Te Putea Whakatupu Trustee Limited has announced that Willie Te Aho has been appointed as its chairman. Te Aho will be presenting a new strategy for consideration at the up-and-coming Te Ohu Kaimoana Annual Meeting on the 30th of March in Auckland.
The new strategy will outline some key objectives to support Māori living in the urban regions. The strategy, if accepted, will propose changes to the structure of the trust as well.
“At our inaugural meeting last week, the 3 directors – Willie Jackson, Norm Dewes and I - unanimously agreed that we would like this $28m trust fund governed by Māori in urban environments, and led by them," says Te Aho, "We have set ourselves an ambitious target of 4 years to achieve this. The next 12 months will be focussed on engagement and consultation with our Māori people in urban environments”
Te Aho says that the directors take an inclusive view of Māori people in urban environments and this includes those people who identify with iwi or iwi organisations as well as those who do not.
Te Aho is known for his extensive networks and experience within urban Māori settings. He is the Chief Executive of Indigenous Corporate Solutions Limited and the former Chief Executive of Te Rūnanga o Turanganui a Kiwa.
Te Aho also worked at Waipareira Trust in Auckland, reshaping their healthcare centre. In 1998, he played a part in conducting a review of the structure of Te Runanga O Kirikiriroa in Hamilton.
Te Aho has also worked with Norm Dewes and other whanau based at Ngā Hau e Wha urban marae in Ōtautahi.
Te Pūtea Whakatupu Trust was established in 2004 under the Māori Fisheries Act to administer a $20 million fund to promote education, training and research in fisheries, fishing and fisheries-related activities for Māori.
In distributing benefits, the Trustees are to have regard for the interests of Māori who do not associate with their iwi or do not receive benefits from a Mandated Iwi Organisation under the Māori Fisheries Act.