Te Reo Kākāriki ISSUE 08
Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R OCTOBER 2020
MIKAERE DUANE PITIROI
He Maimai Aroha
Mikaere Pitiroi, tēnā takoto. Takoto mai rā i te kōpū āhuru o Papatūānuku. I ahu mai koe i te oneone, kua hoki rā koe ki te oneone. Ko tahi roimata ka heke mōu, he moana ka maturu mō tō whānau me ō mātua kua tāmia e te aukume o roimata. E iri me he whetū i te rangi. Tiaho iho mai hei arataki i tō whānau, i ō hapū, otirā, i tō iwi. Taku raukura rere hau e. It was with great sorrow that we learned of trustee Mikaere Pitiroi passing. The sudden and unexpected loss of Mike has left us all in a state of deep sadness and shock. Of Ngāti Te Rangiita, Ngāti Ruingarangi, Ngāti Tūrangitukua and Ngāti Kurauia descent, Mike was an active member in Tūwharetoa kaupapa and represented his whānau on numerous Tūwharetoa Trusts.
Mike was appointed to Lake Taupō Forest Trust board during the 2016 Election. He served on several of the Trust’s subcommittees, including the Charitable Trust, Audit and Tu Whakaaro (strategy) committees. In addition to his time on Lake Taupō Forest Trust, Mike served on numerous other boards throughout Tūwharetoa, including the Lake Rotoaira Forest Trust, Waipapa and Tokaanu Māori Lands Trust and Motutere Point Trust. He was also a dedicated trustee and hapū member to his Marae at Waitetoko. Amongst other things, Mike was a staunch believer in advocating for the protection of land assets while growing shareholder wealth, continuing the growth of a world-class indigenous forestry business, and he was determined to encourage action-oriented trustees who are responsible, transparent and accountable. Never a dull moment in the boardroom with Mike. Those who knew him will undoubtedly remember his laugh. His commitment and dedication will be sorely missed. Our deepest condolences to his whānau, his mum and dad, Kataraina and Te Kanawa, and two brothers, Daimon and Derek.
Tēnā koutou Message from the Chair Ko te Reo Kākāriki tēnei e mihi ana ki a koutou e noho whānui ana ki te ao. Tēnei te tuku pānui atu kia mōhio koutou mā ngā mahi e kawea nei ki muri, ki mua rānei mō te tupu rākau ki runga i o tātou whenua. Nō reira ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Ki a rātou kua whetūrangitia, e kemokemo mai rā i te rangi, kei te tika ngā kupu e kīia nei ‘He tātai tangata ki te whenua, ka ngaro. He tātai whetū ki te rangi, mau tonu, mau tonu’ Nō reira moe mai koutou, okioki atu. Ka hoki mai ki a tātou e noho nei i te ao mārama me te kī. Tēnā koutou, tēnā rā tātou katoa. It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Mikaere Pitiroi, one of our young Trustees on Lake Taupō Forest Trust since 2016. Mikaere was a valued member of the Trust and his commitment and dedication will be missed. The whole country is now at COVID-19 Level 1, and most restrictions and legal requirements on businesses,
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services and individuals have been relaxed.However, we all need to be ready in case COVID-19 reappears in our community. Our office hours have returned to normal: 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Monday to Friday. I remind owners that all services for Lake Rotoaira Forest Trust are now located in a different office in what used to be the Literacy Centre, a very short walk across the car park from our office. Details are inside this newsletter. In this issue of Te Reo Kākāriki, we are pleased to announce a proposal to set up a Lake Taupō Forest Trust Conservation Programme – a plan to help preserve our native trees and plants from pests as well as nurture our birdlife in a purpose-built aviary. Although still only at discussion stage, we thought it would be timely to share the ideas with owners and beneficiaries to seek feedback and ideas to help make this proposal a reality. We also profile the last of our new Trustees, and one well-known to all of us, Tangonui Kingi. We welcome all our new Trustees, Kelly, Ngahere, David and Tangonui, and look forward to their ideas and energy in helping to move the Trust forward.
