Whenua Magazine - Issue 35

HALF-YEARLY AGM NOTICE

NGĀKAUNUI KI

TE REO MĀORI

CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE

ALUMNI PROGRAMME LAUNCHED

PKW WHĀNAU KEY TO WATER MONITORING PROJECT

HE TANGATA

6 RESILIENCE KEY TO POSITIVE PERFORMANCE AGM Review

9 NEW GMS JOIN PKW TEAM Meet Puna and Richard

12 PKW CHAIR STEPS DOWN End of an era for Hinerangi

HE WHENUA

16 NAME CHANGE REFLECTS MĀORI KAUPAPA Novotel restaurant now called ‘Haukai’

20 REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE PROJECT UPDATE Embracing sustainability approach

21 PKW HOSTS MĀORI FARMER HUI

Kaupapa impresses

HE ORANGA

28 NEW SCHOLARSHIPS BRING MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG MĀORI Scholarship Partnerships signed with Taranaki iwi

30 SURVEY RESULTS GIVE INSIGHT Shareholders have their say

32 SURVEY SHOWS NEED FOR ALUMNI PROGRAMME Reconnecting students with their Taranakitikanga

34 UNPAID DIVIDENDS Are you on the list?

2020 was very much a year of facing challenges, which we did with resilience, determination and strength. We proved that our strategic approach and core values give us a foundation that can withstand an ever-changing and dynamic world.

Our businesses and investments weathered the global storms created by the COVID-19 pandemic well, particularly the Novotel Ngāmotu Taranaki and Port Nicholson Fisheries LP Investments.

This year we are experiencing change in our governance leadership, with our long-standing chair of the PKW Committee of Management, Hinerangi Raumati, stepping down as Chairperson.

Hinerangi’s warm and approachable demeanour, extensive commercial acumen and steely resolve has ensured that the aspirations and needs of all PKW shareholders and stakeholders were at the forefront of every strategic decision the Committee made.

I feel very fortunate to have been able to work for and with Hinerangi, as together, along with the Board and the Executive Management team, we have grown a dynamic

and thriving Māori business that continually strives to enhance and elevate outcomes for Māori and the wider community.

Hinerangi is handing over the reins of leadership to a person well known to you all in Dion Tuuta. We look forward to Dion bringing his wealth of governance experience, energy and knowledge of the Incorporation to the role of Chairperson.

We also have a new face within the business with Puna Wano-Bryant taking on the role of General Manager Shareholder Engagement. Puna is a Taranaki rangatira, with strong whakapapa links to Te Ātiawa, Taranaki and Ngāti Awa, and has served in many high-profile roles.

I have no doubt both Dion and Puna will bring new perspectives to their roles and to our organisation.

And so PKW has started 2021 on the front foot, with a clear focus on our People, Property and Protein strategy that will continue to drive our sustainability and growth going forward — it is going to be an exciting year for us all.

Noho ora mai Warwick Chief Executive Officer

PARININIHI KI WAITŌTARA

Postal PO Box 241

New Plymouth 4340

Physical 35 Leach Street

New Plymouth 4310

Tel +64 (6) 769 9373

Fax +64 (6) 757 4206

Email office@pkw.co.nz

www.pkw.co.nz

iSTUDIOS MULTIMEDIA

Postal PO Box 8383 New Plymouth 4340

Physical 77B Devon Street East New Plymouth 4310

Tel +64 (6) 758 1863

Email info@istudios.co.nz

www.istudios.co.nz

WHENUA MAGAZINE

Editor Warwick Tauwhare-George

Deputy Editor Polly Catlin-Maybury

Creative Direction Quentin Bedwell

Photography Quentin Bedwell

Graphic Design Dave Pope, Karere Brown

CONTRIBUTORS

Polly Catlin-Maybury

Moana Ellis

Amokura Panoho

“ WE PROVED THAT OUR STRATEGIC APPROACH AND CORE VALUES GIVE US A FOUNDATION THAT CAN WITHSTAND AN EVER-CHANGING AND DYNAMIC WORLD.”

Tēnā koutou e te whānau

PARININIHI KI WAITŌTARA INCORPORATION

HALF-YEARLY GENERAL MEETING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the half-yearly meeting of Shareholders will be held at Oeo Pā, State Highway 45, Oeo, on Saturday 8 May, 2021.

9.00am Pōwhiri and registrations

10.00am Meeting commences

BUSINESS:

• Apologies

• Presentation on performance to 31 December, 2020.

• General Business

PARININIHI KI WAITŌTARA TRUST HALF-YEARLY

GENERAL MEETING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the half-yearly meeting of Beneficiaries will be held immediately following the meeting of the PKW Incorporation.

BUSINESS:

• Presentation on performance to 31 December, 2020.

• Presentations from Trust recipients

• General Business

Warwick Tauwhare-George SECRETARY

PKW SHAREHOLDER TOUR

A bus tour of a nearby PKW farm is being organised following the Half-Yearly General Meeting. Those shareholders wishing to visit the farm need to book a seat by contacting Reception at the PKW office by 30 April,2021.

P 06 769 9373 or 0800 769 9373 E office@pkw.co.nz

The tour is dependent on bookings.

RESILIENCE KEY TO POSITIVE PERFORMANCE

Another chapter to PKW’s story of determination and resilience was laid down at the Annual General Meeting, after a year of weathering the impact brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hui at Aotearoa Marae, Okaiawa, which was attended by more than 250 people, was also livestreamed, enabling a further 40 shareholders to connect from across the world.

The financial report showed a good result with PKW recording a net profit for the financial year ending 30 June, 2020 of $12.6m (FY19/20 $11.8m). Total comprehensive income was $13.4m.

Consistency in performance was seen in both group revenue and expenditure (reflecting the cost monitoring focus maintained by the management team). While profit share from the Incorporation’s joint ventures was down, due to the huge impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Port Nicholson Fisheries and Ngāmotu Hotels, the group reported an overall gain due to an uplift in the value of the Tai Hekenga portfolio, the forest woodlots held by Mangaoapa, increase in the value of commercial and rural investment property and a $2.5m uplift in the value of whenua tūpuna.

While the bottom line is important, PKW doesn’t just measure its success in dollar value. Te Ara Putanga, PKW’s

outcomes pathways framework, enables shareholders to gain a ‘big picture view across the organisation’s values of Manaakitanga, Kaitiakitanga, Whakapono, Kotahitanga and Whanaungatanga and accurately assess the progress being made. This year is the first time comparisons can be made with previous metric scores (see diagram).

“Knowing who we are and why we exist (our kaupapa) is key to ensuring we stay the course as an Incorporation on behalf of our shareholders, particularly in times of crisis,” says Jacqui King, PKW Head of Corporate Services. “Our performance over the last financial year shows that our strong foundations, clear strategic approach and dedicated team are capable of withstanding the challenges that come our way, emerging ready to continue the mahi to deliver meaningful opportunity for our people.”

our

Jacqui King

“Knowing who we are and why we exist (our kaupapa) is key to ensuring we stay the course as an Incorporation on behalf of

shareholders, particularly in times of crisis.”

