Te Wha o Mahuru

Ko Mahuru tēnei, he tohu o te rangi, he tohu o te moana, he tohu o te whenua, otirā, he tohu Mahuru Māori. Kua whakatōngia ngā kākano, ā, kua tīmata te tupu.

Big things are coming - but

make sure we can reach you

In our June pānui, reflecting on the recent owners’ survey, we said we hear you. Nearly 400 of you told us what matters most: support for education, for our kaumātua and for whānau wellbeing. Many of you also told us you didn’t know what grants were available, or that they were there at all.

Over the coming months the Lake Taupō Forest Trust will share a series of changes to our grants and whānau programmes that respond directly to that feedback. Some are grants you already know, made better. Some are new. We will share the detail step by step, so you and your whānau can plan for what applies to you.

The most important thing you can do right now is simple. Make sure you are registered with us and ask your whānau to do the same. If we can’t reach you, we can’t support you.

Grants are a core part of what the Trust does

Every year the Trust supports owners and their descendants through education grants, kaumātua grants, the Pūtea Aroha Tangihanga fund, help with driver licence costs, butchery courses, and programmes that bring whānau back on to the whenua. This year 96 tauira received education grants, nearly double the number of five years ago.

This year, that support grows. Over the next few months, we will announce changes to several of our grants and introduce some new ones. All current grants continue as they are. If you already receive a grant from the Trust, nothing changes for you and there is nothing you need to do.

First off the mark: the Kaumātua Grant

The Kaumātua Grant is currently paid each year to registered owners aged 70 and over. From 1 December, the eligibility age is coming down to age 65 and the value of the grant is going up to $300 per year.

The grant is paid automatically to kaumātua who are registered with us, so the best thing you can do now is check your details are up to date, including your bank account. If you are an owner who will be 65 years old on 1 December and are not yet registered, please get in touch.

Are you a beneficiary? You may not know it

You are eligible for Lake Taupō Forest Trust grants if you are a registered owner with the Trust, or if you are a descendant of an owner. That means you whakapapa to someone named as an owner of the whenua, whether that is your mum, dad, nan, koro or further back.

Right now, the Trust only holds records for owners listed with the Māori Land Court, and for whānau who have already received a grant. With more than 15,000 owners, we know there are thousands of descendants we cannot reach. Many don’t know their whānau are owners.

So please ask around your whānau. If you think you might be connected to the Lake Taupō Forest Trust, register with us and we will help you find out.

Register now

It takes a few minutes online: Registration Form - Lake Taupō Forest Trust

If you are an owner who holds shares in one of the Trust’s 68 land blocks and have completed succession through the Māori Land Court, you can register here. You will need your birth certificate.

If you are not an owner who holds shares in LTFT lands, but are a descendant of an owner, you will need your birth certificate or birth certificates from your whānau that show your whakapapa links to the owner. You can register here.

Prefer to talk to someone? Call the Owner Services Team on 07 386 8839 or email general@ltft.co.nz and our team will walk you through it.

Already registered? Please check we have your email, phone and bank details. Call the Owner Services Team on 07 386 8839 or email general@ltft.co.nz

More to come

Over the coming weeks we will share what else is changing, grant by grant, and when each one opens.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page, our website and your inbox. For now the important message is to register. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on our website, contact the office. We are here to help.