Ngātiwai Trust Board - PANUI

Te Anga Mua o Ngātiwai

24/11/2020

Tena koutou e te iwi,

He panui whakamohio tenei.

E tika ana kia mihia te hunga kua potopoto atu ra ki te po. E nga mate tuatini, e nga mate tuamano, haere e nga mate. Kia tau iho ra nga tini manaakitanga o te runga rawa ki runga I te hunga kua whakarerea iho nei.

Kati ra, e nga mana, nga tapu, e nga tini manatunga e toitu tonu nei huri noa I Te Akau Roa o Ngatiwai me ona tini kopikopikotanga puta atu ki Nga Poito o Te Kupenga o Toi, tenei ra te mihi ki a tatou ki nga whanau, nga hapu puta atu ki te iwi nui o Ngatiwai puta noa.

Ahatia nga tini whakawainga o te wa, me mahi nui tonu tatou kia hua mai ai nga hua haunga ano mo tatou o tenei reanga nahe engari mo nga uri e anga mai nei.

The Ngātiwai Trust Board extend our aroha to our whanau, hapū and Ngātiwai katoa in these unprecedented times.

Despite the challenges facing Te Ao Katoa it is important that we continue to anga mua or be forward focused to build on the legacy of our tupuna for the betterment of Ngātiwai and our future generations.

The Board is committed to positive future focused leadership as well as seeking to strengthen active communication with our uri as we move forward and develop our next steps.

Over the past month we have had a number of significant operational changes which have seen some operational team members depart our organisation. Our acting CEO, CFO, In-house Lawyer and other staff have left the organisation. We thank them for their contribution to Ngātiwai Trust Board operations and wish them well with their next endeavours.

We affirm to you that our operational services continue as normal and recognise the contribution of those staff and Board members who have committed to maintaining our operations.

We have already initiated on-going discussions with our staff and have also received a report from Deloitte examining structural solutions for our entity that are future focused.

As we continue to move forward in this time of change, we are also seeking to engage with whānau, hapū and uri o Ngātiwai on our next steps. Again, we affirm to you our ongoing commitment to robust engagement and seeking your input on these important matters into our future.

We appreciate these are busy times for most and have scheduled initial update and strategic planning hui over the month of December along with an online survey for those not able to attend hui in person. There will be more Ngātiwai huarahi anga mua engagement hui in the new year.

E Ngātiwai me ū tatou ki te kotahitanga me te mana motuhake o Ngātiwai.

Na Aperahama Kerepeti - Edwards
Heamana o Te Poari o Ngātiwai

Summary of the Ngātiwai Trust Board Meeting of Trustees 25th September 2020

20/10/2020

Blue Orb: - Representatives of Blue Orb met with Trustees to introduce themselves and provide an overview of their work they are involved.

RMU, Ports of Auckland Appeal: - The Trust Board will provide a letter of support in principal regarding the application to appeal the dredging in the Waitemata Harbour.

Resource Consent Processes: - The Trust Board will advise the Councils that Ngātiwai need to be informed of all consent applications and issues at the beginning of the resource consent process.

Sponsorship Policy: - Trustees resolved that the Sponsorship Policy will be reviewed by Rōpata Diamond and the Education Committee.

Treaty Claims: - The 3 main areas of treaty claims were highlighted being the Mandate Inquiry, Overlapping Claims and the MACA Claims of which the hearings will commence on Monday 28th September 2020 with Ngātiwai presenting on the first day.