Warwick Tauwhare-George, CEO, spoke about the strategic highlights of the year and acknowledged the key role PKW people played in the COVID-19 response, by protecting the business and enabling the dividend payment to remain at status quo as a minimum.

The success of the diversification strategy was discussed, with improvements in the range and type of investments PKW holds. Diversifying the investment portfolio is key to providing stability to the business both in the short and long term.

Warwick outlined the strategic imperatives going forward, with the focus on the three P’s of Property, People and Protein. Optimisation of farming systems, building partnerships, seeking out new investment opportunities and lifting outcomes through maximising the potential of people within the organisation, will build capability and lift profitability.

Creating opportunities for whānau to reconnect with the whenua has been a continued focus over the year.

“Okahu and Inuawai hapū of Aotearoa Marae gave the name Waitokorau to PKW to rename Farm 29,” says Jacqui. “This ongoing process of renaming our farms is proving to be a meaningful way for Taranaki Māori to rediscover their ties with the land and we plan to continue to work with marae around the rohe to facilitate further name changes.”

The election results for three vacant Committee of Management positions were announced with Dion Tuuta, Claire Nicholson and Taari Nicholas taking seats around the table.

Dion Tuuta, Chair of the PKW Trust, presented the Trusts’s annual report, highlighting the mahi being done to grow the number of joint scholarships, with six more grants now available to undergraduate students, plus a paid summer internship opportunity with KPMG.

“Creating opportunities that enable our uri to pursue their aspirations and build capability in our communities is a key focus for the Trust,” explained Dion. “We are particularly pleased that two of the new partnerships announced are with local iwi – by working together we can bring benefits to everyone.”

A total of 170 scholarships and grants were awarded in FY19/20, plus five community awards.

Dion also spoke about the governance and strategy review being undertaken to ensure the Trust was fully aligned with PKW values and had clear focus for its activities in the future.

“It was a very positive AGM, with much to acknowledge and celebrate,” says Jacqui. “Now we look forward to the successes and challenges that are in store for us in 2021.”

The 2019/2020 Annual General Meeting was attended by more than 250 people, with 40 more watching the livestream, in one of the best turn-outs by shareholders.

Kiwifruit and Avocados for Taranaki

It’s been a year since Venture Taranaki launched the Branching Out initiative – a collaborative exercise aiming to investigate, explore and potentially pilot new commercial opportunities that have the potential to add value, diversifying the region’s food and fibre sector, and supporting a resilient, innovative and in-demand food and fibre future for Taranaki.

Last year, Plant & Food Research conducted an assessment of Taranaki’s land and climate. Looking into eight mainstream crops as a frame for the work, the report provided an overview of the region’s soils and climate, and growing capability for apples, kiwifruit, avocados, blueberries, hops, hemp and CBD cannabis, hazelnuts and walnuts, potatoes, and wine grapes.

One of the most significant findings of the Taranaki Land and Climate Assessment was that there are around 207,000 hectares of land potentially suitable for generic horticulture within the boundaries of the Taranaki Regional Council. “The assessment also highlighted key findings regarding each of the crops identified as having potential opportunity. For example, it identified that the entire Taranaki region has ideal growing conditions to produce Royal Gala apples, as well as walnuts. Avocados and kiwifruit are temperature sensitive, so site selection and wind mitigation is important, but also have suitability to Taranaki,” explains Justine Gilliland, Venture Taranaki Chief Executive.

Since the release of the assessment, Venture Taranaki has held two separate forums, looking into the possibility of growing kiwifruit and avocados in Taranaki. Both events attracted strong attendance, made up of Taranaki landowners, potential growers, financial decision-makers, agricultural advisers and support services, as well as food production companies.

“We first looked at producing kiwifruit here in Taranaki, as we have past success in growing kiwifruit here. We also already grow avocados. Considering options to foster more diverse, complementary food and fibre value chains is emerging as a smart business move and kiwifruit and

avocados come through with significant potential. You could say it’s low-hanging fruit for Taranaki,” says Gilliland.

“The benefit of holding these events has been that we’re able to present first-hand credible information while busting long-held myths. We can give farm advisers and potential growers the information they need, link them to the right industry connections and then support them as they consider the viability for themselves, here in Taranaki,” adds Branching Out Project Manager Kevin O’Reilly.

“For avocados, wind, temperature, and access to infrastructure are typically the main myths people hold for why we might not grow them in Taranaki. During our event, the expert avocado presenters agreed that while challenges exist everywhere, they can be overcome through new growing techniques, careful site selection, wind mitigation strategies, and forming close, trusting partnerships with the experts, both at nurseries and packing houses. Every orchard is different, with different climates, contours and aspects. There is support available from the experts who are willing to visit sites and create a unique plan that will get the best production for that specific location,” says O’Reilly. The next opportunity in the pipeline will be either investigating the potential for hops to be grown in Taranaki, or land-use for forestry.

Branching out aligns strongly with Taranaki’s regional economic development strategy Tapuae Roa and the Taranaki 2050 long-term vision for a low-emissions economy. It is funded by Taranaki’s three district councils and the Ministry of Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, with significant in-kind support from Venture Taranaki, Massey University, Crown Research Institutes and primary sector and food and fibre industry enterprises.

For more information on Branching Out, head to www.taranaki.co.nz or get in touch with Kevin O’Reilly (kevin@venture.org.nz) Branching Out Project Manager at Venture Taranaki.

Taranaki’s Regional Development Agency

NEW FACES JOIN PKW TEAM

Descendants of Parininihi ki Waitōtara shareholders have joined the management team in two key appointments. Whenua talks to new general managers Puna Wano-Bryant (Shareholder Engagement) and Richard Buttimore (Property).

Parininihi ki Waitōtara (PKW) has welcomed two new managers to the team that looks after 20,000 hectares of ancestral land along with increasingly diverse business operations and the interests of more than 10,000 shareholders.

Puna Wano-Bryant (Taranaki Iwi, Te Atiawa, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Awa) has joined PKW as General Manager Shareholder Engagement, and Richard Buttimore (Taranaki [Ngā Māhanga a Tairi, Ngāti Haupoto]) is General Manager Property, a significant new role that aligns with PKW’s growth and development strategy. The appointments

reflect intergenerational aspirations to care for the ancestral estate and the people who belong to it.

Puna’s career path has been in law. She was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor to the High Court in 2000, working in private practice and then consulting. But coming home to work with her iwi was always her destiny. Her work for the previous 10 years has been with Te Kāhui o Taranaki, both pre- and post-settlement.

“The pull to come home and work for my own was always there, ever since I was a young girl. My mother, grandmother and uncles set the example in seeking to improve the

access of Māori to good health, education and justice. I grew up around conversations about Māori rights and justice, which is why I went into law,” she explains.

“My whānau have been my greatest mentors, role models and support network, and I idolised my kuia. Nan raised us to contribute to our community. There was quite a bit of expectation but my whānau let me set my own path. I was nurtured into who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do.”

“But I was raised to push myself to contribute, and then to contribute more ... never to hang back if there’s mahi to be done. As a whānau, we support each other but we’re also part of our own critical reflection, testing each other’s thinking, knowledge and intentions.”

