri to engage and understand the arrangements, and she was pleased to see good voter turnout among uri of Taranaki Iwi.
“The response rate from Taranaki Iwi was excellent with a voter turnout of 30.82%. That’s just over 1,300 votes with 97.12% of whānau approving the redress
arrangements. This participation highlighted how engaged our whānau were in this process.”
She says the process to achieve maunga redress took far longer than the six years of collective negotiation.
“Our claims around confiscation of the maunga started decades ago when each of our iwi first started on their respective settlement journeys. We all included the maunga confiscation and its impacts as part of those respective claims but the Crown would not recognise that in our individual settlements.”
“The Crown would not negotiate until all eight iwi had settled and agreed on an approach to the maunga. We can’t forget that the maunga redress is a continuation of our individual respective settlement claims.”
The redress provides a financial base to support the Iwi with carrying out their statutory functions. The group will be required to give effect to the arrangements including developing park management plans, which will then need approval from the Minister of Conservation and the collective iwi governance entity Te Tōpuni Ngārahu. The Department of Conservation will retain day-to-day management.
“The Crown would not negotiate until all eight iwi had settled and agreed on an approach to the maunga. We can’t forget that the maunga redress is a continuation of our individual respective settlement claims.”
Jacqui King
“The new park management plan is where the rubber will hit the road,” Jacqui says. “While governance is important, the new national park framework He Kawa Ora will detail and determine the what, how and when for ngā maunga and embed principles of identity and protection.”
“Planners from the Crown and iwi will prepare the new management plan. It will then be signed off by the respective governance. He Kawa Ora must take into account the overarching principles of the maunga redress arrangements. It will become the blueprint for those managing day-to-day operations and those using the park and will be updated every 10 years.”
The final step to settle the claims is passing legislation through Parliament to make the terms of settlement legally binding.
Images:
Previous page: Some of our uri and PKW kaimahi.
Left: Jamie Tuuta - Taranaki Maunga Negotiator.
Below: Vicki Erueti, Tiahuia (Chicken) Abraham and Alice Doorbar.
All images taken at Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo initialling, Aotearoa Pā, 31 March 2023.
Images supplied by Taranaki Māori Trust Board. Photographer: Tania Niwa Photographer.
“While governance is important, the new national park framework He Kawa Ora will detail and determine the what, how and when for ngā maunga and embed principles of identity and protection.”
Jacqui King
Representation
Local | Regional | National
Te Huinga Taumatua (NPDC Iwi Liaison Committee)
Taranaki Iwi Representative - Jacqui King
Te Kāhui Matauraura (STDC Iwi Liaison Committee)
Taranaki Iwi Representatives - Wharehoka Wano & Ngāwai Terry
Huinga Iwi (STDC Operations Iwi Liaison Hui)
Taranaki Iwi RepresentativesWharehoka Wano & Ngāwai Terry
Ngā Kaitiaki (STDC Plan review Kaitiaki Group)
Taranaki Iwi RepresentativesMark Wipatene & Ngāwai Terry
Involvement in multiple hui for the following:
Legislation reform consultation and engagement
• Crown Minerals Act
• Conservation Management and Process
• Conservation Land
• Wildlife Act Review
• Drinking Water Standards
• National Adaptation Plan
• Freshwater National Policy Statement
• Three Waters
• Resource Management Act Reform
Local Government engagement
• STDC Road Naming Policy Advisory Group
• STDC Huinga-ā-iwi
• NPDC Stormwater Catchment Management Planning
• NPDC He Puna Wai
Taranaki Regional Council (TRC Policy & Planning Committee)
Taranaki Iwi Representative - Peter Moeahu
Taranaki Regional Council (Consents & Regulatory Committee)
Taranaki Iwi Representative - Tuhi-Ao Bailey
Ngā Iwi o Taranaki (NIOT) Chairs Forum
Jacqui King & Wharehoka Wano
Te Punanga Ora
Leanne Horo
Ngā Kaiwhakatere / Regional Leadership Forum
Jacqui King
National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF)
Jacqui King & Wharehoka Wano
Te Kāhui o Taranaki related responses and activities
• Taranaki Mounga –Seabird relocation
• Ōkato School development
• Kordia
• OMV
• Greymouth Petroleum
• MBIE – Block offer process
Resource Consents/Permits/Concessions
Kawe Whakahaere
Providing the shelter and environment to protect and grow the capacity and capability to implement our iwi aspirations.
Iwi build tackles housing need
“We’re very much aware of our environmental responsibility – we want to do things right and set an example for other developers.”
The development is in the pre-application phase for consenting, with works set to begin next year.
The work includes design and planning for a flagship development of 24 new homes, a community hub and a new wetland in Ōkato.
Two further projects will provide another three homes on a separate site in Ōkato, and six new homes in Ōpunakē – a total of 32 new houses and one renovated home across the two townships.
Pou Kōkiri Mark Wipatene says the flagship development on the old Ōkato School site will provide 18 three-bedroom houses and six one- or twobedroom kaumātua homes. In addition, a community hub will be developed.
“One of the old school classrooms has a Heritage NZ covenant on it. It will stay on site as a satellite tari and a place for marae pā, hapū and whānau to utilise.”
The development will also include an initiative to re-expose a “buried” awa that flows through the back of the property.
“One of the key features will be the daylighting of this awa to open it back up. Connected with that work will be an engineered wetlands. Its main purpose is to treat stormwater from the new development, contributing to the health of the Mangaone awa.
“All stormwater will be channelled into the wetlands where stones, gravel and plants will act as natural filters, treating the water naturally before it is released into the awa. The wetlands will regulate the flow of stormwater into the awa, creating a catchment barrier against flooding so that high volumes after heavy rain aren’t hitting the awa and creating issues downstream.
“It will also provide a habitat for wildlife and have aesthetic and recreational value, with walkways around the area built into the design.”
Creating an engineered wetland to treat stormwater is “the hard way to do things” but will set a benchmark for future developments, Mark says.
The second building project in Ōkato is at Old South Rd, on a property bought through the deferred selection property (DSP) mechanism under Treaty settlement. Two three-bedroom houses are under construction with a third home on a neighbouring DSP property being upgraded. The work should be completed by November.
Building is also underway on two large sites in Tennyson St, Ōpunakē, again purchased through the DSP process. Six new three-bedroom builds will be completed next year.
All three housing developments will be named in consultation with tangata whenua.
“We will also be working with whānau on ways to express our cultural narrative within all of those sites,” Mark says.
The homes will be available to rent or for Progressive Home Ownership under the joint iwi housing initiative Ka Uruora.
“And we will continue to look for housing opportunities in the rohe. There is huge demand for affordable homes. We’re working hard to address this need, and we’re not taking a commercial view.”
A major building programme is underway on three Te Kāhui o Taranaki sites in Ōkato and Ōpunakē.
“There is huge demand for affordable homes. We’re working hard to address this need, and we’re not taking a commercial view.”
Mark Wipatene
A helping hand toward home ownership
Taranaki Iwi who have never owned a home before are being supported into ownership through the joint iwi housing initiative Ka Uruora.
The programme helps uri build financial capability and shares the purchase cost and ownership of a house until whānau can afford full ownership.
Mother of six Te Ingo Ngaia achieved her goal of shared home ownership in 2022.
“I embarked on this home ownership programme because of the opportunities to be on our whenua. Hearing about the whare here in Ōkato, it was where I wanted to be.”
“We were tenants before we became shared owners in this whare. I didn’t want my money to be dead money anymore, that’s how I saw rent. I want all uri to have the stability that I’m feeling right now.”
“The financial literacy part of the programme definitely grew my understanding of what has an impact on my habits. The support – having someone there to explain, to push, to clarify what’s going on – was more than I expected.”
“As an iwi, as a hapū, as a marae, we’re there for each other. I needed that.”
Home ownership has always been a goal for Tod and Ani Sharland.
“Ani and I tried to buy a home previously in Rotorua. Regardless of how much money we brought to the table, and we could service the debt, it was always on the institutions’ shoulders to say yea or nay. We never heard a yea.”
“With an iwi-led solution, the point of view was different – awhi, aroha, manaakitanga. Having been knocked down previously in other areas, it was nice to come back home and be surrounded by whānau who are in your corner and backing you.”
“Owning a whare is security as we look toward our future, our retirement years, and being able to leave a financial legacy for our two children. Working with Ka Uruora – a wonderful experience. We’ll never be able to thank them enough.”
Vicki and Dean Wall were the first to buy through the shared equity (now Progressive Home Ownership) model, in 2021 becoming proud owners of the Ōpūnake whare they had been renting for 13 years.