Summary of the Ngātiwai Trust Board Meeting of Trustees 28th August 2020

2/9/2020

Aqua Settlement Funds, Analysis of Costs: - A report summarising the utilisation of the Aquaculture Settlement Funds was provided to the Board.
Chair and Deputy: - The Board confirmed that Aperahama and Martin would hold position of Chair and Deputy for the remaining of the trustee 3 year term.
Consolidated Group Financials to 31st July 2020: - The group financials for the period ending 31st July 2020 were summarised by the CFO and received by the Board.
Deloitte Review: - An update summary from Deloitte regarding the review was provided to trustees.
Independent Director Oceans Hotel Tutukaka Limited: - The Trust Board is seeking an Independent Director for Oceans Resort Tutukaka Limited, a pānui is to be sent out to marae and hapū, a job description and person specification are available from the Trust Board office, please contact Moana MacDonald on 09 4300939 or 021 272 7689.
NTB Financial Delegation Policy: - The changes submitted to the Delegation Policy have been set aside by trustees until such time as the Board’s sub-committees have been confirmed.
Treaty Claims: - The 16th, 17th and 18th Mandate Maintenance Reports from the 1st August 2019 to 31st March 2020 were received by the Board.

Marae Reports:

Matapouri: - Sustained some damage in the recent floods. The marae and Hapū Trust hosted a whakatau to welcome Chorus prior to the installation of fibre in the marae. The Hapū Trust is still working in partnership with TIF with the redesigning of communal facilities in Matapouri which are to reflect whānau and hapū narrative.
Motairehe: - Darren Cleave has been elected as the Motairehe Marae Chairman.
Ngaiotonga: - Installation of IT connectivity will be carried out next Friday which is great for the community. A meeting will be called at the marae shortly after the work is completed, the connection is free for the next 5 years. An application for PGF funding which is independent of the Trust Board is being applied for the carpark and 2 water tanks.
Ngunguru: - Both Rose and Rachel are acknowledged for taking care of the kai deliveries.
Oakura: - Damage was caused to water tanks during the flooding. Kai deliveries are available for the next 2 weeks.
Otetao: - No marae committee meetings have been held over the last 3 months. Howie is working on establishing a kauri die back wash station at the marae.
Pataua: - No update from the marae for this month.
Punaruku: - Cancelled its most recent Marae Committee Meeting due to flooding. A rescheduled meeting will be notified in due course.
Tuparehuia: - The marae financials have been audited and passed on to the Charities Services. A wananga is proposed for November to discuss options for the wharenui.
Whananaki: - Renovations are on hold for now as we await further PGF funding.

Declaration of result election of trustee Mokau Marae

28/8/2020

Under the Ngātiwai Trust Deed, notice is hereby given that when the nomination period for Mokau Marae closed at 5pm on Friday 28th of August 2020, the following nomination was received:

STONE, Wirermu

As there was only one nomination received for one vacancy, no election is required for Mokau Marae, and Wiremu Stone is declared elected unopposed.

Chairman, Aperahama Kerepeti-Edwards says “Tēnā koutou e Te Uri o Hikihiki otira e ngā tini karanga maha o te marae o Mokau. Kua mana ta koutou nomihana I a Wiremu, kia tu ko ia hei māngai mo Te Marae o Mokau I runga I Te Poari o Ngātiwai. “

“E koro, e Wiremu, nau mai hoki mai. He nui te mahi hei mahi ma tātou e kōkiri nei i te kotahitanga o Ngātiwai.”

“Kua tae te wā!”

I am proud to announce the election of Wiremu Stone as the representative of Mokau Marae. The election of Wiremu comes as he was the only nomination for the role.”

“As he stands unopposed, we welcome Wiremu back to the board table.” says Chairman Aperahama Kerepeti-Edwards

Hui-ā-iwi Postponed

28/8/2020

The Hui-ā-iwi of the Ngātiwai Trust Board scheduled for Saturday 5th September at Matapouri Marae, has been postponed. We are now planning to hold this hui later in October.

We apologise for postponing this hui, it was in the interests of the health and safety of whānau that we took this precautionary approach.

Hui-a-iwi - 5 September 2020, Matapouri Marae

18/8/2020

Tēnā koutou e te iwi. We are scheduled to have our next hui-a-iwi on the 5th of September at Matapouri Marae, 10am.

At this stage we have still held this date to have our hui, but please note that this is subject to change based on the pending Government announcement on the 26th of August regarding the current alert level status.

If the hui-a-iwi cannot be held due to COVID restrictions, we will to reconvene the hui to another suitable date.