When she was 14, a student at Sacred Heart Girls’ College in New Plymouth, Puna was asked to karanga for a school ceremony. “So my Nan took me out the back of the sand dunes, to our whenua at Puketapu, to teach me. ‘Come on, now,’ she said, ‘off you go!’ She wanted me to be equipped culturally and spiritually. She taught me the importance of being prepared, of stepping up in the moment, so that those uncomfortable situations become easier.”

Puna’s grandmother Mākere Wano (nee Wharehoka) was born and raised on the coast at Pungarehu – a Parihaka child whose first language was te reo Māori. At a Hui Aranga in the early 1950s, Mākere met and later married John Wano, of Ngāti Awa. Raised an urban Māori in Wellington, he learnt te reo as a 60-year-old through Te Ataarangi.

hang back if there’s mahi to be done .”

“That’s why my mother and uncles were part of the te reo revitalisation movement in the late 80s and 90s, and why I was raised with the expectation that I would have the reo,” Puna says.

Cultural connection is a priority aspiration in her new role.

“It’s not just about the history of Parininihi ki Waitōtara –it’s also about who we are as Taranaki Māori. As a legacy organisation, we want to work with iwi, hapū and whānau to tell the story of the land. It’s a beautiful, deep, rich history. Reconnecting our shareholders to their own people, stories and land is an important part of the legacy.”

Legacy and contributing back are central to Richard’s arrival at PKW, too. Born and bred on a West Coast lease farm, a previous scholarship recipient and future shareholder, he is proud to be in a position to help advance the incorporation’s aspirations.

Brought up on a lease farm on Kirihau Rd, near Ōakura, Richard was keenly aware from a young age of the land’s history. His father was a leasehold farmer who joined the 1996 tractor march to Wellington to oppose changing the lease regime. His mother is a PKW shareholder.

“I was raised to push myself to contribute, and then to contribute more... never to

Puna Wano-Bryant

“It was an interesting dynamic. I was the youngest of four, and that meant I was Mum’s companion for all the PKW meetings. I was very aware of the issues, being exposed to both sides of the legislative dispute!” he remembers.

With an extensive background in commercial property in Australia and Aotearoa, he returned from Christchurch in 2016 to be the Operations and Commercial Manager at Papa Rererangi i Puketapu (New Plymouth Airport) before joining PKW.

His mahi now is to look after PKW’s extensive land holdings and seek opportunities to grow and diversify the incorporation’s commercial investments.

“We hold a significant footprint of rural land in Taranaki. Of our 20,000ha, we actively control 3700ha – most of our whenua remains under perpetual leases, with rights for the occupier to continue leasing. The end goal is to one day actively control all 20,000ha,” he says.

“We have a right of first refusal if a lessee decides to sell their leasehold interest, and there have been off-market transactions where we’ve approached the leaseholder to re-acquire land of strategic importance, but we’re capitally constrained so we have to prioritise which leases we want now and which to acquire later.”

Part of Richard’s new role is to review PKW’s land management strategy to see if it is still fit for purpose. The strategy includes identifying whenua for priority acquisition and aims to grow the footprint and consider other

commercial opportunities.

“We’re a strong dairy and rural landowner but there is opportunity to diversify – not just in the commercial space but also through alternate land use,” Richard says.

PKW interests include agribusiness (it is the largest Taranaki supplier of milk to Fonterra), the Waipipi wind farm, radiata pine forestry, commercial properties in New Plymouth, Waitara and Stratford, crayfish, horticulture and a Māori coinvestment property fund.

“Dairy is creating wealth for us, but we understand that there is a social licence aspect in dairy farming. As a Māori organisation, you have to consider the environment, and our shareholders expect that we will continue to incorporate sustainable practices in all that we do. That might include exploring further opportunities like Waipipi, forestry, carbon farming and other land use alternatives,” says Richard.

“I was the youngest of four, and that meant I was Mum’s companion for all the PKW meetings. I was very aware of the issues, being exposed to both sides of the legislative dispute!”

Richard Buttimore

PKW CHAIR HINERANGI RAUMATI-TU’UA STEPS DOWN

Serving 15 years, a decade of them as Chair, on the Parininihi ki Waitōtara Committee of Management was something Hinerangi Raumati-Tu’ua never expected when she was elected in 2006. But she has decided it is time to step away and make room for a new perspective to join the Board table.

“Good governance is about making room for others to participate and create opportunity for another way of doing things and generally that should add value. I am really pleased with where we are at and have seen lots and lots of opportunity during my tenure and an increased maturity around how we do things,” she says.

Hinerangi has seen the business change and grow considerably during her time, with a different approach to investments, as well as partnering with other Iwi and Māori organisations to collectively build on assets and resources—both aspects of the business that she takes pride in.

“It was something that had been discussed for nearly twenty years, so it is really good to say, well actually, we are doing it and we are really good at it. We have a model that works, that has evolved over the last five years,” she says. She says the main catalyst for that change was the decision to appoint a general manager, with Dion Tuuta the first to take on the role.

“It seems a long time ago, but it changed how the incorporation was managed. It made such a big difference to how we were perceived. To me, his appointment was a real game changer for PKW and everything that flowed after that.”

Innovation has been a key element of her leadership style, and Hinerangi is particularly pleased with the changes in the way the incorporation reports to its shareholders.

“Te Ara Putanga, our kaupapa evaluation tool, is the framework that we use to measure performance across all the values we hold as an organisation. PKW isn’t just about the bottom line. To me it’s been a real breakthrough. I use it as an example to other Māori entities to show how you can create a model where you aren’t just focused on the financial results. Though they are important, it’s not what everyone wants. Instead, our shareholders want us to show how we are creating other benefits and outcomes through the business,” she says.

“I’m really proud of that but think there is so much more we could be doing around improving our engagement and our approach with our shareholders, our wider community and our Māori community in Taranaki.”

It hasn’t always been plain sailing during her tenure, and Hinerangi recognises that learning from the past mistakes is what really mattered when it came to rebuilding shareholder confidence after the failed investments in the Gabba Project in Australia.

“We learnt about how much risk we are prepared to take, what are we good at, where should we focus? And that’s how we got to the strategic direction that we have been

on for the last ten years. So, another highlight for me is the changing of our governance structure to reflect the lessons we’ve learnt,” she reflects.

Looking forward, Hinerangi identifies the impact of climate change and the growing fragmentation of shareholders as the biggest challenges facing the Incorporation.

“We have made some progress with our environmental impact in terms of how we farm. But what climate change means for the Taranaki region, what it means for New Zealand, how it will impact our customers and the world, it’s all such an unknown. We are gearing up in terms of what we should be doing, which includes a response to the Climate Change Commissioner’s report.”

“Being able to maintain a strong connection with our shareholders is going to be one of our really big challenges going forward, too. As every shareholding gets smaller and smaller and the number of shareholders gets bigger and bigger, we have to think about new approaches. The challenge will never go away so how do we think about it inter-generationally?”

“Building capability in the Māori community has always been a big challenge, too, but I believe our education grants are an investment that will benefit all of Taranaki. It may take two generations to build the depth of specialist skills needed, but we are heading in the right direction.”