“There has always been this feel about this place. We just love it,” Vicki says.
She says completing the financial literacy programme Sorted Kāinga Ora was “the best thing we ever did”. They reined in their spending and lived off one of their incomes. Saving the other for a deposit, they were able to buy 90 percent of the property, with Ka Uruora contributing the remaining 10 percent.
In just the short time since then, they continued to save hard until they were able to buy Ka Uruora out. They now own 100% of their whare.
“What Ka Uruora has done for us now allows us to live the life we wanted to. We can really lay down our roots,” Vicki says.
Images:
Previous page: Te Ingo Ngaia with Ka Uruora team members and her whānau at her home in Ōkato.
Below:Tod & Ani Sharland.
Images supplied by Ka Uruora.
Ka Uruora
Housing Programme
Refurbishments complete: 6
2 in Ōkato
4 in Ōpunakē
Financial Literacy completed
Total iwi combined: 161
WhānauSaver
Whānau supported into Home Ownership
Te Kāhui o Taranaki: 6
Whānau supported into Ka Uruora Shared Equity
4 In progress 2
Pipeline
Total Iwi combined: 11
Whānau supported into Ka Uruora Shared Equity
5
Whānau supported into outright Home Ownership
6
Location Houses/ Units Delivery Update
Old South Rd, Ōkato 3 Nov 23
Tennyson St, Ōpunakē 6 Apr 24
Ōkato School 24 2025
Vertical build in progress
Site cleared, finalising consent
Finalising business case
Total iwi combined: 645
Total iwi combined: $258k
Communications and Social Media reach:
61,463
321
Chair Report
Tēnā koutou katoa, me pēnei te kōrero haere ngā mihi, haere ngā mate, haere whakamua tō tātou iwi o Taranaki.
Taranaki Iwi Holdings LP (‘Holdings’) is the commercial arm of Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust (‘Te Kāhui’). We are led by a separate board and take responsibility for delivering Te Kāhui the financial resources it needs to support the wider goals of Tararanki Iwi.
Since our formation in FY16, our primary focus is to manage the commercial pūtea of Te Kāhui.
We seek to balance the provision of reliable annual income to Te Kāhui with reinvestment for the long-term growth of financial and non-financial assets.
We do this by holding a blend of assets that deliver different sorts of risks and returns.
This diversification has helped us in the past year. We saw volatility in financial markets and asset values globally, but a comeback came when least expected. Meanwhile, our direct domestic assets came under some pressure through weaker than expected rebound in commodities demand.
While some of our assets did not meet expectations, others performed well. This resulted in positive operating and total returns and we were able to deliver a record distribution of $2.7m to Te Kāhui.
We are well on our way towards our long-term target portfolio and see this past year as a validation of our work to date. We will continue to implement our strategy and look for good quality long-term assets with commercially strong partners in the years ahead.
Andy Knight
“While some of our assets did not meet expectations, others performed well. This resulted in positive operating and total returns and we were able to deliver a record distribution of $2.7m to Te Kāhui.”
Andy Knight
Our structure and reporting
The pūtea is run through two entities. Taranaki Iwi Holdings Limited Partnership (‘TIHLP’ or ‘Holdings’) is the main investment arm. But Settlement Fisheries assets are subject to special regulation and hence sit in Taranaki Iwi Fisheries Limited (‘TIFL’). Both entities are governed by the same board, separate to Te Kāhui, and run together as a commercial portfolio
Unless specially stated otherwise:
• Analysis is on a consolidated Commercial Group basis (TIHLP and TIFL combined)
• Equity is the market value of total Commercial Group equity & quasi equity
> Market value adjustment for TIFL quota assets which are held at cost
> Long term related party and marae loans are considered quasi equity
• Profit and returns are before tax and interest on quasi equity.
Financial Performance
FY23 Highlights
• Operating profit of $4.0m, up $0.6m on FY22. This is a return of 3.3% on opening equity
• Total return including changes in the value of assets of 4.2%
• Pressure on property values
• Overall good performance in financial assets but with a sombre first half of the year and a positive second half
• A tough year for our dairy investment but good performance out of our other agri assets
• Ongoing recovery in our Australasian infrastructure investment
• Over the last five years we have returned an average annual rate of 7.9%, which is above our long-term targets
• Our total pūtea was worth $128m at year end, up on $120m at the end of FY22
• We made a distribution of $2.70m to Te Kāhui through the year; this was up $450k on last year.
Our Vision
We are guided by Te Kāhui’s vision and values:
• Me Tōngai Harakeke
• Kia rongomou, Kia manawanui, Kia aroha ki te tangata, Kia tika, kia pono
Our purpose is to be an outstanding investment company for Taranaki Iwi and a respected economic leader in the Taranaki region. We apply the Te Kāhui o Taranaki whenu to our commercial activity:
Te Kāhui Whenu Te Kāhui Strategic Goals
TIHLP Goals
• Enhanced identity and pride through visible iwi commercial success
Taranakitanga
To strengthen our Taranaki iwi cultural identity and bring us together as whānau
Taiao
Whanake mai ai
Taketake Tangata
To protect the wellbeing of our taiao, our maunga, awa, moana and whenua
• Taranaki Iwi narrative included within commercial ventures where feasible
• Rebuild Taranaki Iwi’s economic role in its rohe
• Operate in a manner that reflects Taranaki Iwi values
• Leading environmental practices
• Leading health & safety practices
• Industry sector leadership
• Marae / Hapū and iwi members have greater connection to the commercial investments
Kawe Whakahaere
To support our whānau, marae pā, hapū and uri to reach their potential
• Growth that more than maintains the real value (inflation and population) of pūtea
• Supporting Te Kāhui group on collaborative initiatives that deliver to whānau and hapū
• Successful co-investment with other aligned Iwi and Māori entities
To ensure and enable the voice of influence and advocacy for Taranaki iwi and our marae pā, hapū and uri
• Contribution to the growth of and providing opportunity to Taranaki Iwi, Māori and Taranaki economies
• Leading industry sector risk-adjusted returns
• Best practice governance practice and commercial decision making
• Strong progress towards target asset allocation and direct investment plan
Providing the shelter and environment to protect and grow the capacity and capability to implement our iwi aspirations
• Out-perform return and distribution targets
• Resilient in maintaining distributions through downturns
• Value add and cost-efficient management
• Partnering with aligned and best in class industry operators to build long-term capacity
What we do
We have two main roles.
1. We need to deliver reliable annual income to our owner, Te Kāhui so it can fund its activities.
2. We also need to reinvest to grow the pūtea sustainably so that it can meet the long term needs of the growing iwi population.
Balancing these two objectives is the focus of our investment strategy.
We approach this by thinking first about risk and second about the style of investment.
We classify risk as the reliability of an asset’s cash or operating income.
Certain assets like cash in the bank or high-quality investment property (e.g. leased to the Crown) will almost always deliver the income expected. Other assets will deliver higher income but less reliably, still other assets will probably not deliver cash income but will grow in value – this is things like private equity or development property. We seek an appropriate balance with broadly half the portfolio in the first category to underpin the annual distribution.
Then we think about how to invest.
There are two main options: investing directly or investing via the financial markets.
We have certain advantages such as our ownership by mana whenua, our long-term investment horizon, our people and relationships and our scale.
We believe these advantages can be turned into better than average returns for risk by investing directly, in less liquid assets. This is more complicated and requires discipline, but worthwhile.
We seek best-in-class assets, clean and clear mandates and governance and good partners. You can see this in action in our collectives of Tai-Hekenga, Hāpai and Pūainuku. In each case we have delivered returns above that we’d likely achieve in a similar risk financial product.
Financial products have their place in our portfolio though. They deliver cheap, easy and liquid access to all sorts of global assets in which we enjoy no advantage.
Translating all of this into investment goals we want to build a portfolio of reasonable scale, high-quality direct assets that we hold for the long term. We will use financial assets more heavily while this is being implemented but continue to use them to provide efficient diversification within portfolio settings.
“... we want to build a portfolio of reasonable scale, high-quality direct assets that we hold for the long term.”
Andy Knight
Our Current Portfolio
By year end we had a total commercial pūtea (including TIFL quota at market value) of $128m.
This is invested in line with long-term risk targets and, within this, into a range of different vehicles and assets.
Total Commercial Pūtea
The following graph represents significant development from six years ago, immediately post-settlement, when our portfolio was wholly cash.
We cover major activity across the portfolio, on the following pages.
