Wai Maori Trust
Te Wai Maori Trust has been in transition with the gradual movement of being funded from our transition funding (available from 2005 – 2009) to the income earned from the Settlement as outlined in the Maori Fisheries Act 2004. The fund is an initial capital of $10 million being invested as a portfolio by the Directors with an additional $1 million every year for ten years. This transition funding will continue till September 2010 to cover Te Wai Maori Trustee Limited’s (Wai Maori’s) operations when the income from the investments will become available as the only income for Wai Maori.
Following an audit of Wai Maori against its objectives and provisions as set out in the Maori Fisheries Act 2004, the Auditors put forward a challenge that we should go back to iwi to define more clearly what “Maori interests in freshwater fisheries” really means. This has proved more elusive than we first thought.
Ten hui were held with a range of iwi and Maori that have strong freshwater interests. Valuable input was received on the role of Wai Maori within the complex freshwater environment and possible roles and responsibility going forward.
It became apparent that there are a range of interests and priorities for iwi and Maori and these aggregate into the broader strategic goal of achieving a holistic approach to management and enhancement of freshwater fisheries and the freshwater environment. The hui crystallised our thinking that rather than continue with a diverse range of strategic goals, moving forward we need to be more focussed and we need to weave together these distinctive activities to be more effective.