Although she is leaving PKW, Hinerangi’s association with Taranaki will remain strong as she is the chair for Te Kīwai Mauī o Ngāruahine Limited, Te Pou Herenga Pakihi LP, Ngāti Mutunga Investment Company, as well as a member of the Taranaki Iwi Holdings Limited Board.

“I’ve absolutely loved being part of this journey. Our whānau grew up in Waikato and loved being Taranaki but we didn’t get many opportunities to express it often. My being involved with PKW for the last 15 years is all about that,” she says.

“My deepest thanks to Warwick (Tauwhare-George, PKW CEO) and his team for the outstanding work over the last five years. It’s been a real privilege. My best wishes to the Committee of Management and our independent Directors. Thank you all so much for your commitment to PKW.”

“I think capability has always been a big challenge, but I believe our education grants are an investment that will benefit all of Taranaki. ”

Hinerangi Raumati-Tu’aa

NGĀKAUNUI KI TE REO MĀORI

When Paora Rauputu began learning Korean while teaching in South Korea, the experience made him yearn for te reo Māori.

Ko Tainui te waka

Ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi

Ko Ngāti Waiora te hapū

Ko Mokau Kohunui, Ko Maniaroa, Ko Napinapi ngā marae

Ko Paora Rauputu tōku ingoa

“My wife and I taught English in South Korea for six years, and I started learning the language. I soon realised that Korean vowel sounds are exactly the same as Māori and the tikanga is similar: for example, respecting and caring for elders, and celebrating by eating together.

“It made me mokemoke for te ao Māori, and ever since then I’ve recognised a need to have more reo Māori in my life.”

Now working in the Human Resources team at Parininihi ki Waitōtara (PKW), Paora says it wasn’t until he came to work in the Māori organisation three years ago that he became fully motivated, at the age of 40, to learn te reo.

“Te reo Māori is part of our mission and values at PKW. I realised soon after joining the organisation that I needed to sharpen up.”

Paora grew up on his whānau farm in Piopio on Ngāti Maniapoto tūpuna whenua.

“My parents still live there today, and nearby is my sister and her tamariki. My mother is Pākehā and studied te reo and my Dad sits on the paepae at our marae, but te reo was not used frequently around our home.

“I had snippets at school but only started studying full-on three years ago at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. I wanted my kids to have reo in their life as part of their childhood, and that has become a prime motivating factor. They’re at primary school, aged 10 and 8, and we do our best to use te reo around the home. We try to speak te reo at mealtimes and we have a list of phrases, kupu and simple commands on the fridge, which we’re introducing in home life. We also learn waiata and karakia together as a whānau.”

Every Monday at the PKW offices, all staff are encouraged to take part in a tikanga and reo programme. Staff take turns to give pepeha, mihi and karakia, and there is a te reo lesson and waiata. This has been effective in promoting and normalising the use of te reo Māori in the workplace, but Paora is keen for more. He is being supported by PKW to ramp up his reo as part of a professional development programme.

“Once you set out on that journey, you immerse yourself as much as you can. I consider te reo a full-time journey, even though the formal classes I take are only part-time.

“I’m at an intermediate level and it’s an uncomfortable space. Learning the language means you have to put yourself out there, and it’s not always easy. Here at work, we focus on making sure our tikanga is correct, not just on the marae but in the boardroom and in our offices, too.

“I’m sometimes called upon now to welcome new people into the office. For me, it’s still uncomfortable going into a pōwhiri – but that discomfort drives you to want to be better and helps you to learn. Not being fluent, I still need to prepare if I’m going into a formal setting. I hate that feeling when you get asked to do something and you know you’re not prepared, so I’m always striving to improve.

“There’s always so much more to learn. Learning te reo opens up a whole new worldview and way of thinking. Now I feel more at ease and connected in Māori settings, yet there are so many other elements of the language that I haven’t yet discovered. I’m looking forward to learning more whakataukī (proverbs) and kīwaha (colloquialisms), those things that come from using the reo in everyday life.”

“Once you set out on that journey, you immerse yourself as much as you can. I consider te reo a fulltime journey, even though the formal classes I take are only part time.” Paora Rauputu

NEW NAME HERALDS NEW DINING EXPERIENCE AT NOVOTEL

The eatery is now called ‘Haukai’, meaning ‘the feast placed before you’ and offers a bistro-style type of dining to customers.

“The partnership had always intended to rebrand the look and feel of the hotel to reflect our values and te ao Māori since we purchased the property,” says Warwick TauwhareGeorge, Chair Ngāmotu Hotels Ltd and CEO of PKW. “The new name is an exciting way of doing this.”

The Ngāmotu Hotel Ltd joint venture between three Taranaki Māori entities - Parininihi Ki Waitōtara Incorporation (PKW Inc), Te Atiawa Iwi Holdings (TAIH) and Taranaki Iwi Holdings (TIH) - was formed in December 2018.

The hotel name has also been changed to Novotel Ngāmotu Taranaki, along with a refresh of internal signage and decor to bring a more Māori tikanga influence to the hotel’s customer experience, with the use of te reo Māori a priority.

“Ensuring that we celebrate who we are as a Māori organisation is not only important from a cultural perspective, but also from a business viewpoint,” says Warwick.

“We are keen to bring a point of difference to our hotel offering to help our customers enjoy coming to the hotel, either for a one- or two-night stay, a holiday week or just an evening meal at Haukai.”

The switch to a bistro-style restaurant has seen a new menu offering and a more relaxed and casual atmosphere which has been a hit with customers.

“The industry is seeing more demand from consumers for this type of eating experience and, in the post-COVID-19 entertainment market, this is a prudent move,” says Warwick. “It is pleasing seeing people and their families in the new restaurant, enjoying themselves.”

After being temporarily closed during the Alert Level 4 lockdown pandemic response, the hotel responded strongly with a return to previous occupancy numbers and the partnership is cautiously optimistic about the financial year to come.

“2020 was a tough year for the business,” acknowledges Warwick. “But General Manager Jayesh Bala and his kaimahi (staff) showed determination and resilience and did a great job responding to the dynamic ever-changing situation, then re-opening the doors as soon as they could.”

“With New Zealand maintaining its COVID-19 free status, domestic travellers are now embracing the opportunity to explore their own backyard.”

“We are welcoming them with open arms and our focus is firmly on the future.”

Restaurant refresh better reflects the Māori partnership and kaupapa behind the business.

PKW TO PREPARE TE HURINGA O TE ĀHUARANGI CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE

A strategic response to the impact of climate change on the way Parininihi ki Waitōtara (PKW) manages its businesses is being developed.

PKW’s seven-member Committee of Management held a climate change workshop last year, ahead of the Climate Change Commission’s final report to the Government this May, to discuss how the Incorporation needs to respond to the global issue.

The new strategy, which will be closely aligned to the commitments laid down in the Kaitiakitanga Strategy, is expected to be approved next month and implemented from 2022.

The Climate Change Commission’s draft report in January listed key recommendations that the Government is largely expected to agree with. These include an overall reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions of 36% by 2035, starting with 2% by 2025 and 17% by 2030.

