Common questions asked by whānau
Your voice matters – here’s what you’ve asked us
As part of our commitment to open and honest kōrero, we’ve shared clear responses to the pātai we hear most often from whānau. Click the cross symbol next to each question to open and read the kōrero.
Stay in the loop.
Make sure your whānau are signed up to receive our regular iwi pānui — it’s where we share the latest updates, opportunities, and important kaupapa. You can subscribe via our homepage or email us at: communications@rongowhakaata.iwi.nz.
Explore more.
This website is a growing resource where you’ll find info about our iwi assets, investment approach, governance entities, and key mahi. Visit the Karanga Pakura blog page and use the search bar to help find what you’re after.
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We believe that everyone has the potential to lead, and that by working together, we will stay grounded and future focused.
In 2022, an independent review identified ways to strengthen the Trust, so we made key changes to strengthen our capability and ensure long-term sustainability.
Today, the Trust is supported by three key teams and 20 kaimahi, focussed on:
· Rongo Team- Strengthening connections between uri and Rongowhakaata identity, whakapapa, and mātauranga.
· Whakaata Team- Building a strong and resilient Rongowhakaata economy.
· Wharekai Team- Supporting our people, systems and the way we work.
Senior Leadership is made up of the Managers of each team, who then report to the Kaihautū. We invest in our people, with policies and strategies designed to support professional growth and ensure our people work to best practice standards. Our recruitment process is fair and open, focused on people with the right mix of skills, knowledge and experience.
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We are focused on connecting our kaimahi to our whenua, whakapapa and kaupapa- across our rohe, wherever possible.
We have satellite offices, in the Manutūkē Post Office, and Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui-ā-Kiwa. Our Taiao Team are mobile, connecting us across multiple ecological corridors from Waingake to Manutūkē, to Waiohīhārore, with a temporary work base at the EIT Nursery.
We are also developing the Native Plant Nursery in Makaraka as our more consolidated working base, with office space, boardroom facilities and as a permanent home for the Kāhui Kaumātua and our Taiao Team’s operations.
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Strong leadership and clear accountability ensure that Operations and Governance work together to deliver on our strategic goals.
The Kaihautū meets weekly with the Board Chair to stay aligned and ensure open and focussed dialogue. Senior Leadership attends monthly Board meetings when needed, to share insights and updates on key projects or issues. They also deliver quarterly reports to Trustees, showing progress against our work programmes, Annual Plan, and Budget.
These mechanisms foster transparent and responsive communication and ensure that our leadership works collaboratively for the best possible outcomes.
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The Kāhui Kaumātua have been providing leadership and guidance for many years. Their collective wisdom and experience are the cornerstone of our long-term vision, He Tirohanga Whānui.
The Kāhui is currently led by Hineromia Whaanga, the Chair and they meet every third Wednesday of the month. All kaumātua are invited to attend and contribute to key discussions. The Kāhui regularly attend events that support our rangatiratanga, whakapapa and kōrero.
To join, email communications@rongowhakaata.iwi.nzto be added to the Kāhui pānui list.
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Marae have their own governance and management structures. You can find contact information for each marae on the website.
We administer grants on behalf of the Marae, which are reported in our Annual Financial Report. We also distribute an annual grant of $20,000 to each marae and cover the accounting and insurance costs to reduce financial pressure on marae operations.
Each marae has a representative seat on our Board of Trustees, ensuring their voices and needs are heard at the governance table. To connect with your marae representative for any marae-related pātai or concerns, please reach out to those Trustees directly.
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We’re using the settlement money to build a strong foundation for the future of Rongowhakaata. This work is carried out by four key entities, that together make up the Rongowhakaata Group, ie:
· The Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust – The Charitable Trust.
· The Rongowhakaata Iwi Asset Holding Company– Manages Fisheries Quota/Assets.
· The Rongowhakaata Settlement Trust– The Settlement Entity.
· Tūranga Group Holdings Limited – Manages Commercial and Investment activities.
We’re committed to transparency and good governance. Each year, we publish independently audited financial reports, that clearly show how we’re preforming and using our resources.
You can learn more about our entities here. Please email trust@rongowhakaata.iwi.nz to request a copy of our most recent financial report.
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Our goal is to grow our assets in a way that makes a real difference – socially, culturally, environmentally, and financially. To help guide us, we follow a clear set of Investment Principles.
We’re aiming to double the value of our assets over the next 10 years. Our commercial and investment work is led by Tūranga Group Holdings Limited (TGH). TGH has its own rules and structure and a Board of three to 5 Directors, appointed for a three-year term.
Find out more about our iwi assets here. -
Each year, we develop an Annual Plan and Budget, that outlines our operations for the year ahead. This plan is approved by the Board and is guided by their strategic direction and He Tirohanga Whānui- our 100 year strategy- .