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In addition, we provide an overview of the operational restructure that Lake Taupō Forest Trust has recently been through, including bringing the work of Lake Taupō Charitable Trust back inhouse. We announce the appointment of the directors to our new commercial arm, Tupu Angitu Ltd, and we provide a short item on the wind damage to some of Lake Taupō Forest. Finally, we look at the bigger picture in ‘The State of the World’s Forests’, which examines the contributions of forests, and of the people who use and manage them, to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity around the world. Lastly, as always, I want to thank you, the owners, for your continued support of the Trustees and staff over the recent lockdown period. Please continue to be safe, take care and be kind. ‘He aha te mea nui o te ao, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.’
Binky Ellis Chairperson
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Lake Rotoaira Forest Trust
Lake Rotoaira Forest Trust heralds new beginnings The Lake Rotoaira Forest Trust (LRFT) has opened its new offices in Tūrangi. Chairperson Bubs Smith says, ‘This is an exciting and positive move for the Trust. Basing ourselves in Tūrangi, the heart of Tūwharetoa, keeps us connected to our people and builds on our Tūwharetoa-tanga.’ ‘While previously we have shared offices and administrative functions with Lake Taupō Forest Trust (LTFT), we believe that now is the time to establish ourselves in our own space as we prepare ourselves for the future which holds new opportunities for us in terms of our forestry and tourism focus. The operational management of our forests has not changed,’ said Smith. LRFT was established in 1973 to represent the interests of the owners of 85 separate Māori land titles located on the slopes of Pihanga, Tongariro, Kakaramea and Kuharua mountains, around the shores of Lake Rotoaira and in the upper Whanganui catchment. LRFT is a Māori authority that administers the land interests of almost 11,000 owners and nearly 23,000 hectares of land, including 9600 hectares in productive world-class plantation forestry in the Central North Island of New Zealand. Smith says, ‘as the global COVID-19 pandemic affects how we do business locally and internationally, we are confident that we can continue in our goal to become a fully diversified management company’. The Trust continues to be focused on progressing and realising the aspirations of it’s people. ‘We believe the Trust has a responsibility to utilise and protect our taonga that safeguards our taiao and enhances the lives of owners and our hāpori,’ says Smith . The new office opened on Monday 21 September and is situated across the road from our old offices shared with LTFT. Any whānau wanting to access Rotoaira forests or services (e.g., permits for hunting or firewood, applying for grants) can do so by visiting us at our new office or by contacting LRFT Reception on 07 386 8834.
LRFT offices Shop 9 81 Tūrangi Town Centre Tūrangi 3334
9.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. Monday – Friday
As part of Lake Taupō Forest Trust’s long-term programme to conserve and protect our fish, birds and wildlife habitat, the Trust is proposing to establish two conservation initiatives – the first being a predator-free sanctuary in LTFT bush and the second, an aviary in or near Tūrangi to house and breed birds.
LTFT ngahere sanctuary The aim of this project would be to create a sanctuary in LTFT bush that is fenced and made predator-free to promote the beauty of a flourishing bird population and bush life. A total of 1000 hectares has been identified that will be targeted by groundbased pest-control measures to remove pests such as rats, stoats and possums. A secondary aim of the project would be to create a number of jobs, not only for the initial and ongoing pest management requirements, but also for the reestablishment and care of native plants and trees in the sanctuary into the future. The project would be undertaken in conjunction with Predator Free NZ, DOC, Forest and Bird and other organisations that have similar aims.
LTFT aviary
www.lrft.co.nz
Wind damage to forest
The recent windthrow events in the Central North Island caused considerable damage to approximately 250 hectares of Lake Taupō Forest Trust forest. In some areas the damage was severe with stems being broken off or uprooted, but in other areas damage was more minor. The Lake Taupō Forest Trust made the decision to harvest, clear and replant the affected area in pinus radiata and kanuka. Areas closer to State Highway 1 will be replanted in kanuka, partly to avoid the risk of trees falling on the road but also to provide a supply of hangi firewood for Lake Taupō Forest Trust marae. This sort of windthrow event only occurs occasionally but could increase in the future if climate change results in more volatile and extreme weather events. TE REO KĀKĀRIKI
Conservation programme
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The second conservation initiative involves setting up an aviary in or near Tūrangi to house and breed birds. Again, working in conjunction with Forest and Bird, DOC and others, the aim would be to engage children in the beauty of birdlife and increase community understanding of the importance of the birds in the bush. The breeding programme would help boost birdlife, especially of rarer species, some of which could be transplanted to the LTFT Ngahere Sanctuary. ‘Beauty of Birdlife’ school conservation programmes and visits could be developed, while the project would create a number of full-time and part-time jobs and provide a new tourist attraction and other related tourism opportunities for Tūrangi. These are both long-term projects, but if you are interested in being involved in the establishment of either of these projects, please leave your name and contact details at LTFT Reception.