To meet these targets, the Commission recommends as critical actions: climate-friendly farming practices, switching to electric vehicles, accelerating renewable energy generation, and growing more permanent native forests.

The recommendations include cutting livestock numbers by 15% from 2018 levels by 2030, putting a stop to importing light internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035, and ending coal-generated energy by 2035.

Puna Wano-Bryant, General Manager Shareholder Engagement, said climate change is a critical issue for humanity.

“As an intergenerational Māori organisation whose shareholders have clearly articulated that environmental sustainability is a priority, it is our responsibility to come up with a plan that responds to the way our activities impact upon the environment,” Puna says.

“The Government will legislate after receiving the Commission’s final advice in May – it has pledged to release an Emissions Reduction Plan before the end of the year.”

“PKW is committed to being proactive in order to align with our own principles and objectives, as articulated in our Kaitiakitanga Strategy. Ultimately, the responsibility to respond to climate change is ours and we are addressing the issue proactively, prior to any Government rollout of legislation which could put us into compliance mode.”

Offsetting the impact of PKW’s business activities is the organisation’s first consideration, Puna said.

“There is a suite of options and solutions. Within that, there’s a tikanga, mātauranga Māori conversation about how we offset and why.”

The PKW climate change strategy – Te Huringa o Te Āhuarangi – will build on its Kaitiakitanga Strategy with a clear and implementable work plan to achieve a set of climate goals. It will consider the fullest scope of climate change impacts on the business, and the organisation’s role as kaitiaki.

“We are at the stage of connecting our kaitiakitanga aspirations to clear and transparent measures for change,” Puna said.

“We’re not an ordinary business – we are kaitiaki, with deeper obligations to the land. It is not a linear conversation about how to reduce the impact of our activities by offsetting – it is a deeper and wider conversation. Once you apply the lens of kaitiakitanga, the conversation becomes more multi-faceted. Providing continued benefits to shareholder whānau is a part of the balance of considerations.”

The social impacts of climate change and how shareholder whānau will be affected by the transition to a net-zero carbon economy will also be considered, along with PKW’s role in supporting whānau to adapt, act and increase resilience.

“Addressing climate change will involve deliberate changes in our behaviour. The changes needed are globally urgent and significant. As our history of interference and interruption demonstrates, we have a legacy of resilience and the ability to adapt and respond to change – even change that poses a risk to our existence and identity.”

“ We’re not an ordinary business – we are kaitiaki, with deeper obligations to the land. It is not a linear conversation about how to reduce the impact of our activities by offsetting – it is a deeper and wider conversation.”

Puna Wano-Bryant

E

NGĀKAUNUI ANA KOE MŌ TE TAIAO?

ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT?

PARININIHI KI WAITŌTARA ARE BUILDING A NEW KAITIAKI TEAM AND WE WANT YOU!

5 NEW ROLES will be advertised in the coming months for 4 KAITIAKI CADETS and 1 KAITIAKI SUPERVISOR.

These roles will focus on fencing and replanting of our waterways, and water and cultural health monitoring.

Cadets will be trained for one year before working on our whenua and farm land adjacent to waterways.

This team is targeted at rangatahi or beginner level kaimahi.

JOIN OUR NEW AND EXCITING TEAM

Enquiries to General Manager Shareholder Engagement, Puna Wano-Bryant and check out our website, pkw.co.nz, for upcoming pānui.

HE TANGATA HE WHENUA HE ORANGA

GOVERNMENT SCHEME AIMS TO BRING SUSTAINABILITY TO MĀORI LANDOWNERS

The Taranaki Whenua Ora project aims to provide the knowledge and support organisations and individuals need to introduce regenerative agriculture into their farming systems.

Funded by the Ministry of Primary Industries, the scheme brings Māori landowners together to share knowledge and ideas about regenerative agriculture.

Regenerative agriculture is defined by the MPI Technical Advisory Group as revitalising Papatūānuku through a ‘set of principles and practices that, in isolation or collectively, result in improved outcomes for our productive land, freshwater and marine environment, our climate, our animals, and for the people that grow and consume our food and fibre products’.

Puna Wano-Bryant, General Manager Shareholder Engagement, says the project represents a real commitment from the government to the Te Tai Hauāuru region’s farming community.

“The announcement of the creation of new roles to provide practical support to those who wish to adopt regenerative agriculture either partially or in totality is great news for the region,” she says.

“As an organisation, we embrace innovation and new ideas, and so we are very happy to be part of the conversation and look at potential areas where the concepts of this approach could be incorporated into the farming systems we already have.

“Regenerative Agriculture is fascinating in that it provides both a scientific and factual approach to environmental sustainability, but also fully demonstrates the value of mātauranga Māori. It shows that they are not two different concepts, but the same, just with different language.”

Dr John Roche, Kaitohutohu Mātanga Pūtaiao Matua for MPI, gave a fascinating and comprehensive presentation at

the workshop explaining the challenges the farming sector are facing.

He told the hui that farmers need to produce almost as much food in the next 30 years as has been done in the last two thousand to keep up with global demand – but on the same amount of land. An added consideration is the growing global awareness of the importance of environmental sustainability and the value consumers place on how their food is produced.

The MPI is committed to supporting the development and uptake of modern regenerative production practices alongside innovative science and technology and wishes to demonstrate and promote practices that deliver benefits to farmers, the environment and the wider community, he said. Senior advisor Glen Katu of the Māori Agribusiness department of MPI was pleased with the progress the project has made over the last six months.

“The kōrero with the group has been overwhelmingly positive, with all members wishing to learn more about how this system could help them with their kaitiakitanga kaupapa,” he says. “The process of appointing a full-time facilitator and part-time co-ordinator has begun and, once the roles have been filled, the project will really take off with tangible change taking place on whenua all over the region.”

“PKW’s commitment to support other land trusts who wish to implement regenerative agriculture, either partially or in totality, on their land is an excellent example of the extensive collaboration and co-operation we have seen from our members.”

The group includes nine land trusts - Kahurangi Trust Dairy Farm, Araukuku B Trust, Mangapapa B2 Inc, Kauika-Stevens Whanau Trust, Ngāti Tanewai, Ngāti Hamua, Ngāti Maru, Paetawa Station and PKW.

A project to help Māori landowners embrace a sustainable approach to farming and land management is going from strength to strength in the region.

PKW’S FARMING KAUPAPA IMPRESSES MĀORI FARMER GROUP

A hui of Māori farmers gained an insight into PKW’s farming kaupapa and learned about the commitment PKW Farms has to its role as kaitiaki of the whenua.

The gathering of the Central North Island Māori Farmers took place at Farm 5, on Winks Road in Manaia as part of a wider tour of the region for the group.

“The group visits farms and businesses on an annual basis around different rohe, to learn about how other farmers are doing things,” says Shane Miles, PKW’s General Manager Ahuwhenua. “We were pleased to welcome them to a PKW farm for the first time.”

The gathering of 40 people heard about PKW’s history and learned more about the farming operations, and what PKW is striving to achieve.

