From the Chair

Kia ora e te whānau

 

Our Deeds now require that the positions of chairperson and deputy chairperson be voted on after the AGM in each election year. Our present trustee rotation means that from now this will occur every year. The Board have recently undertaken the election process for these positions post the 2018 Hui ā Tau and I can advise that I have been re-elected to the position of chairman for the next 12 months and that Margaret Bond has been re-appointed to the position of deputy chair.

Work in extending our planning horizon out to five years and beyond is continuing and to this end we are currently planning a round of roadshows for early December.  You would have already received information about dates and times, and related information is also included in this pānui. Giving you the opportunity to give feedback on our strategic direction is important to us and, as well as giving you that chance to have your say, it is always great to catch up and have a chat. Our next priority will be to incorporate the feedback, so that Simon and the team can then start prioritising next year’s work plan and activity. I appreciate that there will be a number of you who will be unable to attend the consultation hui, and I thank those of you who have taken the opportunity to email us your comments.

I have had a number of hui recently with Ngati Waewae, down in Westport and Karamea. Together we have had further kōrero with the Buller District Council who currently own the land where the archaeological digs took place and which we would like to acquire. We are exploring mechanisms to achieve the acquisition at little or no cost to the two iwi. It is interesting that down on the Coast there have already been a number of applications for funding support lodged through the Provincial Growth Fund. If successful, some of these will have a positive spin off on initiatives we are supporting down in Kawatiri.  

Until next month …

Ngā mihi

Brendon Wilson,

Chairman, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trusts