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Tangonui Kingi Trustee Profile
Tangonui has whakapapa to Ngāti Turumakina and Ngāti Te Mahau at Waihī and is well known to Tūrangi and Taupō communities through his work on a variety of organisations, including councillor for the Tūrangi/Tongariro Ward of the Taupō District Council, trustee on Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board and Ngāti Tūwharetoa Fisheries Charitable Trust amongst others, chair of Safe Tūrangi as well as his 20-years’ service in the Tūrangi Volunteer Fire Brigade where he is currently the Chief Fire Officer. ‘I am a born and bred local,’ says Tangonui. ‘I did most of my schooling here right up to Tongariro High School and didn’t really get the urge to leave town. So, I did the usual teenage thing waiting around for something to fall into my lap and nothing did. I got my break and got into retail and spent nearly 17 years there.’ ‘Retail’ happened to be Lockyer’s Appliances and Furniture in Tūrangi. This family-run business traced its roots back to Napier, having opened its doors in 1898. When Tangonui joined in 2000, the same whānau had already been in business for 102 years. Lockyer’s Appliances and Furniture opened their Tūrangi store in 1966 during the Tongariro hydro development. Tangonui became a shareholder-director, and the business continued to trade well;
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however, the growth of the corporate chains loomed, and the store ended up closing in 2016. ‘As we knew all our customers – we were dealing with third or fourth generation customers – we could offer a very personalised service, but the small independent stores just didn’t have the buying power of the big chain stores. It’s good if you are a consumer as you can get lower prices, but it was very hard on small retailers. ‘One of my aunts from here suggested that I should stand in the upcoming council elections. Initially, I wasn’t really that interested as I thought I was comfortable being a retailer. However, I stood in the 2013 elections for the Tūrangi Tongariro Community Board where I was elected as the Chairman. During this period my interest started to grow in governance- related matters particularly how the decisions could have a positive impact on our communities. It was also around this time where I was given a wonderful opportunity to serve on the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board, which took myself and Tiwana Tibble on as Associate Trustees. So, between iwi politics and local body politics, I started to appreciate how I might be able to contribute in those spaces.’ Tangonui has found that his years of business experience have been useful at the board table, but business experience is not all that is required. ‘Financial skills are needed at any boardroom table but so is the ability to think fairly broadly across issues. I’ve certainly used things that I used in the shop from my time there, but I’ve found that actually it all comes back to how you treat people and work with people. No matter how many board tables I sit at, my 20 years’ voluntary service in the Fire Brigade has taught me one thing – we can be called out to anything at any time, and it’s a good way to be able to have a constant gauge on where a community is at – whether it is our whānau or the community at large, so I’m lucky. I get to maintain that connectivity right at the coalface and also bring that to the governance side. ‘I always take note of the very wise words of our Ariki, Ta Tumu who says “What’s good for our Iwi is good for our community and what’s good for our community is good for our Iwi.” ‘Keeping that as a guiding principle
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can help you in your decision making.’ Although the nature of the Lake Taupō Forest Trust business is changing as the Crown transfers its ownership back to the Lake Taupō Forest Trust next year, Tangonui believes that there will be challenges and opportunities over the next few years. ‘I think the first thing is that we have to acknowledge the sacrifices our people made in terms of consolidating their whenua to get us here. It was very bold and had a lot of foresight. ‘The world is a different place in 2020, and I think the priorities of our people, our owners, may well be different, particularly in a post-COVID state. Go back a few years, if we were to ask the same question, maybe our responses would be quite different, but in 2020, what does it look like? Well, I think it could be any number of things, but principally there’s a need to have a look at how our people have been impacted by this and how we can support them. ‘Collectively, our Iwi response to COVID meant that we found innovative ways to get help to our people. Going forward, we can utilise this collaborative approach to address other matters as they arise. This may also include lobbying central government for additional pūtea. ‘Due to many years of careful and considered management, Lake Taupō Forest Trust is in a really good position, a strong position, and so I suppose it needs us to really think carefully about what those options could be, and I guess, taking our whānau on the journey with us. ‘I think my responsibility sitting at that board table is to give my insights as to where I think we could add further value to what we are doing, and taking into account other things that are going on around us. ‘Sometimes I think we’re afraid to agree to disagree, so I suppose it’s how you maintain respect and uphold each other’s mana and make sure you don’t trample on that in the process of agreeing to disagree.’