“We talked a lot about the importance of our Kaitiakitanga Strategy and how that framework helped us make decisions about how our farms are run and investments we make into them,” says Shane. “The effluent management systems we have installed across our farms are an important part of that, so there was a lot of kōrero about what we had done, and why.”

“They were impressed by the fact that PKW was putting so much investment into sustainable farming, not just because it makes sense economically, but because it is the right thing to do. As kaitiaki, there is a responsibility to do what

is right to protect and care for the land and waterways, and that message resonated with everyone there.”

“The Kaitiakitanga Strategy was developed and implemented on the direction of PKW’s shareholders, which again was something the group were keen to hear about.”

Te Kahurangi Skelton-Pue and Rawiri Ratahi, two interns who spent the summer at PKW working on the PKW Cultural Health Index and waterway quality measurement technology, spoke to the group about the mahi they had been doing, which gave further insight into the strategy and its importance to PKW Farms.

The CNI Māori Farmers group is facilitated by Fonterra and spent three days in Taranaki visiting different farming operations and the Fonterra plant in Hāwera.

“It was great to feel the immediate connection and mutual understanding with each member of the group,” says Shane. “There was a real sense of camaraderie and pleasure at hearing about PKW’s agribusiness, and the sharing of challenges and successes amongst the group was a positive outcome from the time spent on-farm.”

PKW WHĀNAU KEY TO WATER MONITORING PROJECT

Whānau involvement in establishing and nurturing the wellbeing of awa flowing across Parininihi Ki Waitōtara whenua is crucial to the effectiveness of the cultural monitoring tools, according to the findings of a recent report.

Otago University undergraduates Te Kahurangi

Skelton-Pue and Rawiri Ratahi completed a five-week internship at PKW during the summer, as part of the team implementing the kaupapa laid down by the Kaitiakitanga Strategy.

Their task was to trial, test and evaluate the Cultural Health Index tool and the PKW Mauri Scale to establish their effectiveness when measuring the overall health and vitality of waterways on PKW farms.

“An essential element of the Kaitiakitanga Strategy is mātauranga Māori, enabling us to assess water quality and health holistically, as well as from a Western science based perspective,” explains Puna Wano-Bryant General Manager Shareholder Engagement. “This is a ground-breaking approach to environmental assessment and study, enabling scientific data to be complemented and enhanced with and by tikanga Māori.

“The role PKW has as kaitiaki of our whenua for current and future generations is a responsibility that we take very seriously and the development of the aspirational Kaitiakitanga Strategy provides a framework for the practical application of our duties in this space.”

The strategy consists of five key priorities: Wai Māori (establishing and protecting the mauri of waterways); Tukanga o te Pāmu (farming sustainably and with minimum impact); Te Kōkiritanga (to be leaders in kaitiakitanga); Kanorau Koiora (enabling sustainable cultural harvesting of taonga species) and; Tūkononga (reconnecting PKW whānau with their whenua).

“These priorities provide the strategic focus we need to ensure any activities we undertake are aligned with the values and ethos of behind the Kaitiakitanga Strategy,” says Puna. “Any projects or mahi we carry out must be effective and contribute towards the goals we have set ourselves, and ultimately the protection, restoration and ongoing nurturing of Paptuānuku and Tangaroa ki uta.”

The application of the Cultural Health Index tool and the PKW Mauri Scale when assessing waterways holds huge potential, not only for PKW, but for other incorporations, iwi groups and environmental projects.

“The perception that you can look at the environment either through a westernised science lens or a mātauranga Māori lens is something we really wanted to challenge,” says Puna. “We believe that both approaches are different ways of looking at the same thing and, as such, both hold merit. But capturing that cultural kōrero, and being able to use it as a unit of measurement is a challenge.”

The Cultural Health Index (CHI) monitoring tool was developed in 2006 and has been employed nationally to specifically determine the health of a river or stream. It uses 16 ‘indicators’ which combine to give a single score or value.

Mauri is imminent within all creation, the life force which generates, regenerates and upholds creation, binding their spiritual and physical elements together, and PKW’s Mauri Scale has been developed to provide the means to measure this over time.

Main image: Interns Te Kahurangi Skelton-Pue and Rawiri Ratahi from Otago University.

Above: Te Kahurangi puts the Kaitiaki tools through their paces in the field.

Left and below: The interns present their findings.

There are five levels on the scale:

(A) Mauri Ora: Life force of the awa is well and in a drinkable state.

(B) Mauri Piki: The life force is growing/ improving towards a purifying state.

(C) Mauri Whakakau: The life force is in a swimmable health state.

(D) Mauri Heke: The life force is declining, I would not swim here but the awa is not sick.

(E) Mauri Māuiui: The awa is sick, no one should swim or drink from here.

Ensuring these tools were fit for purpose was the task set down for Te Kahurangi Skelton-Pue and Rawiri Ratahi, in a project jointly sponsored by Callaghan Innovation, Otago University Te Koronga Māori research faculty and PKW.

“We found that both tools were effective and offer huge potential in bringing a cultural focus to measuring environmental variables to gain an overall picture of health and vitality,” says Te Kahurangi. “But, to be truly effective, they must be used in collaboration with whānau who can reconnect and engage with the awa. This enables the cultural insights that are vital to achieving a holistic result with a Māori perspective at its core.”

“Field research proved to be extremely valuable, and we identified areas of refinement in both the CHI and the Mauri Scale that could improve their performance as data generation vehicles,” added Rawiri. “One of the issues with this type of research is the danger of subjectivity and monitor bias, hence our recommendation that whānau engagement is essential to bring as much knowledge together as possible.”

The pair also found significant overlap between the two tools, and suggested that they could be combined to provide a single, comprehensive and straight-forward to use measurement system.

MAURI IS IMMINENT WITHIN ALL CREATION, THE LIFE FORCE WHICH GENERATES, REGENERATES AND UPHOLDS CREATION, BINDING THEIR SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL ELEMENTS TOGETHER.

“This would then be an easy to use, effective and relevant tool that captures mātauranga Māori to enable researchers to identify what areas need immediate attention,” says Te Kahurangi.

Both students found the experience at PKW to be wholly positive, and were extremely grateful for the support and opportunity to contribute to the project.

“We shall miss both Te Kahurangi and Rawiri for the energy and vitality they bought to the team, their sense of humour and the diligence they bought to their mahi,” says Puna. “The contribution they have made is significant, and we will be applying their findings to ensure the tools we are using to achieve our goals as kaitiaki are fit for purpose.”

Te Kahurangi Skelton-Pue

Ko Taranaki te Maunga

Ko au he mokopuna o nga wai o Waitara me Waiwhakaiho.

I te taha o tōku mama ko Taranaki, Te Atiawa, me Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga oku iwi

I te taha o tōku papa, he kakano ahau o Ngāti Maru ki uta Ngāti Maru ki tai.

Ko Rata Pue raua ko Pounamu Skelton oku matua.

Ko Te Kahurangi Skelton-Pue tōku ingoa.

Te Kahurangi is studying for a Bachelor of Science, majoring in sports development and management, and was keen for the opportunity to see how a kaupapa Māori ethos works in a practical setting.