New Investment Activity in FY23
Through the year:
• We met various capital calls to our series of Hāpai vehicles, seeing us increase overall investment here by $3.1m. We now have $14.1m in Hāpai Commercial, $5.0m in Hāpai Housing and $4.2m in Hāpai Development
• In our diversified agribusiness we completed our commitment to Pūai Tangaroa. This vehicle acquired a 26-tonne tranche of kōura quota and settlement was in March. In total we have about $2.0m invested in this business
• We met ongoing minor calls for a variety of private equity funds that collectively account for 10% of our portfolio
• We funded some of this through redemptions in managed funds and hold a little under $30m worth across a range of risks, down from $32m at year start
• We progressed significant local impact investment projects, notably in housing.
Local Investment and Housing
We currently have around $19m invested in the rohe (including settlement quota), or just under 15% of the total portfolio. Without settlement quota it is around 10%.
Our main local impact assets are our stake in the Novotel Ngāmotu Taranaki hotel; the properties we own and lease back to the Crown or Te Kāhui and the properties we are developing for affordable housing in partnership Ka Uruora.
We have bought and refurbished six houses over the past couple of years. Four of these have been sold into affordable ownership (shared equity) and two more will be soon.
We have 9 further houses currently under development across two sites, due for completion in the coming year. One house is to be sold into shared ownership and the others will be offered as affordable rentals to iwi whānau. This was made possible thanks to the support of Ka Uruora.
We are also well advanced on planning for our largest housing project yet at the former Ōkato school. This is a challenging site but we believe we can deliver 18 houses and potentially six units here in the coming years, and provide these affordably into the iwi community alongside our partner, Ka Uruora.
At time of writing we are about to submit consent. We hope to commence works over the coming summer period. This will be a major investment and activity focus for us over the coming couple of years.
Affordable Housing in partnership with Ka Uruora
Houses sold (shared equity)
Houses soon to be sold
4
2
Houses under development 9
“We have 9 further houses currently under development across two sites, due for completion in the coming year.”
Andy Knight
Performance of Our Existing Assets
The Hāpai whānau of property investments
‘Hāpai’ is a whānau of linked iwi-controlled vehicles developed to focus on three distinct types of investable property: commercial, residential and development.
While these are common investment classes in New Zealand, access channels are limited or expensive.
Hāpai has been especially built to be a direct property investor for iwi at efficient scale.
• Hāpai Commercial Property LP owns six high quality investment properties for long-term tenants across the motu, with two more under development. We have a total investment of $14.1m at end FY23, and this has returned us income of 4.9% and a total return of -0.2% in FY23. This operating performance is in line with expectations, the total performance came under pressure from softening yields as expected with rising interest rates. We expect this to be volatile year to year but positive over the medium to long term. Over the last three years we have seen annual average performance of 25%.
• Hāpai Housing develops and operates purposebuilt residential properties including conventional rental as well as retirement living. Hāpai Housing has two projects underway, both in Tāmaki Makaurau. The first of these projects, Moroki, expected to go live with whānau moving in later in 2023 post financial year end. Moroki will deliver 50 homes of which 20 are affordable, five units have been earmarked for our uri living in Auckland. There are some other major projects in the works. Housing produced a 12% return this year including a 4% cash distribution.
• Hāpai Development is the final member of the whānau. It develops commercial and industrial property, taking on more speculative risk than Hāpai Commercial. We have committed $5m of which we had $3.3m invested at year end. The first project is an industrial facility, under development in Christchurch. This was due to sell in FY23 but has since been delayed. As a result, operating profit was lower but the value gain came through other gains and losses giving us a total return for the year of 6.6%.
Holdings was one of Hāpai’s foundation investors and appoints a director to the single board that oversees all three vehicles: this is part of the Hāpai philosophy – creating efficient but flexible structures and access. The other investors are all iwi and include many of our wider Taranaki whānau.
There are now 20 Māori investors or partners across the Hāpai whānau and it is a great example of collective iwi success.
Hāpai whānau of Property Investments
Hāpai Commercial $14.1m
Hāpai Housing $5.0m
Hāpai Development $4.2m
Pūainuku agribusiness investment
Agribusiness is an area of strategic long-term global advantage to New Zealand, but as with property investment, there have been limited appropriate access options for non-operators.
Pūainuku was hence developed as the solution and it also has three arms:
• Pūainuku Pastures owns a 13% stake in Dairy Holdings Limited (‘DHL’), New Zealand’s largest dairy farmer. We made an investment of $4.2m in FY21. Operating returns came under pressure in FY23 from rising costs and a retreating milk price, as well as lower than expected production as new farms were integrated. In the two years of our investment we have enjoyed a total return of 15.5%. This is partly due to initial value uplift from purchasing well, but we expect this to track towards more orthodox returns levels over time.
• Pūainuku Vines was formed in early FY22 to focus on hops and viticulture. It completed an investment in c 66ha of high-quality vineyard land near Blenheim. This is on long-term lease to Giesen’s winemakers, with options to buy into the business in the future if so desired. We have committed $3m to the vehicle. Vines delivered an operating return of 5.5% and a
total return of 20%. As with Pastures, we do not consider such high returns to be sustainable as they reflect uplifts in property value that are unlikely to continue while interest rates are rising.
• Pūai Tangaroa was formed in mid-2021 to invest in kōura quota. We have a holding worth $2.0m and this returned a modest 3.2% in FY23 from operating profits, including share of value add from our operating partner, Port Nicholson Fisheries, and some value uplift.
We had expected to make an investment in horticulture during the year. This was not completed but remains an area of focus for Pūainuku.
Novotel Ngāmotu Taranaki
The Novotel Ngāmotu Taranaki was acquired by Holdings in a consortium with Te Atiawa and PKW in January 2019.
It endured a tough time with various iterations of Covid and response. FY23 saw the business begin to normalise and it delivered a cash surplus of $930k, about double last year’s. It did not, however, pay a dividend this year as funds were retained for a major HVAC upgrade programme.
Returns at this hotel have averaged 2.5% since acquisition, but this has covered an incredibly disturbed period for travel and we would expect growth in this return if we can achieve a good few years of normal travel to and within New Zealand.
In the meantime, a rebranding operation has also been undertaken for the hotel and its hospitality offerings, while the hotel has elected to become a living wage accredited employer. We are also working on pathways to bring uri into the hotel trade.
Tai-Hekenga
Tai-Hekenga is a consortium of Taranaki Whānui linked iwi that has collectively purchased a large portfolio of Crown leaseback land in Wellington including schools, justice properties and specialist properties used by the Department of Internal Affairs.
The assets are land only. The improvements, and hence the bulk of the seismic risk, remains with the Crown.
This gives an unusual but highly secure income stream with strong asset backing in the unlikely event of sovereign default or other vacancy.
We have enjoyed several years of very strong value uplift. This year there was downwards pressure, but we ultimately booked a net gain as we acquired the final property, Thorndon School at an historic valuation and took that uplift.
Our operating return for the year was 4.2% and total return of 1.6%. Our average annual total return since first investing has been above 25% but as with commercial property, we expect this to flatten somewhat over the long run.
Te Pūia Tāpapa and private equity
Holdings is an investor in Te Pūia Tāpapa (‘TPT’). TPT is a grouping of 28 iwi and Māori investors seeking to partner with existing NZ institutional investors on large-scale private investments.
The goal is to get broad exposure to the NZ economy through this vehicle by leveraging experienced partners and their deal channels. Holdings has committed $10m out of a total of TPT’s $115.5m.
TPT now has four investments, all minority stakes:
• TR Group, a major truck, trailer and bus rental business established in 1992
• Non-bank lender Avanti
• A hospitals business called Evolution Healthcare
• A laboratory services business called Asia Pacific Healthcare Group, which has been a major participant in the Covid response.
FY23 was a quiet year for TPT with no further capital calls or investment activity. TPT continues to work through its pipeline waiting for the right opportunity to present. Private capital is a long-term game. TPT has delivered modest returns over its lifetime, although this includes some quiet early years so would expect to track upwards.
We also have investments in a range of private equity funds, diversified by manager, year and scale of target investments. These funds are best looked at over cycles and have collectively returned us 8% per annum since 2017.
Infrastructure
Holdings is an investor in Australasian infrastructure via the Australasian Diversified Infrastructure Trust, now managed by Dexus.
This is a long-established fund with significant scale assets in Australia and New Zealand. Locally the fund is a major owner of PowerCo, the local Taranaki and wider North Island lines company but its major asset is Melbourne Airport.
