A Ngātiwai Trust Board hui was held on the 31st July 2020 at which the Trustees elected Aperahama Edwards (Trustee for Matapouri Marae) as the new Chairman of the Ngātiwai Trust Board.

Aperahama has been a Trustee of the Board for the last four years and is the current Chairman of the Ngātiwai Treaty Claims Committee. Aperahama is well known to the iwi and has represented Ngātiwai on several Boards, organisations and forums both at a local and national level.

Newly elected Ngātiwai Trust Board Chairman, Aperahama Edwards says, “I am humbled to be elected as the person to lead our iwi Trust Board. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Haydn Edmonds for his dedication, passion and commitment to serving our iwi as Chairman over the past ten years. Ngā mihi ki a koe e Rangatira to mahi mō tō tatou iwi. Ngā mihi hoki ki to whānau kua noho hei pou tuara mou i roto i ngā tau.”

Outgoing Chairman, Haydn Edmonds says, “It has been a privilege and an honour for me to represent my iwi over many years and I would like to wish Aperahama all the best as our new Chair. I know Abe is the right person to lead our iwi and he will have my full support. I look forward to continuing to work positively with him and my fellow Board members as the Trustee for my marae, Punaruku.”

Acting General Manager, Jim Smillie says, “We welcome the appointment of Aperahama as our new Chair. I know he will be well supported by the Board, staff and the wider iwi.”

Trustee for Motairehe Marae, Martin Cleave, was elected as Deputy Chairman.

Ngātiwai Trust Board, Te Manawaroa o Ngāti Hine and Whangārei Takiwa (Te Runanga a Iwi o Ngāpuhi) came together on the 30 July to celebrate Te Matahi o Te Tau with kaumātua and invited guests from throughout the Whangārei rohe.

The Whangārei rohe is unique in Tai Tokerau - as an urban centre we came together as iwi and worked together to support all those in need during Covid-19.
It’s our whakapapa that binds us and through that relationship we united.

Over the Covid-19 lockdown and into Level 2 the iwi collaboration worked positively together to provide care and support to those in need and help navigate whānau into specialist support services.

"Te Manawaroa o Ngāti Hine led a rohe approach to our Covid-19 Emergency Response, bringing together community, hapū and government agencies to provide a comprehensive support network for all those in need" says Pita Tipene Chair of Te Manawaroa o Ngāti Hine.

This Matariki event brought together over 100 kaumātua from throughout Whangārei to celebrate the Māori New Year and the way with which our people united in the Covid-19 response.