“This project has been so rewarding on so many levels , and our hearts are full at being given this opportunity to return to our maunga,” she says. “While coming home has always been on the cards, I have been able to experience the vitality, the sense of purpose, people have here and discover that I have something I can offer back to my people, that I can come back and be of use.”

She says she experienced a real sense of ngākau in her work and a connection with her father.

“I thought PKW were just involved in farming the land for people, a viewpoint probably shaped by my father who was a vocal critic of PKW in his time.

“ This project has been so rewarding on so many levels , and our hearts are full at being given this opportunity to return to our maunga.”

Te Kahurangi Skelton-Pue

“It was huge being able to connect with people that he had been involved with and hear their stories about him, and know that the mahi I was doing was exactly what he had lobbied for.”

“The support and engagement we got from people, especially Hoani Eriwata of Te Whenua Tōmuri, Taranaki Iwi and Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa, was truly humbling and I am so grateful to them all. They made a huge difference to the success of our mahi, and I am sure they will continue to support the work PKW is doing as kaitiaki.”

Rawiri Ratahi

Ko Taranaki te maunga

Ko Waitara te awa

Ko Tokomaru, ko Kurahaupo ngā waka

Ko Te Atiawa, ko Taranaki me Ngāti Maru ngā iwi

Ko Owae, ko Orimupiko ngā marae

Nō Waitara ahau

Ko Ratahi tōku whānau

Ko Tony rāua ko Marise ōku mātua

Ko Rawiri tōku ingoa

“ We shall miss both Te Kahurangi and Rawiri for the energy and vitality they bought to the team, their sense of humour and the diligence they bought to their mahi.”

Far left: Hard at work in the PKW Whare. Left: Te Kahurangi and Rawiri gifted a beautiful taonga to acknowledge the welcome and support they received from PKW whānau.

The key highlights for Rawiri, whose parents have whakapapa connections to PKW, was the sense of growth he found in himself and the connections he made with the people he met.

“It was great to meet with the whānau who are connected with the awa which are monitoring as part of the project, and find out how keen they were to support us, and what we were doing. Everyone had such confidence in us.

“Discovering how supportive people back home are of us and our mahi here at Otago University, has impacted on what I was going to do for the next couple of years, and I think it may bring me home a little sooner rather than later.”

He says participating in the project has encouraged him to value the mātauranga that Māori have as a people and how important it is to ensure their wellbeing.

“Discovering how supportive people back home are of us and our mahi here at Otago University, has impacted on what I was going to do for the next couple of years, and I think it may bring me home a little sooner rather than later.”

Rawiri Ratahi

Puna Wano-Bryant

NEW SCHOLARSHIPS BRING MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG MĀORI

Partnerships between Parininihi ki Waitōtara and Taranaki iwi have enabled the creation of two tertiary scholarships to help ākonga achieve their aspirational goals.

The agreements with Ngāti Maru and Ngāti Mutunga see the two academic grants, worth $2,500 each, added to the existing 24 scholarship awards administrated by PKW.

“We now have co-funding agreements with five Taranaki iwi that play an essential role in helping our whānau to follow their dreams,” says Puna Wano-Bryant, PKW’s General

Manager Shareholder Engagement. “Supporting Taranaki Māori in this way means we are investing not only in their future, but in the future of all Māori as these individuals help to strengthen us with knowledge and skills we will need in the future.”

Any student eligible to apply for an education grant will qualify for consideration for these awards, and the pūtea

comes with no restrictions on how it is used to cover study costs.

“Previously, scholarships have been paid directly to the institution at which the recipient is studying to offset fees,” explains Puna. “This meant that students who qualified for fees-free tutoring missed out, so we have made that change to enable more applicants to be considered for the award. Both PKW, Ngāti Maru and Ngāti Mutunga wish to encourage and enable as many people as possible to apply for support.”

The application process requires students to be studying in an area that aligns with iwi kaupapa. Selections will be made from the general pool of applicants received by PKW and representatives from both iwi will sit on the interview panel to make the final choice.

“The face-to-face interviews are an important part of the process,” says Puna. “While the scholarships are primarily designed to provide practical support to students, they also create an opportunity for us to build connections with whānau, to help them understand they are a valued members of our community.”

“By meeting them face-to-face, we are saying that they are an important part of our future and we want them to know we are there to support them, wherever their goals may take them.”

Applications for scholarship support can be made via the Taranaki Scholarships and Award online portal (taranakischolarships.communityforce.com) which is provided in partnership with Venture Taranaki and the Bishop’s Action Foundation.

“The portal is helping to make applying for a scholarship a more straightforward process,” says Puna. “It is bringing all the scholarships, educational grants and study awards together in one place, so applicants don’t have to complete multiple application forms. Complete the online process and you will automatically be considered for all the scholarships you are eligible for.”

Anaru Marshall, General Manager of Ngāti Maru, said: “Te Kāhui Maru is excited about partnering with PKW on this initiative to provide scholarship support to Ngāti Maru uri. This partnership enables members of our iwi to progress on to higher education and greater opportunities for themselves, and for the future of their whānau.”

Paul Cummings, CEO Ngāti Mutunga at time of signing, echoed this kaupapa, adding: “We would like to encourage as many people as possible to go to the Taranaki scholarships portal and apply. Scholarships represent an opportunity to walk that path towards fulfilling your dreams – so take it!”

Puna is keen to continue to build the range of scholarships available for Taranaki Māori to access through building relationships with iwi, suppliers and strategic partnerships that can benefit PKW shareholders and their whānau.

“By meeting them face-to-face, we are saying that they are an important part of our future and we want them to know we are there to support them, wherever their goals may take them.”

Puna Wano-Bryant

SHAREHOLDER SURVEY RESULTS GIVE INSIGHT

Shareholders are happy with the governance and strategic direction of PKW, according to the results of the bi-annual shareholder survey.

The survey is carried out every two years and asks for feedback about how shareholders feel the business is performing, their opinions on strategic direction, their expectations and what is important to them.

“The survey is a crucial part of the ongoing kōrero we have with shareholders, as it helps to shape governance and management decisions,” explains Puna Wano-Bryant, General Manager Shareholder Engagement. “The Board and the Executive Management team are here to deliver the outcomes the shareholders feel are of benefit to them, so it is important that we know what they are and if their expectations have changed.”

Surveys were sent by email, and shareholders could also complete the questions online via a link published in Whenua Magazine. There were 115 responses received, an increase of 21% on 2018, representing 2.3% of shareholders for whom the Incorporation has contact details.

Overall, the survey results showed that shareholders felt well-informed about PKW and its business activities.

“Of particular note is the increase of 10% in people who indicated they understood the annual financial report,” says Puna, “which is gratifying as we changed the way we presented the figures to help people understand them better last year. We will be continuing to find ways of making business information easier to understand.”

Respondents also indicated they were happy with the Incorporation’s performance over a range of commercial and cultural activities, particularly in the areas of Leadership and Kaitiakitanga, and the strategic direction these areas are taking.