DDIT’s performance was a victim of Covid and border policies and its recovery last year was hampered by downwards pressure on the value of income type assets from rising interest and discount rates. It delivered a return of over 10% last year and this year 6.1%. Its longterm return for us is 5.5%, and while this is below our long-term target it is understandable and we expect this to continue normalising over the coming few years. FY23 saw the resumption of dividends, but at a lower level than previously.
Managed funds
Holdings had around $32m invested in a range of liquid, managed funds at the start of the year and around $29m at the end.
When it comes to financial markets, FY23 was the proverbial year of two halves. The first half of the financial year, from July to December 2022, continued that calendar year’s bloodbath as markets digested rising rates and the implications for investment and spending.
The second half, despite turbulence, not least stemming from the US regional banking sector (and
collapses) was almost resoundingly positive. It is worth noting that this was against the expectations of almost all commentators.
We know and expect markets to be volatile. We don’t try to time them. We hold the level of risk that suits our portfolio and take the ups and downs. We are fine with this. But it is better to end more up than down after last year.
Overall the portfolio returned 6.7% and over time the whole managed funds portfolio has returned around 6%. This is a blend of returns from conservative and more growth-oriented funds, with both bundles broadly performing in line with expectations over the medium term.
The gains this year in managed funds helped to compensate for downwards movements in, for instance, the value at Hāpai Commercial.
Taranaki Iwi Fisheries Limited
TIFL runs a streamlined operation with all quota leased out, with income also coming from ownership of shares in Moana NZ (formerly Aotearoa Fisheries Limited). There are no direct fishing operations and management including treasury management is provided on contract by TIHLP.
TIFL’s main quota lease arrangements were renewed during FY19 via a new, revised pan-iwi standard ‘Ihu to Mai’ Agreement. This gives TIFL simple, passive access to the value chain.
In FY23 TIFL delivered a pre-tax net profit of $196k compared to $355k last year.
Reserving Summary
Marae Co-Investment
TIHLP has run a programme to allow affiliated marae the opportunity to invest in Holdings and enjoy either an equity or debt style return depending on marae preferences.
At year end five marae and whānau linked investors had outstanding loans to Holdings, totalling $2.4m.
We thank them for their faith in us and for supporting this initiative and hope that this collective approach will help them to achieve their own financial goals.
We believe this programme is a tangible way of sharing such commercial success as we are able to achieve.
Our Medium-Term Performance
While our total return was below last year’s and below our long-term goal of around 7% p.a., we remain on track over the longer term. Over the last five years we have had an average annual return of 7.9% and since inception 7.2%. Noting returns were slightly lower in earlier years when the portfolio was still in its infancy.
As for our annual distributions to Te Kāhui, these have steadily each year since inception without fail. These distributions have doubled from $1.35m in 2017 to $2.70m in 2023.
Reserving
We track ‘real capital’ to ensure uri can see that Te Kāhui’s asset base is keeping up with inflation and population growth. This allows us to show true surplusretained earnings, which in turn becomes a good indicator of inter-generational equity. These calculations are detailed below.
Another year of high inflation has eaten further into our reserves, at year end reserves totalled $3.9m. This movement is not ideal but it is also not unexpected.
Returns and portfolio growth are not linear year to year. We know that strong years can be followed by weak ones. The reserving policy is meant to show discipline over the longer term. It is difficult in periods of high inflation however, as our hurdle rate tends to rise before flowing into our revenue via e.g. higher rents.
The Year Ahead
The outlook is not great in New Zealand. It is brighter abroad but sadly not with our major trading partner, China.
At home, policy makers and central bankers continue to fend off inflation but the domestically generated component has remained stubbornly high. The RBNZ has indicated it has finished with rates rises, but markets remain sceptical. Meanwhile there is also some concern about the government accounts, and its ability to provide counter-cyclical stimulus.
But China maybe casts the darkest shadow. It has failed to re-ignite post its opening up from Covid and seems to be being hampered by high local and personal debt and a series of politically motivated microeconomic decisions that are making China a less attractive place to invest and do business. You can see this flow through to New Zealand in terms of projected milk prices, to which we have direct exposure, as well as the prices of other commodities, which will be felt throughout the economy.
I said last year: “We do not expect a sharp uptick in FY23 but it will come in time.” This remains our position and in FY24 we have modest expectations from our more growth-oriented local assets such as in agribusiness. But we are confident that our base of income assets will continue to provide. We will continue to consider our tactical balance and also the balance between domestic and international assets.
We will be focussing locally on housing project delivery but also continuing to allocate capital
to our existing bundle of investments as well as continuing to support Te Kāhui with its local property aspirations and operations.
We are on the right path and will hold steady.
We have committed to a distribution of $2.8m to Te Kāhui this year, up $100k on FY23.
Conclusion
I wish to thank the Holdings directors for their contributions through the year, Tania, Whare, Mark and Mārama for their support, the Te Kāhui trustees for their faith in us and all iwi members.
Thank you for this opportunity to undertake the exciting work of rebuilding Taranaki Iwi’s commercial assets. He pua whakakōkō, he kōrari whakahorapa.
Andy Knight Chair Taranaki Iwi Holdings LP Taranaki Iwi Fisheries LtdCommercial Board of Directors
Andy Knight (Chair)
Hinerangi Raumati-Tu’ua
Jacqui King
Daniel Harrison (Associate Director)
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group
For the year ended
30 June 2023
Directory
Nature of Business
Investment for the purposes of providing benefits and opportunities for Taranaki Iwi.
Beneficiaries
Members of Taranaki iwi.
Trustees
Jaqualine King - Chair
Leanne Horo
Daniel Harrison
Aroaro Tamati
Dennis Ngawhare - until October 2022
Jamie Tuuta
Sharlene Maoate-Davis
Miaana Patene - from October 2022
Board of Directors - Taranaki Iwi
Holdings Management Ltd
Andrew Knight - Chair
Hinerangi Raumati Tu'ua
Jaqualine King
Bankers
Australia New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ)
Bank of New Zealand (BNZ)
TSB Bank Limited (TSB)
Westpac Bank New Zealand Limited
Solicitors
Greenwood Roche
Govett Quilliam
Chartered Accountant
Vanburwray Chartered Accountants Limited
Auditors
Silks Audit Chartered Accountants Limited
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Statement of Comprehensive Revenue and Expenses
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Statement of Changes in Trust Capital
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Statement of Financial Position
As at 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Statement of Cash Flows
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Statement of Cash Flows
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Group
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
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Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 June 2023
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT
To the Trustees of Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust
Report on the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements
Opinion
We have audited the consolidated financial statements of Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust and its subsidiaries (the Group) on pages 4 to 28, which comprise the consolidated statement of financial position as at 30 June 2023, and the consolidated statement of comprehensive revenue and expenses, consolidated statement of changes in trust capital and consolidated statement of cash flows for the year then ended, and notes to the consolidated financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies.
In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Group as at 30 June 2023, and its consolidated financial performance and its consolidated cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with New Zealand equivalents to International Financial Reporting Standards Reduced Disclosure Regime (NZ IFRS RDR).
Basis for Opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (New Zealand) (ISAs (NZ)). Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements section of our report. We are independent of the Group in accordance with Professional and Ethical Standard 1 (Revised) Code of Ethics for Assurance Practitioners issued by the New Zealand Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Other than in our capacity as auditor we have no relationship with, or interests in, the Trust or any of its subsidiaries.
Other information
The Trustees are responsible on behalf of the Group for the other information. The other information comprises the Annual report but does not include the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon.
Our opinion on the consolidated financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the consolidated financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If based, on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
Trustees Responsibilities for the Financial Statements
The Trustees are responsible on behalf of the Group for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with NZ IFRS RDR, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the consolidated financial statements, the directors are responsible on behalf of the Group for assessing the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the Group or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditors Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (NZ) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these consolidated financial statements.