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LTFT operational restructure Over the last six months, Lake Taupō Forest Trust has been going through an operational restructure to support the long-term strategy of the Trust. There have been two main parts to this restructure. The first has been the setup of the Trust’s commercial arm, Tupu Angitu Ltd, which is now largely in place (see article on Tupu Angitu directors page 6). The second part has been the development of the non-commercial or social arm of the Trust with the main focus being on delivering benefits to owners. This has led to a reorganisation of the operations of the Trust, which has involved significant planning and a staff consultation process. A key part of this development will bring the work of Lake Taupō Charitable Trust (LTCT) back within the fold of Lake Taupō Forest Trust. This means that from January 2021, Kaumātua grants and the Tertiary Education grants and forestry scholarships will be processed by staff at Lake Taupō Forest Trust. In addition, there will be a number of new positions created in Lake Taupō Forest Trust to help improve the service and benefits to owners, including a policy analyst, a strategic analyst and a communications manager. These positions will be advertised soon. LTFT would like to thank the LTCT trustees and Frankie Taituma and her team for the incredible work they have done in developing He Māhuri Toa educational programme for our owners and beneficiaries and building links with the owners and community.
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FAO State of World Forests As the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011–2020 comes to a close and countries prepare to adopt a post2020 global biodiversity framework, this edition of The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) takes the opportunity to examine the contributions of forests, and of the people who use and manage them, to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. It is intended to complement The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture, released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in February, 2019 the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the draft of which was released in 2019, and the Global Biodiversity Outlook 5 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), released in 2020. Forests harbour most of Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity. The conservation of the world’s biodiversity is thus utterly dependent on the way in which we interact with and use the world’s forests. Forests provide habitats for 80 percent of amphibian species, 75 percent of bird species and 68 percent of mammal species. About 60 percent of all vascular plants are found in tropical forests. Mangroves provide breeding grounds and nurseries for numerous species of fish and shellfish and help trap sediments that might otherwise adversely affect seagrass beds and coral reefs, which are habitats for many more marine species. Forests cover 31 percent of the global land area but are not equally distributed around the globe. Almost half the forest area is relatively intact, and more than one-third is primary forest. More than half of the world’s forests are found in only five countries (Brazil, Canada, China, Russian Federation and the United States of America). Almost half the forest area (49 percent) is relatively intact, while 9 percent is found in fragments with little or no connectivity. Tropical rainforests and boreal coniferous forests are the least fragmented, whereas subtropical
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dry forest and temperate oceanic forests are among the most fragmented. Roughly 80 percent of the world’s forest area is found in patches larger than 1 million hectares. The remaining 20 percent is located in more than 34 million patches across the world – the vast majority less than 1 000 hectares in size. More than one-third (34 percent) of the world’s forests are primary forests, defined as naturally regenerated forests of native tree species where there are no clearly visible indications of human activity and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed. Deforestation and forest degradation continue to take place at alarming rates and contribute significantly to the ongoing loss of biodiversity. Since 1990, it is estimated that some 420 million hectares of forest have been lost through conversion to other land uses although the rate of deforestation has decreased over the past three decades. Between 2015 and 2020, the rate of deforestation was estimated at 10 million hectares per year, down from 16 million hectares per year in the 1990s. The area of primary forest worldwide has decreased by over 80 million hectares since 1990. More than 100 million hectares of forests are adversely affected by forest fires, pests, diseases, invasive species drought and adverse weather events. For more information: http://www.fao. org/state-of-forests/en/
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Tupu Angitu Ltd directors appointed The four directors of Tupu Angitu Ltd, the new subsidiary company of the Lake Taupō Forest Trust, have now been appointed. The directors are Tracey Hook, Jonathan Cameron, Temuera Hall and Geoff Thorp. A short profile of each is below. Tupu Angitu Ltd is responsible for protecting and growing the commercial asset base as well as providing business and/or employment opportunities for owners and/or descendants of owners who have the necessary skills and experience. The directors’ start date is to be confirmed.