There were several new questions in the survey, one of which asked if shareholders would like to be able to research the connection they have to the whenua. More than half (68%) indicated that they would. Answers in this section also indicated that the commitments outlined in the Kaitiakitanga Strategy echoed shareholder priorities of wishing to access sites of significance to reconnect with land and for cultural harvesting.

The survey also asked for opinions on selling land, and it

was clear that shareholders supported the sale of general land, but not that of ancestral whenua, and that proceeds should be used to grow the business.

“We need to retain ancestral land - once sold you never get it back and, more importantly, it links us to our past.” There were notable changes in how respondents believed profits should be used, with 42% rating Dividend Payments as the highest priority (an increase of 16%). The PKW Trust was rated as the second priority (15% increase), Re-investment next (a 3% decrease) and Debt repayment fourth (18% decrease).

“This information shows how important carrying out these surveys is, as shareholder opinions and viewpoints can change over time, and we need to be sure we know about these changes,” says Puna.

The challenge of unclaimed dividends and what to do about them always attracts much debate. The majority of responses supported the work being done to try and reconnect with missing shareholders, or their whānau or successors.

When asked what should be done with dividends that have missing owners, particularly those that have been held for a long time in some cases all the way back to 1976), there was a variety of answers and suggested solutions. The majority want the incorporation to hold onto the dividends for whānau and do their best to reconnect and reach out to them.

“I would wait -, what’s the rush? Give the missing shareholders’ whānau time to reconnect.”

“Share them out with other shareholders.”

“I would like to acknowledge everyone who responded to the survey,” says Puna. “It is important that we hear the voices of our shareholders and understand what they want from their incorporation and the information the survey has provided will be vital in shaping the future of the business to enable us to continue to grow and sustain our people through prosperity.” Two prizes of $250 will be drawn at the half-yearly hui at Oeo from those who participated in the survey.

AT A GLANCE

PKW

Whenua

81% 56% 75% 59%

do not wish to see ancestral land sold under ANY circumstances support for leases to be sold with PKW still owning land support for selling ‘general’ land to grow business want sale funds to either grow PKW businesses or pay off debt

Unclaimed Dividends

$4.7m

32%

since 1976 want PKW to continue to search for missing shareholders or their whānau

Priorities

Connection

68% would like to be able to research the connection they have to the whenua.

75% 81%

satisfied with our Kaitiakitanga performance satisfied with our Grants/Scholarships Community and educational programme

Building cultural connections with Taranaki is the main focus for PKW’s fledgling alumni programme for scholarship and educational grant recipients.

“An alumni programme has been something PKW has wanted to develop for some time,” says Puna WanoBryant, General Manager Shareholder engagement. “But we wanted to be sure of the value of any offering to our ākonga. A recent survey of grant recipients indicated that it could be a great way for people to strengthen their cultural connections to the rohe and their Taranakitanga.”

The Grant Recipient Destination Survey was carried out for a second time at the end of the last academic year.

“The survey is a very useful tool which helps us understand more about the needs of our ākonga as they come to the end of their study,” explains Puna. “It means we can look at what we can do to maintain that support and manaakitanga as they start the next stage of their lives.”

“The survey was sent to all 2020 grant and scholarship recipients and 63 responded - a disappointing response which showed that there was more work to be done in fully engaging people to ensure the relationship between them and PKW wasn’t a purely transactional one,” says Puna.

The majority of respondents were wahine and most fell into the 15-24 age bracket (26), with 13 aged 25-34, 8 35-44, 12 45-54 and 4 aged 55-64.

“This information is important because it shows us that people want to learn and grow throughout their lives so we need to ensure that we don’t just concentrate on younger students,” says Puna.

A Bachelor’s degree was the most common qualification gained, with 16 respondents going on to attain a Postgraduate qualification, Masters or doctorate.

While the majority of respondents (68%) stated they were working, the salary indications were in the lower brackets ($20k - $49k). This suggests that much of the work would be considered part-time or casual, which aligns with the data that nearly half of respondents are still studying.

A new question included this year asked about the level of debt recipients were accumulating in order to study. The

responses are fairly even with student debt ranging from $0 to $49,000 and with some owing more than $60,000. In the main, students said they were studying within the health sector, so high rates of debt are not surprising.

“It is somewhat disheartening to see that our people need to accumulate a significant debt in order to access tertiary education with the hope of securing a well-paying job,” says Puna. “It really shows how vital our educational awards are to helping people walk on their academic path.”

Many respondents indicated that they wished to work in Taranaki once graduated, meaning the highest demand for potential employment is in the Health sector (22%), with Education, Government, Māori and Social work also featuring.

More than 74% indicated that they would like to be part of a future alumni programme and so a two-day wānanga is being planned for November.

“There will be inspirational speakers, workshops and kōrero about what participants would like to see the alumni programme look like going forward,” says Puna. “We are developing a framework and strategy so individuals can provide feedback, and we really want input on what the programme should be called and its purpose.”

“It is an exciting opportunity to build connections, build cultural capacity and bring like-minded people together so they can support each other on their lifetime journey. Forging strong relationships has always been the Māori way; it is one of our superpowers and ensures intergenerational success.”

“It means we can look at what we can do to maintain that support and manaakitanga as they start the next stage of their lives.”

Puna Wano-Bryant

5000 OWNERS ENTITLED TO $5M IN UNCLAIMED DIVIDENDS

More than half of the unclaimed pool, $2.5m – belongs to just 400 owners, who are each entitled to between $1,500 and $60,000.

PKW manages 20,000ha of land on behalf of 10,500 shareholders but only has contact details for just over half of them and bank details for only 35%, making it impossible to pass on the $4.9m they are entitled to.

PKW Shareholder Advisor Adrian Poa said this means that 5,000 owners are missing out on a connection to their whenua.

“They are missing out not only on the dividends they are entitled to but also on shareholder benefits such as education and community grants, work opportunities, attending hui, and maintaining connection with the whenua and their whānau,” he says.

When PKW was established in 1976 there were 5396 registered owners. After 44 years, many are now unable to be contacted or are “missing”.

“They have either passed away and their descendants have not succeeded to them or don’t know that they have PKW interests or their contact details have changed,” explains Adrian.

TOP 50 MISSING SHAREHOLDERS LIST

“We need up-to-date phone numbers, addresses, email and bank details to pay out these dividends, and to keep owners informed about PKW business and activities.”

The Covid-19 crisis has demonstrated the importance of being able to contact whānau immediately if necessary.

“To do that, we need to have up-to-date contact details. Our efforts to reach out to all our owners is continuous, and every year we publish a list of unclaimed dividends on our website so that people can search their kaumātua or their parents’ names, and get the word out through their networks.”

Unclaimed dividends are held by PKW on behalf of the owners.

To update contact details or inquire about shareholdings or succession, email reception@pkw.co.nz or phone 0800 759 462. To check the missing shareholders list, please go to www.pkw.co.nz

Nearly $5 million of unclaimed dividends is being held for Parininihi ki Waitotara (PKW) owners who have not updated their contact details or do not know they are shareholders.

TOP 50 MISSING SHAREHOLDERS LIST (CONTINUED)

To view the complete list on our website, visit https://bit.ly/2Ovrvky