A detailed description of the auditors’ responsibilities including those related to assessment of risk of material misstatement, evaluation of appropriateness of going concern assumptions and determining key audit matters are available on the external reporting board website: http://www.xrb.govt.nz/standards-for-assurance-practitioners/auditors-responsibilities/auditreport-7/
Restriction on Distribution or Use
This report is made solely to the Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Section 11.2 of the Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust Deed. Our audit has been undertaken so that we might state to the Trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Trustees, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Cameron Town Silks Audit Chartered Accountants Ltd Whanganui, New Zealand
Date: 13 September 2023
Minutes of the 2022 Annual General Meeting
AGM
In person and Zoom Webinar
Present:
Tiahuia Abraham*
Hine Aperi*
Casio Austin
Tuhi-Ao Bailey
Lydia Braddock
* Denotes virtual participant (Zoom webinar)
Joshua Hitchcock
Ngahina Hohaia
Te Aroha Hohaia*
Tihikura Hohaia
Haoro Hond*
Saturday 15 October 2022 10:00 —1:00
Tane Manukonga
Ria Maoate-Davis
Tungia Mathieson*
Jasmine Milne
Luke Milne
Hokipera Ruakere*
Peter Scandlyn
Tapakione Skinner
Sharon Steen
Teresa Steer
Cathryn Buttimore
Tayne Cassidy
Reuben Coffey*
Hinerangi Edwards*
Mākere Edwards
Patina Edwards
Tupaia Edwards*
Will Edwards*
Marlin Elkington*
Frances England*
Karmin Erueti*
Cary FitzGerald*
Teresa Foster*
Ian Geary*
James (Fraser) Geary
Shona Geary
Sharon Gemmell*
Daniel Harrison
Riki Harrison
Tsehai Hastie-Broughton*
Andrew Hayman*
Apologies:
Inger Anderson
Pat Bodger
Richard Buttimore
Gillian Capper
Ngahina Capper
Pauline Capper
Rawinia Capper
Chris Commane
Fran Davey
June Davis
Vicki Erueti
Venus Hori*
Leanne Horo
Lisa Ison
Erin John
Frances Kahui
Tonga Karena
Jacqui King
Paula King
Rachael King
Tim King
Andy Knight
Rangimokai Knuckey
Debra Leatherby-Tuuta
Wahi Lōsé
Dion Luke*
Cheryl Luke-Maraki*
Peggy Luke-Ngaheke*
Janine Luke-Taamaru
Karyn Maclennan*
Kevin Manu*
Keith Manukonga
Peter Moeahu
Fay Mulligan
Kawarau Ngaia*
Courtney Ngata-Turley
Dennis Ngawhare
Tania Niwa*
Mahara Okeroa
Amokura Panoho
Hayden Patene
Miaana Patene
Tahurangi Patene
Patrick Phillips
Amie Pont*
Liana Poutu*
Todd Rangi
Bronwyn Ratahi*
Rihimona Ratahi
Jenny Risk
Mitchell Ritai*
Jasmine Robertson*
Errol Ruakere
Tania Stokes
Alex Tahau*
Tina Taiaroa
Sam Tamarapa
Sharyn Tamarapa
Aroaro Tamati
Donna Te Tai*
Joyce Thompson*
Jamie Tuuta
Raymond Tuuta
Inahaa Te Urutahi Waikerepuru
Maraea Waiwiri
Shane Wallacehoskin
Angie Walters
Wharehoka Wano
Puna Wano-Bryant
Jess Wipatene*
Koa Wipatene
Mark Wipatene
Marama Witehira
Waiora Hohaia-Ashby
Rāhiri Mākuini Edwards-Hammond
Whākarahia Kukutai-Tairawhiti
Daniel Manu
Jan Manu
Meretini Manukonga
Shona Manukonga
Tanielle Melville
Kelly Moeahu
Saphron Ngaia
Rewi Panoho
Fay Patene
Gerrard Patene
Taylor Patene
Gray Ratahi
Tiwene Roberts
Raukura Ropiha-Waikerepuru
Cindy Ruakere
Pounamu Skelton
Matthew Steen
Daniel Takarangi
Ripo Tautahi Trust
Rameka Te Patu-Ropiha
Karen Tuuta
Pauline Tuuta
Toka Walden
Hinenui Wano
Tipene Wano
Morgana Watson
Diane White
Britney Witehira
Shaye Witehira
Tapiukura Young
1 MIHI/KARAKIA
a. Meeting opened @ 10.05am: Whakarite Aroaro Tamati and Tonga Karena
b. Mihi, karakia: Dennis Ngawhare
c. Housekeeping: Raymond Tuuta
d. He mihi whakawai nā Jamie Tuuta: Reflecting upon some of our whakawai, incorporating foundational kōrero and narratives within our Annual Report. The kōrero references tupuna including Manaahurangi and Tohu Kakahi who faced great adversity in their time and their kōrero has inspired us through the generations. The Kāhui Tupua kōrero has been used in the context of the maunga negotiations a modern context to unify us as Taranaki Iwi and Ngā Iwi o Taranaki
e. Jacqui King acknowledged everyone and thanked them for their attendance.
f. The agenda has been aligned to the annual report and is based on the whenu that you set down for us in our strategy.
2 APOLOGIES
There is an Apologies register at the sign-in desk. If there are more apologies, please add them to that list. For those on Zoom, please pop any apologies into the chat.
Vote
‘THAT the Apologies as listed in the ‘Apologies Register’ and ‘Zoom chat’ are accepted for the Annual General Meeting 2022.’
Move: Teresa Steer
Second: Tapakione Skinner
Against: Nil Carried
3 MINUTES FROM AGM 11 DECEMBER 2021
Vote ‘THAT the minutes for the Annual General Meeting held on 11 December 2021 (via Zoom) be approved as a true and correct record’.
Move: Mahara Okeroa
Second: Puna Wano-Bryant
Against: Nil Carried
3.1 MATTERS ARISING FROM THOSE MINUTES
4 ANNUAL REPORT
a. Chairpersons Report in brief
• Taranakitanga: The growth in membership over the past twelve months (by 1200) can be largely attributed to the efforts of the Iwi Engagement Team in connecting uri with one another. It is significant and it reflects two key things. We went to the regions and connected with our whānau in a way that was easy and fun, and our people prefer kanohi-ki-te-kanohi and while it requires resourcing it is important for our connection.
• Taiao: We have had a significant period of activity in the taiao space with a talented team of kaimahi on the ground who are connected to their marae pā as well as our kaitiaki and hau kainga. Te Karu o Kōteoteo was a big event for the team and the learnings were immense while with the ‘Jobs for Nature’ contract we engaged a five member team that has also been significant.
• Whanake mai ai: We have also been busy in this important whenu of growing our iwi capacity. Direct distribution to our 7 marae pā began immediately after settlement and we are pleased to announce that we will be increasing this annual distribution. The Ka Uruora distribution to our individual members who participate in this savings programme was also pleasing. The programme of building financial literacy and capability, developing a savings discipline and opening up opportunities to access housing is an exciting initiative. With our education Grants we had an uptake of 240 uri.
• Taketake Tangata: The advocacy and representation role of Te Kāhui is important and we acknowledge Leanne Horo for being appointed as the first Te Kūrae Māori Ward Councillor for South Taranaki District Council. We have many important kaupapa that we advocate for.
Top of those are Three Waters and some of the critical infrastructure changes as well as the issues around the co-governance arrangements that were proposed. The Resource Management Act (RMA) reform is underway and we are working with our National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF) who have a working party dedicated to this high level work. Also the Māori Health Authority (MHA) reforms, and learning to navigate a really different model that we haven’t seen before.
• Kawe Whakahaere: Jacqui acknowledged Leanne Horo and thanked her for her five years as our Chairperson. She also acknowledged the Holdings Board who are crucial in making sure we undertake the activity expected and once again, it’s been another year of stellar performance resulting in a $7.7million surplus after tax profit.
b. CEO brief:
Whare thanked the Board for their guidance and direction and the Senior Leadership. Whare acknowledged all of
Nil amendments.
the opertational for their continued efforts and their contributions throughout the year.
c. Taranakitanga - Whiria te muka (presented by Aroaro Tamati):
Taranakitanga, ‘the muka strands are strong when woven together’. Some of the mahi we have focussed on in the past year:
• Paepae Wānanga: conducted mainly on-line with a kanohi ki te kanohi scheduled for August postponed due to COVID and tutor availability. The paepae wānanga focussed on karanga and whai kōrero. We are currently running our reo wānanga pilot programme which some of you may be participating in.
• Tātai Tangata ki te whenua: this kaupapa is about kai resilience which so many of our whānau have supported themselves as well as other whānau with the kai that they’ve grown. We are grateful for Pounamu Skelton who has given that knowledge along with the cultural kōrero.
• Victoria University of Wellington: we visited Te Herenga Waka in July to maintain that connection and partnership with Victoria University who support our tauira who whakapapa to Taranaki Iwi.
• Xtreme Hip-Hop: keeping our whānau healthy and well is another one of your priorities. Xtreme Hip Hop, supported by Sport Taranaki, is about keeping ourselves active with waiata. Historically, we have supported the Maunga Tri-Series geared at getting our whānau moving through triathlon. All of these active kaupapa are important.
• Ngā Kanohi o Taranaki: thank you, Ray, for the six online digital profiles. We will continue to profile our whānau as much as possible.