We will keep you informed as we know more. Ngā mihi.

Notice of Election of Trustee - Mokau Marae

17/8/2020

Please click below for the Election Timetable, and also the Trustee Nomination Form.

Please be aware:

Nominations must be received no later than 5pm Friday 28 August 2020

Election Services will be independently running the election on behalf of the Trust Board, however please feel free to contact the Board if you enquiries about the process and/or updates/new registrations 09 4300939.

Ngā mihi

Trustee Nomination Form

Election Timetable

Summary of the Ngātiwai Trust Board Meeting of Trustees 31st July 2020

7/8/2020

Aquaculture Settlement Funds: - Trustees have requested that Management provide a detailed report regarding the usage of the settlement funds.
Consolidated Group Financials: - The Group Financials to the 30th June 2020 were approved by the Board.
Election of Chair and Deputy: - The election of Chair and Deputy occurred at the meeting, congratulations to both Aperahama Edwards who was elected as Chairman and Martin Cleave who elected as Deputy for the ensuing year.
Proposed Hui-A-Iwi: - Trustees propose to host a Hui-A-Iwi on Saturday 5th September, the venue is to be advised.
Scholarship Applications: - The Board resolved a minimum payment for all scholarship applications received date 31st July 2020 which meet the Ngatiwai Trust Board Scholarship criteria subject to the Education committee approving the applications.
Sponsorship Applications: - A sponsorship grant of $500 was approved to support Wiremu Wikaira, Omaha marae to participate in the NZ U16 Rugby Team domestic tour and NZ U16 Tag Football Trans-Tasman Test series.
Trustee Wananga: - A Trustee only wānanga is proposed for later in the month.

Joint Media Statement: First sequencing of Tuatara genome opens vault to evolutionary secrets

6/8/2020

First sequencing of tuatara genome opens vault to evolutionary secrets

In a world first, University of Otago scientists in partnership with Ngātiwai iwi and a global team of collaborators have sequenced the genome of the tuatara – a rare reptile whose ancestors once roamed the earth with dinosaurs.

The findings on this remarkable reptile, which is found only in New Zealand, have been published today in the prestigious international scientific journal Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2561-9

Lead-author, Professor Neil Gemmell, a geneticist at the University of Otago’s Department of Anatomy, says the sequencing of the tuatara genome, which is 67 per cent bigger than the human genome, has revealed a genomic architecture unlike anything previously reported, and helped confirm the evolutionary position and unique life history of this ancient reptile.

“If we consider a tree of life, with species diverging over time and splitting off into groups such as reptiles, birds and mammals, we can finally see with some certainty where the tuatara sits,” Professor Gemmell says.

Tuatara have been out on their own branch of the evolutionary tree for a staggering amount of time, with prior estimates of divergence ranging from 150–250 million years; and with no close relatives the position of tuatara on the tree of life has long been contentious. Some argue tuatara are more closely related to birds, crocodiles and turtles, while others say they stem from a common ancestor shared with lizards and snakes. This new research places tuatara firmly in the branch shared with lizards and snakes, but they appear to have split off on their own trajectory for around 250 million years – a massive length of time when we consider primates only originated around 65 million years ago, and hominids, from which humans are descended, originated approximately six million years ago.

“Proving the phylogenetic position of tuatara in a robust way is exciting, but we see the biggest discovery in this research as uncovering the genetic code and beginning to explore aspects of the biology that makes this species so unique, while also developing new information that will help us better conserve this taonga or special treasure,” Professor Gemmell says.

One area of particular interest is to understand how tuatara, which can live to be more than 100 years of age, achieve such longevity. Examination of some of the genes implicated in protecting the body from the ravages of age found that tuatara have more of these genes than any other vertebrate species thus far examined

“Could this be one of the keys to their long lifespan? Tuatara also don’t appear to get many diseases, so looking into what genetic factors might protect them is another point of focus for our study, as too we have also explored genetic aspects that underpin the vision, smell and temperature regulation of tuatara,” Professor Gemmell adds.