Tracey Hook Currently CEO Ngāti Awa Group Holdings Tracey is a qualified Chartered Accountant and brings significant financial experience through her past executive
positions at two of the largest kaupapa Māori entities in Aotearoa – Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Tainui Group Holdings Ltd. She is also currently the chair of Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa Development Ltd and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee of Te Tumu Paeroa. Iwi Affiliation: Te Āti Haunui a Pāpārangi and Ngā Wairiki
Jonathan Cameron Currently Managing Principal of Elevate Capital Partners Jonathan brings a strong background in corporate finance, development and planning through his past roles at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, American Express, Ernst & Young and Air New Zealand. He is also currently on the boards of Destination Great Lake Taupō and Dunedin Airport.
Temuera Hall Currently Managing Director TAHITO Ltd Temuera brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in building businesses, instilling values, developing relationships,
driving strategy and achieving outcomes. He will be well known to some as a previous Deputy Manager of the Lake Taupō Forest Trust, Managing Director of Taupō Moana Group Ltd and Chief Executive Officer of Tūwharetoa Settlement Trust. He is also the current Chair of Opepe Farm Trust, Deputy Chair of CNI Iwi Holdings Ltd and Chair of Te Kakano Whakatipu Ltd. Iwi Affiliation: Te Arawa (Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Whakaue), Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Geoff Thorp Currently Manager of Lake Taupō Forest Management Ltd Geoff will be well known to many in his role over the last 20 years with Lake Taupō Forest Management Ltd, bringing his comprehensive knowledge and experience of the Lake Taupō Forest Trust forestry business. Geoff is also on the board of the NZ Forest Growers Levy Trust and an observer on the board of Kaingaroa Timberlands Ltd, providing liaison and advice for Te Kakano Investments Ltd Partnership.
Do you know these people or their uri? The owners below are owed significant funds of unclaimed monies. If you know these people or their uri, we would really appreciate knowing their whereabouts so we can get them registered and have their monies paid. SURNAME
FIRST NAME
SURNAME
FIRST NAME
FRASER
Rawinia
REIHANA
Kinita
GOODAN
Moia Dawn
TAUNA
Pareaururangi
HANA
Mataria
TAUTEKA
Rongo
HAPI
Nohomaitawhiti
TE AWHI
Te Whetu
HEMOPO
Mihi Te Rina
TE KAWAU
Waka
HEPI
Jack
TOKONA
Rose Christine Tirahurangi
HIKI
Tai
TUMU
Raurangi
HIRI
Geneva
TUMU
Henare
KARATEA
Te Rou
TUMU
Katerina
MUTUMUTU
Hoani
TUMU
Te Toki
PARAKETE
Pa
WALL
Naiti (Hemi)
RAKEI
Rameka
WAMONA
Pani
RANGIWHAKAWAREA
Ngahuia
WATENE
Tawhi
RAUKAWA
Hare
WHARETOKORUA
Tamanga
HEAD OFFICE
81 Town Centre PO Box 102 Tūrangi, New Zealand Telephone: 07 386 8839 Fax: 07 386 0188
CONTACT US
general@ltft.co.nz
+64 7 386 8839 www.ltft.co.nz
IMAGE PERMISSIONS:
Kākāriki courtesy of firinosa/123RF Stock Photo Other images courtesy of Lake Taupō Forest Trust, and HUIA