• Tiripoua: we couldn’t meet in person this February but we held an online Tiripoua instead. Technology helps us connect even when we’re not able to meet in person and we are grateful for that.
• Infographics: there have been lots of ways we have engaged as highlihgted in the infographs.
• Taranaki Iwi Representation: we are well represented at various iwi regional and national kaupapa like Te Koroneihana. We also acknowledge our Taranaki Iwi kapa rōpū Te Moungaroa, with kaiako, Puna Wano-Bryant and Tonga Karena who are supporting our whānau to represent us at Taranaki Tū Mai this coming November.
d. Taiao: Uwhia te huhi (presented by Sharlene Maoate-Davis):
Uwhia te huhi speaks to the importance of our basic sustaining principle of all life, ko te wai. Hine Te Huhi is our
atua of the wetlands and the swamps and so mai uta ki tai, when the ua falls from Ranginui it flows down our maunga, and we’re cleansed by Hine Parawhenua.
• Te Karu o Kōteoteo: Sharlene acknowledged the leadership who supported us through this process. The team, led by Ngahina Capper, went on a spiritual journey and the learning through this time was immense. The support from our Ngāti Wai whānau and local hapū, including Ngāti Haua, was also acknowledged.
• Pilot Whales: a beaching of pilot whales (Ūpoko ue) near Komene Road was well supported by our Ngā Mahanga a Tairi whānau, the wider community, DOC and our toa taiao.
• Rāhui: a rāhui on our takutai was instigated due to the numbers of outsiders coming onto our reefs to harvest kaimoana. We acknowledge kaumātua, marae pā, hapū and whānau who rallied to support the rāhui. Thank you Aunty Fran Davey and Uncle Mahara Okeroa for challenging the MPI to legally take up their responsibility to support our cultural response to this kaupapa.
• Taiao team: the Taiao team is growing and we thank Todd Rangi (Kaitiaki Whenua) for taking up Ngahina’s role while he was on study, and to Maria Hokopaura (Environmental Planner) who led various technical kaupapa in the environmental space.
• Pungarehu Nursery: through the Jobs 4 Nature programme, this has enabled us to start the aspirational thinking as we work towards planting our whenua in natives. 1,553 rongoā rākau have been planted on our whenua.
• RMP Wānanga: wānanga which were held around various sites of significance and we are developing a management plan to implement those aspirations.
e. Whanake Mai ai: Puia ki te hauangi (presented by Dennis Ngawhare):
Briefly touching on some of the results and benefits of this whenu, the theme of distribution. This whenu is really about planting seeds or growing our capacity by empowering and supporting our whānau.
• Learner Me: Learner Me is a digital learning initiative based in New Plymouth, encouraging our rangatahi up to age 24 to enrol to learn about digital web, design and creation - mahi hangarau, technology innovation.
• Cadets: we currently have one of the Learner MeHangarau Akoranga graduates, Casio Austin, working with us. The second of our cadets is Fatiauma MoeahuLeota who works alongside the the Taiao Team. The funding through Jobs 4 Nature has allowed for the
creation of more jobs for our young people as well as getting them on the whenua.
• Ōpunakē High School ranger cadets: the implementation of this new initiative for our kura tuarua in Ōpunakē has given them something real to connect them to their whenua, iwi and hapū.
• Marae and Pā direct funding distribution: this distribution is based on the dividends and profits from our investments. A total of $546,281 has been distributed to our people in various ways including support to our Marae pā.
• Education Grants: there were a total of 240 grants paid out to ākonga from secondary school through to tertiary and vocational education. Essentially we decide on a total distribution to be paid in grants which is then divided amongst all of the applicants.
• Uri Packs: another initiative is our uri packs - for kaumātua, tamariki starting school and our pēpi packs for baby and māmā. In the last year, 43 Taranaki Iwi pēpi received packs.
• Tīkaokao, Ka Uruora and more: there’s a range of other initiatives we want to do that take longer to put in place. The more money we make, the more money we can distribute to our whānau to encourage, empower and support a range of initiatives around the country.
f. Taketake Tangata - Takea ki te pūtake
(presented by Leanne Horo):
The strategic goal is to ensure and enable the voice of influence and advocacy for Taranaki Iwi and our Marae pā, hapū and uri.
• Representation overview: we acknowledge the efforts and advocacy for Māori Wards and our connections to all of our four councils. We acknowledge our Taranaki Regional Council representatives, Peter Moeahu who is part of the Policy and Planning Committee and Tuhi Ao Bailey who is part of the Consents and Regulatory Committee. Jacqui King represents us on Te Huinga Taumātua (NPDC) among our Tokomaru whānau and myself and Hone Niwa are representatives on the South Taranaki District Council Iwi Liaison committee.
I also represent Taranaki Iwi on the Ngā Iwi o Taranaki Hauora Partnership Board (NIOTHPB) which has been established for the new health authority. The role of that board is to understand the environment, our people, what’s happening in health and realising what the local needs are. They will monitor how it is being implemented. Other Taranaki Iwi related responses and activities include Taranaki Mounga - Seabed relocation, the Ōkato school development, Waka Kotahi, Kordia, OMV with the decommissioning, Greymouth Petroleum
and the MBIE Block offer process. Leanne acknowledged Caroline Waiwiri who stood for the Te Kūrae Māori Ward. Leanne sees her role is to stand and hold space, advocate and influence.
g. Kawe Whakahaere - Rurungia ki te pā whakaruru (presented by Daniel Harrison):
This whenu is about providing shelter and environment to protect and grow the capability to implement our iwi aspirations in helping whānau thrive.
• Sorted Kainga Ora: collaborating with others to help establish the Ka Uruora kaupapa which takes a systemic approach to addressing challenges our whānau face to get into housing. There have been a number of whānau that have completed the programme of financial education and literacy, to help them to be able to manage their finances and get into the houses through the shared equity opportunity.
• Housing: two refurbishments have been completed in Ōkato, and four in Ōpunakē as well as a pipeline of more housing through other deferred settlement properties that we’ve purchased from the Crown through settlement.
• Whare Taiao: our Taiao team is based in Pungarehu. It’s great that we have a significant operational footprint on the main road where our taiao kaimahi have a base.
• Ka Uruora - Whānau Saver: through this initiative Taranaki Iwi matches your contribution encouraging us all to save. For every $100 contribution you make Taranaki Iwi will match it and if you are registered with more than one iwi you will receive further matched contributions. Now for a quick video to give insight as to what Ka Uruora can do.
• Ka Uruora video of Tod and Ani Sharland (11.24am).
QUERIES/DISCUSSION
(
Q=question, R=response,C=comment)
Q. Tapakione Skinner: asked about the whakapapa connection of Tod and Ani Sharland to Taranaki.
R. We can confirm Tod Sharland is uri.
Q: Inaha Waikerepuru: how long did it take for the whānau to go through this process? How many homes have been made available to whānau and where is the housing located? What is the future strategy in terms of future locations?
R: Whānau literacy training is for four to eight weeks then ongoing mentoring and support.
Housing supply - there have been six houses so far; some purchased and some rent-to-buy. Ka Uruora is developing a
product where we want to be able to offer rental properties to our whānau that can’t access what you call the community rental at 80% of market so Government funding will assist with affordable rentals.
Hāpai Housing is a collective property vehicle that Taranaki Iwi along with a number of our other Taranaki Iwi have invested in which has build-to-rent properties in Tāmaki Makaurau and a couple of other places.
5 TARANAKI IWI COMMERCIAL GROUP (presented by Andrew
Te Kāhui o TaranakiTaranaki
Iwi Holdings LPTaranaki Iwi Fisheries Ltd
Knight)It has been another good year for the group, we are on track. We will have good years and some not so good.
a. Highlights: for six years we’ve been putting money into our direct investments so we can manage and influence what’s happening. Hāpai Housing is an example of a collective which consists of three entities: one works in commercial property; one in the rent build space; and the other in housing development. We also have a development company with a different risk profile. Each has different investors, and each offers different risks and returns. The collective entities have allowed us to delve into different types of investments where we’ve got influence and we’ve got scale to be able to manage things properly. As a result, we have a diversified portfolio and we have made good progress. quicker than we thought we would. We’ve had excellent returns. On an annualised basis, we’re getting well over 25% a year in returns. We’ve got a good mix of different types of assets. Some assets are giving us some yield and some assets will give us capital growth. We’ve got assets that can achieve social outcomes as well as a mix of social outcomes, growth and income. We’re starting to get that balance through the portfolio. Inflation gives us more costs. We’ve had higher returns to match that which means we can lift the dividends. We are conscious that we want to invest into Taranaki as much as we can while getting the balance right. I am delighted that we’ve got $2m from funds that you wanted looked after and managed by us by way of a loan. We’ve put a structure together where you can invest at longer or shorter terms, and it is a nice synergy from a commercial board point of view that Marae pā want someone they trust to look after their money for them. I haven’t come across a lot of other iwi doing that model.
b. Financial Performance: is down a bit this year compared to last year. We’re comfortable with the balance in our managed funds. We take a slightly different approach to
other iwi where we go with what are called direct managed funds rather than passive or index funds. It’s good for us to keep delivering income but are we growing over the population growth that we’re seeing in the iwi? And are we growing over inflation? That’s two good benchmarks for us to challenge ourselves against and matching up with what the Trustees want. My expectation is that 2023 is going to be tough. It will give us an opportunity to invest into assets and we will push those.
