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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.
