From the Chair

Kia ora e te whānau,

You know time is moving along fast when an Annual General Meeting has been completed and there is talk about what should be done for the respective hapū Christmas functions.

With regards to the AGM, may I thank iwi members for their support, I will endeavour to keep the iwi at the forefront of my mind throughout my new term on the board. Congratulations to Kushla Okano on her selection, we look forward to working with Kushla in shaping and guiding iwi matters. Our thanks and appreciation go to Patrick Smith and Paul Addison for indicating their willingness to put their time into iwi matters, we all hope this is not the last time we see these names on a voting paper.

Brendon Wilson was farewelled formally at the Hui ā Tau. For those of you who missed the hui, there will be a video available on our website for you all to catch up on at your leisure. Brendon will be sorely missed at the board table, but again we all wish him and Yvonne well in their new adventures.

From all accounts, the AGM went well and I hope for those of you who were able to share in the new format, you felt you were able to contribute, albeit via the chat app.

Our Deed requires that the position of chairperson and deputy chairperson be voted on after the AGM in each election year. Accordingly, at our Trust meeting in Whakatū on Saturday, October 3, 2020, I was elected chairperson for a second term, while Trustee Clinton Gapper was voted in as deputy chair. I look forward to working with my fellow Trustees and the reconfigured sub-committees during the next term.

Covid-19 still impacts in part on our business as usual. Gatherings are still problematic, which means
that communication is often still via Zoom. This is definitely not a bad thing, it just means that our
traditional kanohi ki te kanohi approach to business is not always the first option.

The Trustees on the Trusts, our Directors from the Groups, and our General Manager and his team have been either leading or participating in various pieces of work throughout the motu. We have coverage over land swaps, fisheries, investigating prospective land purchases and contributing to combined iwi initiatives that look at the wellbeing and prospects for all Māori.

This is just a taste of what a day looks like, we are fortunate to have a highly skilled team ensuring that our Apa assets and prospects are well in hand.

Thanks once again for your support. I hope in this coming term you will engage in all that Apa is able to provide.

Ngā mihi
Hinemoa Conner, Chairperson

Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trusts