QUERIES/DISCUSSION
(Q=question, R=response, C=comment)
Q. Mākere Edwards: Pūainuku investments and investing into DHL. We’ve been talking about protecting our aquafers here in Taranaki, yet we’re investing into Te Waipounamu farms that require irrigation. What’s the trajectory of moving away from that investment or how Taranaki could help exemplar best practices?
R. How do we change and improve lands purchased and best practices of use? My long term view is dairy will be wound back. Currently there is significant use in NZ, long term not so. The challenge for Pūainuku is how has it changed over time? We embrace and encourage a change away from dairy into a better use for the land and one that we’re more comfortable with from a values point of view. Land that doesn’t have the same levels of pollutants and other environmental issues that dairy farming has. That change will take time but that is certainly part of the focus, discussing those issues and whether we’re doing enough to manage those issues.
Q. Tihikura Hohaia: How do we proactively contribute as uri in terms of where our money goes in the future and that it actually reflects our aspirations? Is there an independent watchdog? And is there an appetite for members of the Toa Taiao team to be flown down there to look at the water and give an independent report to ensure what happens in their rohe is environmentally, culturally correct? What might be okay financially may morally be pretty conflicting given our history at Parihaka and the impact of dairy farming on us.
R. The appetite in terms of trying to improve matters and trying to make sure we’re engaging is absolutely there. The trustees are heading down in two weeks to walk around, look at the streams and engage with people there. How do we influence? We don’t have a board representative, but we have someone that sits at that board table from the farming entity. That’s one of the ways we influence to try and make sure there are improvements and that we’re able to contribute to that transition. We encourage feedback and to be challenged at a board level to understand. We need to find ways to facilitate feedback so it’s constructive and everybody has a chance to be engaged.
R. Jacqui King: This has been an on-going conversation between our boards in ensuring there is direct alignment to our values, to the kaupapa and inherently how we ensure the voices of our environmental teams get heard more regularly in
our decision making. Fundamentally it comes down to having the right systems and structures in place to make the right investment decisions and that it aligns to all our outcomes, expectations and values.
C. Tuhi-Ao Bailey: We’re in the midst of an ecological crisis and dairy is the number one climate pollutive in this country. Thinking that we can reform it and change it in a generation is just wrong thinking. The industry needs to be shut down. Most of the product goes overseas and that’s not beneficial to anyone. It’s a money-making exercise. We’re into looking after our people and our whenua and our wai and to me that doesn’t fit into our model of taiao. The same with commercial fishing. Our seas are collapsing. We’re putting up rāhui so why are we making profit out of fishing? There’s lots of other things we can invest in so I would say look elsewhere.
R. Andy’s personal view is there’s way too much dairy farming. I am absolutely a supporter of half the herd movement. At the moment we’re emitting methane and as a result we pay more for our groceries because we pay carbon tax on groceries and not the cow! That’s a different discussion to have at a different time.
C. Thank you for the questions, this highlights who we are and how active we are. This is the challenge that we need to work our way through and find some balance.
6 FINANCIAL REPORT
(presented by Jacqui King and Mark Wipatene)a. Financial performance summary: (page 72)
• The auditor has confirmed a clean audit of accounts (refer to page 73)
• Operating profit after tax of $4.7m (up $3.9m from 2021) and before Fair Value Gains/Losses
• Net profit after tax is at $4m (up $3.9m from 2021) and before Fair Value Gains/Losses
• Total group equity $124m (up $7.7m from 2021).
Acknowledge the amazing efforts to move the dial on our group equity. Leanne Horo, Hinerangi Raumati Tu’ua, Andrew Knight who are all present today and the rest of our commercial team - ngā mihi.
• Dividend and grant distribution $672k (down $9k from 2021) which in part we put down to timing - year on year it depends when you purchase stock. For example we purchased items for uri pack distribution at once and in one year.
b. High level financial highlights: (page 85)
• Total Revenue $7,235,419 of which $2.5m was monies received from the Taranaki Māori Trust Board which has contributed to the large variance. Our commercial board
increased their revenue to us, their distribution to us which again improved the revenue.
• Total expenses $2,246,351 an increase of $371,409. We have received a considerable amount of Government funding to fund the roles that we have put in place in the last financial year which offsets some of those expenses and we’ve increased our revenue.
• Net operating profit $4,989,068 which of course is a significant increase on the prior year. This just gives you an illustration of the movement. Seeing the graphs moving up reflects a really strong performance of a highly talented commercial board. This in turn provides opportunity to distribute more to run your programmes as you’ve set out for us in each whenu. Even through turbulent times where some iwi have gone backwards or held the course, there’s a major move upwards.
c. Allocation of distribution.
• Distribution from Holdings $2.25m with a target of 25% to Marae/Pā, 25% Operational costs and 50% to our whenu. Often that is quite difficult to manage due to fluctuating costs. We have achieved a 20% direct distribution to Marae/ Pā, 30% Operational costs and 50% to our whenu. We have today reported on the $1.15m activity split across our five whenu. Again, quite difficult to manage those percentages through the year but we’ve come close.
• Taiao: Obviously we’ve dedicated more time and effort into this whenu which has drawn more of the pūtea. That will change over time as we establish a really good team.
• Whanake mai ai: there is a shift towards housing and those percentages will start to hit the targets. We’re going to increase distributions and offer administrative support grants to each Marae/Pā which will lift percentages.
• Total distributions and grants: (refer to slide - snapshot over time from 2018-2022) large inventory purchases in 2021 for uri pack distribution will be distributed over time. Covid response costs to support uri came out of distribution expenses. Total expenses were in excess of $2m and was offset by $500k in Tui Decommissioning and Jobs 4 Nature funding received. Our expenses are slightly below last year and again last year had quite a lot of inventory purchased. We’re managing our expenses reasonably well given the current climate.
Vote
‘THAT the trustees Annual Report, Auditor’s Report, and the Accounts of Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust and Group for the financial year ended 30 June 2022 be received and adopted.’
Moved: Peter Moeahu
Second: Teresa Steer
Against: Nil
Carried
7 APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS (presented by Daniel Harrison)
a. The Audit and Risk Ohu oversees the audit and appoints an auditor. This year we went out to the market to canvas options. At the end of that process, a recommendation was made to retain SILKS Audit Chartered Accountants. There is a shortage of auditors at present and many entities are finding it difficult to deliver the core work which can sometimes slow up the publication of annual reports. The SILKS Audit team has worked well with our team to get our annual reports and accounts done on time. We also acknowledge Hinerangi Raumati Tu’ua for her expertise and guidance.
Vote
‘THAT Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust & Group appoints SILKS Audit Chartered Accountants as the Auditor for the 2022/2023 financial year.’
Move: Jamie Tuuta
Second: Tapakione Skinner
Against: Nil Carried
8
TE KĀHUI O TARANAKI TRUST
ELECTION
a. Under the revised charter that we completed in the middle of Covid, one of the changes made was around the availability of a ballot box at the AGM. We will announce Trustee election results later this week as, at the conclusion of this hui, the ballot box will close and be sent off to the independent returning officer.
b. We take this opportunity to mihi to Dennis Ngawhare, our outgoing trustee.
c. We have five trustee nominations for four positions. The five nominees are Dan Harrison, Leanne Horo, Amokura Panoho, Miaana Patene, and Aroaro Tamati).
9 HIGHLIGHTS AND OVERVIEW (presented by Wharehoka Wano)
a. In conjunction with our normal activities and established strategic initiatives, we will be giving extra focus and resource to the following areas over the coming year. This is a short summary of some of the annual goals the team are currently working on.
b. Taranakitanga: needs to be driven by our narrative.
• Ōpunakē hub - establish multipurpose facilities for uri to utilise.