These documents set the priorities and work programmes for the year, ensuring that our efforts align with our long-term vision for Rongowhakaata.
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Our Strategic Framework supports our ongoing vitality now and for generations to come. It is built around three key pillars, which guide our mahi with purpose and clarity, ensuring we remain grounded in our values while building a strong future, ie:
He Tirohanga Whānui – Our 100-Year Strategy
This long-term strategy, focusses on sustaining the ongoing vitality of our land, people, and cultural identity across generations. It provides direction for lasting impact and legacy.
He Tirohanga Whāiti – Near-Term Strategy
This strategy focuses on the actions we take today, to achieve meaningful outcomes in the short to medium term.
Te Hau ki Tūranga – Our Whare Wānanga Framework
Rooted in the architecture of Te Hau ki Tūranga, this framework reflects Rongowhakaata genius — a living system of knowledge, connection, and creation. Guided by our kawa, wānanga becomes a way to grow spiritual, cultural, and economic abundance through deep care for the Taiao, Tāngata, and Toi. When the house breathes, so do we.
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The Taiao is a fundamental marker of our wellbeing and identity- when it is well, so are we.
Te Ngahuru Tikotikoiere (our Taiao team) leads this important kaupapa, reconnecting us to key ecological sites across our tribal estate, that also hold deep cultural significance for us. Through their mahi, they are actively restoring and regenerating these sites, providing pathways that connect habitats and whakapapa.
By integrating our mātauranga into this work, we ensure enduring connections between our people and our places — preserving and revitalising these places for those generations yet to come.
Find out more here.
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It is important to create opportunities for uri to access Rongowhakaata narratives and mātauranga. We provide content that uri can engage with across multiple digital patforms, which includes our Karanga Pakura blog pages, wānanga-ā-iwi and our social media platforms.
We’ve also partnered with Victoria University to develop a digital sovereignty project aimed at making our stories and mātauranga accessible to uri, no matter where they live.As part of this project, we’re creating a tikanga-based digital platform to safely store and share our oral histories, knowledge systems, and cultural narratives. This platform will be a secure, values-driven space that protects our digital taonga, ensuring they are cared for in ways that reflect our tikanga and rangatiratanga.
While the project is still in its early stages, we’re working closely with technical experts to build a platform that is easy to use and deeply grounded in our tikanga. Testing is already underway, and the platform will be rolled out in phases.
This kaupapa is a vital step in protecting our identity, knowledge, and intellectual property – ensuring our mātauranga remains strong and is passed down to future generations.
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Housing is a big challenge across Aotearoa. There’s a real need for more homes, better housing access, and support to repair existing homes. It's also important that whānau have the right information to make good housing decisions. Toitū Tairāwhiti Housing has been working with successive governments to help meet these needs in our region.
We’re looking at how our own assets can support better housing outcomes for our uri. Tūranga Group Holdings will lead this work, including how we progress the development of housing solutions on our property at Birrell street.
We look forward to sharing more in the 2025/26 financial year.
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We actively encourage whānau to reconnect and come home kanohi kitea- to be seen and present. We hold regular Hui-ā-iwi and Wānanga-ā-iwi and encourage whānau to attend.
We’ve also been developing digital platforms and programmes to ensure uri can connect and participate, whereever they are based in Aotearoa or even overseas. Our Kura Pō programme is an example, supporting connection to the reo, to our identity and to one another.
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We have a Distributions Policy, that helps guide how we give back to our people each year. Funding decisions are based on what the Board approves and what’s included in the Annual budget.
Some time ago, the Board made the decision to shift from providing individual benefits, like scholarships, to focusing on collective benefits that support Rongowhakaata uri. This was because many land blocks were already offering education scholarships. We’re focused on initiatives that support our long-term goals and deliver meaningful outcomes for our people as a whole.
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We have a comprehensive communications plan that is regularly updated to meet the evolving needs of uri. As more uri engage and our capacity grows, we’re finding new ways to stay connected and keep everyone informed.
Our communications strategy is built on values like transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness. We actively listen to feedback from whānau and use it to guide how we communicate. Engagement from uri is at an all-time high, and we’re always exploring better ways to reach our people and strengthen connections across Rongowhakaata.
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The best way to stay informed is by subscribing to our iwi pānui, which delivers important updates directly to your inbox. You don’t need to be registered with Rongowhakaata to receive the pānui.
You can also follow us on social media for updates:
Facebook: @rongowhakaata.iwi
Instagram: @rongowhakaata_iwi_trust
Additionally, visit the website www.rongowhakaata.iwi.nz to access information on our major projects and other kaupapa. Our annual report is also available on the website and gives updates on our annual work programmes.