Another significant aspect of the research has been the collaboration with local iwi (Māori indigenous tribe) Ngātiwai, with Professor Gemmell believing the project provides a current exemplar for research teams seeking to work collaboratively with indigenous communities. He says working together with Ngātiwai has been incredibly rewarding as it provided the opportunity to explain what the research team wanted to do and why, and gave Ngātiwai the chance to share their relationship with tuatara.

“Very early on it become clear that a primary goal for us all was to develop new knowledge that would improve the conservation of this species. We agreed to partner together to achieve that aim, whilst also looking for opportunities to share other benefits that might derive from the research. It was an informed partnership that I believe was an important enabling element for the project’s success, which extends well beyond the scientific achievement of sequencing the genome,” Professor Gemmell says.

Ngātiwai Trust Board Resource Management Unit Manager Alyx Pivac says “Tuatara are a taonga and it’s pleasing to see the results of this study have now been published. Our hope is that this is yet another piece of information that will help us understand tuatara and aid in the conservation of this special species. We want to extend a big mihi to all of those who have been involved in this important piece of work.”

Clive Stone, Te Uri O Hikihiki ki Mokau also added, “I think it is important we acknowledge some of the key Ngatiwai people that made this project possible, Nga Rangatira, Houpeke Piripi, Te Warihi Hetaraka, and Hori Parata who guided us, informed us and inspired us to complete this journey”.
“As kaitiaki (guardians) of the tuatara within the Ngātiwai rohe (area) we were keen to explore this new technology (DNA genome sequencing) and enhanced Ngātiwai kaitiakitanga (stewardship), by having an active partnership role in the decision-making process, as well as actively participating in the management and monitoring programs.

It also allowed us to better prepare our taitamariki (youth) to undertake their kaitiaki responsibilities, which go with having mana whenua (authority) over these islands.
Our aspiration has been that this research would increase the national and global awareness of the conservation of the tuatara, as well as the many other New Zealand species that face similar threats to their long-term survival.

This project has also provided a significant opportunity to demonstrate the importance and value obtained when iwi, conservators and scientists work together to provide data critical for a species’ long-term preservation.”

With the genome now sequenced, the international science community now has a blueprint through which to examine the many unique features of tuatara biology, which will aid our understanding of the evolution of the amniotes, a group that includes birds, reptiles and mammals. Gemmell says “It is not far-fetched to suggest that through our new understanding of the tuatara genome, there may be novel insights that emerge that will benefit our understanding of our own biology and health.”

For more information contact:

Professor Neil Gemmell
Department of Anatomy
University of Otago
Mob 021 918188
Email neil.gemmell@otago.ac.nz

Mark Hathaway
Senior Communications Adviser
University of Otago
Mob 021 279 5016
Email mark.hathaway@otago.ac.nz

Barry Caldwell
Communications Adviser
Ngātiwai Trust Board
Mob 021 728 291
Email barry.caldwell@ngatiwai.iwi.nz

MEDIA STATEMENT: Resignation of Trustee for Mokau Marae

3/8/2020

MEDIA STATEMENT
Monday, 3 August 2020

Resignation of Trustee for Mokau Marae

The Ngātiwai Trust Board would like to advise that we have received the resignation of our Trustee for Mokau Marae, Albert Sadler.

Ngātiwai Trust Board Chairman Aperahama Edwards says “I would like to acknowledge Albert for his time and contribution to the Board, and I wish him all the best for the future.”

The Ngātiwai Trust Board will be engaging Independent Election Services Ltd to conduct an election, as we seek a new Trustee to represent Mokau Marae. A pānui be released shortly advising of the process and timeline for the election.

Ends

Contacts: Barry Caldwell, Communications Advisor, Ngātiwai Trust Board
Phone: 021 728 291
Email: barry.caldwell@ngatiwai.iwi.nz

Ngātiwai is unified by its descent from one of the oldest lineages in Taitokerau, Ngāti Manaia.

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