• Cultural Capability - grow cultural capability amongst our tribal community. Wānanga engagement and Mounga Reo programme was well supported.
• Marae pā engagement - maintaining regular engagement.
c. Taiao:
• Sustainable living - understanding our taiao to transform whānau wellbeing. Tātai Tangata ki te whenua programme, food sovereignty and maara kai networks.
• Whenua - land usage that benefits the health and wellbeing of our whānau and whenua. Rautaki, RMP (Reserve Management Plan) aspirational wānanga and planting coastal traditional plants.
• Marine/Takutai - develop and resource a takutai monitoring strategy. Rāhui monitoring and access to Tauranga Ika.
d. Whanake mai ai:
• Training Education and Employment - equip uri, whānau, hapū and marae pā with skills, knowledge and opportunities to help them reach their potential. Cadets and interns being exposed to Iwi spaces as an attractive place of work.
• Impact investing - impact investments made with the intention of generating positive social, cultural and/or environmental outcomes. Implementing a framework that measures social impact opportunities which have a transformational impact on our people.
• Oranga Iwi - support and enhance the physical, spiritual, mental and emotional health and wellbeing of uri and whānau.
e. Taketake tangata:
• Communications - establish communications function that delivers consistent, high-quality communications to whānau across all channels and provides an effective feedback mechanism. We’re always trying to be better, grateful to Raymond Tuuta for elevating our reach through social media and regular pānui.
f. Kawe Whakahaere:
• Reports, review and evaluations - develop and implement review/evaluation processes to ensure the organisation has the capability and capacity to perform its function to the highest level. As well as technical tools, we want to be able to measure against cultural frameworks i.e. development of reo and paepae programmes etc.
10 GENERAL BUSINESS
QUERIES/DISCUSSION
(Q=question, R=response, C=comment)
Q. Peter Moeahu: What progress are we making on Paper Roads around our rohe?
R. That issue is currently with our lawyers to get some strength and support for more than a submission at councils and to support our team who are out in those regulatory consent and policy and planning spaces. We have sought legal opinion and will hopefully have that armed and ready to go when we go in and have a harder conversation around the paper road issue.
C. Peter Moeahu: Education grants - for openness it would be useful to add the amount each recipient received.
R. The grant amounts have been provided under the grant category.
C. Impact Investments: The Novotel Hotel is an ideal opportunity to tell our story. The three partners involved there; Te Atiawa how the wars started in Waitara and how it came here to Parihaka and now we have PKW as a result of all of that. It’s a wonderful story that we could look to tell through that venue. How we do it, I’m not sure. It raises our mana at a venue like that.
Q: Peter Moeahu: Adding onto that, the Novotel Hotel receives supplies for its meals. We should be looking at that throughout our iwi. Why aren’t we supplying our own from our maara kai?
Q: Peter Moeahu: Will there be Ka Uruora opportunities for our whānau in Wellington?
R. Yes, there will be.
Q. Peter Moeahu: Māori Wards on councils are only there for six years. Unless we get the legislation changed, they’re gone, or they might be. So, what about equity for hapū? When this whole thing started, it was the hapū who lead and yet I don’t see any distribution to hapū. I just think that the board should develop a policy whereby hapū can see what is required for them to be part of the board distribution. It might be you have to be registered or have a certain number of uri but I think the board should draft a policy so we can have some equity amongst the hapū because we also have aspirations of our own.
R. There was real discussion around whether it should be hapū distribution versus just Marae/Pā or one and both and the consensus settled that it would be marae/pā as a lot of them throughout our rohe are the representative voice for their hapū. Not all - and that seemed to work relatively well. We have focussed so much of our distribution effort on building support for marae/pā in recognition that a lot of them are the hapū voice. In our annual goals, one of the items is to develop a hapū policy.
C. Peter Moeahu: I don’t deny any of our marae pā receiving distributions, it’s wonderful. All I’m suggesting is that we have a wonderful engagement team, let them engage with hapū and see where we get to, but I think the board needs to develop a policy.
C. Jamie Tuuta: We’ve actually had that discussion the last 12 months and part of the process moving forward is in
recognising a big part of our evolution as an Iwi but also the role Te Kāhui o Taranaki plays. We’ve got to be open minded to doing things differently. We can determine how we want to operate and work with one another, but we’ve got to start thinking of the models that work for an individual hapū or marae and us. And we do need to consider what those opportunities are and how we might organise and support our entities differently. It doesn’t have to be the same model, but we do need to work out what is the right model that empowers and enables hapū to have greater input, engagement around our tupuna maunga and through other things that connect and flow. We need to be ready for that.
C. Peter Moeahu: Now that we’ve got our Māori Ward councillors in place, I think we also need to take a regional approach to councils so that we make sure that in one rohe we’re not contradicting ourselves in another. Could the Iwi chairs at the regional level give some consideration to how we might be able to make sure that each of our councillors are being supported and that they understand the stance that the iwi wishes to take so that they can be supportive towards the iwi?
R. This was discussed at the Iwi Chairs Forum just this week. It was the need to bring those candidates together who will be a minority at those council tables to better support them and provide whatever awhi we can. There was talk about some not only helping to facilitate the coordination of bringing them together but what other things we can make sure we do. Whether that be through mentoring or additional training, we would like to submit some sort of proposal to support the candidates.
C. Peter Moeahu: Ka pai and we also have Bonita Bingham on the Regional Council and she’s chair of Te Maruata, a committee of the National Council of Local Government, NZ (LGNZ).
C. Peter Moeahu: The performance that Act Party is giving at the moment over Te Tiriti. At a national level, there needs to be some counter action to what they are saying because they are catering to the ignorant and there are so many ignorant people out there that everyone will just climb on board that waka and before we know it, we’ll be looking at the dark side again. I’m suggesting that perhaps our iwi may want to consider that and see how we can provide some push back on that kind of attack against us because it’s always against us.
R. It’s imperative that we are in those political spaces, and I know it’s not easy. Unless we’re there, we won’t stop that kind of rhetoric. I encourage those of you that have the courage and the fortitude to put yourselves forward for national politics, we need you.
Q. Erin John: What an amazing day it has been and thank you so much. The Taranaki Māori Trust Board, that $2.5m is that a one off payment?
R. Yes.
Q. Jenny Risk: The pātaka boxes of ika that we receive needs to be washed before we can start cooking it. Why is that?
R. We will look into that for you.
Q. Patina Edwards: Firstly ka mihi ki a koutou, I want to acknowledge the stunning mahi of Tātai Tangata ki te Whenua and also the way that you lead the way by going on Zoom. I speak as someone who chose to be vax free and your actions meant I felt included, that I still belonged to you. Most of your hauora services have been covered perhaps by Tui Ora and other means. Do we have data on how our people come through this period of Covid? A survey to find out how the vax free and vaccinated whānau coped, what information they might need should these sorts of things happen again.
R. We do have some statistics and get regular reports from Tui Ora which might aid us with some of that information but certainly we will take on board your suggestion for a survey.
C. Fay Mulligan: Currently there is a review happening at South Taranaki District Council (STDC), but we’ve had no communications about that review which impacts heavily on consenting in our rohe. Whoever is participating in that mahi, please engage with us as we’ve been left out.
R. We will follow up on that feedback.
C. Jacqui King: There has been some koiwi repatriation work happening through Puke Ariki involving over 80 koiwi believed to be skeletal remains from around the maunga. Some identifiable through museum records and transfers, and some are clearly not. We have a couple of representatives at Puke Ariki who are working with Puke Ariki staff on a process to bring them home from around the country. We will engage with you when we know more details so you are aware of what is going on.
11 PĀNUI
a. Our Kōrari Pāhake Grants programme officially launches today contributing up to $1,000 towards hearing devices. The Triton team are onsite to provide hearing tests to anyone who may need a test. Uncle Errol Ruakere appears on the cover of our pamphlets, so please check out the Triton bus onsite and get your hearing tested.
b. We will assemble outside the whare to take a group photo before kai, please don’t go away.
c. We will have current merchandise available for purchase as well as a one off range created by taiohi.
d. We have a beautiful A3 image taken by Tania Niwa for you to take away.
e. We will hold a Taranaki Iwi hui to talk through the arrangements relating to the Taranaki Maunga negotiations next month. Liana, Hemi and Jamie will be available to have a kōrero with anyone interested and potentially a couple of inperson sessions in Taranaki. Next year we will hold a number of in-person and zoom hui to talk through the arrangements.
Mihi ki te whare. Whakakapi i te hui, nā Tonga Karena at 1.03pm.