KOE KOE Ā
Making a difference, through hard work and perseverance
Mauria te pono PHOTOS THIS PAGE: RUSS FLAT
Rore and Lynne Stafford have dedicated their lives to making a difference to their whānau and hapū and the whānau whānui of Wakatū. In January 2019, this contribution was acknowledged with Rore being recognised as an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori. In the official acknowledgements, the Crown noted that Rore had co-lodged the WAI 56 claim in 1986 on behalf of descendants of the Māori customary Owners of the Nelson Tenths’ Reserves and Occupation Reserves in Whakatū, Motueka and Mōhua, and has led the team dedicated to seeking restitution for over 31 years. Rore was also a founding member of the Maniapoto Marae PACT Trust in 1980 and has been chairman for more than 20 years. He was active in a group that worked on land reforms that led to the Māori Reserved Land Amendment Act 1997. Lynne was an early Wakatū Board member, serving from 1980–1982. Rore has been on the Wakatū Board since 1985. In this role, along with his fellow board members, Rore has been a key driver behind the strategy and direction of the commercial businesses of
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