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Welcome to our August edition of Te Reo Kākāriki. The Lake Taupō Forest Trust continues to support the educational aspirations of our owners and beneficiaries. In this issue you can read more about the student wānanga we held at Hirangi Marae which I was delighted to attend. This year we supported 64 students with tertiary grants to assist in their study. Today we are pleased to give a brief insight into some of the internships we will be offering in the near future. Our newsletter this month features the names of people with large dividends still to be claimed. If you know any of the people listed or their whānau, could you please contact the LTFT's Tūrangi office. It's been a massive 18 months for NZ Forest Managers in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. The Trust acknowledges the significant contribution of both staff and management during the recovery effort and we congratulate them for the special award they received at the recent Central North Island Wood Council Forestry Awards. We have an update on the acquisition of the Prawn Farm in Taupō by Te Kiri o Moehau, a partnership between our commercial arm Tupu Angitu and Netcor 2. We’re also pleased to announce the appointment of Kerensa Johnston as a director to the board of Tupu Angitu. We’re always interested in what you have to say or what you’d like us to cover in our pānui, so please let us know what you think. Mauri ora! Binky Ellis, Chairperson Pipiwharauroa returnsI hea koe i te tangi mai o te Pipiwharauroa? Ahakoa te anu mātao o te Toru Here o Pipiri ka aroaro mahana te whenua. Katahi ka tae mai te whetu a Mahuru ki runga, ka pūmahana te whenua, nga tupu otaota me nga rakau katoa. The return of the Pipiwharauroa is also a sign of the fertility in Te Wha o Mahuru. Ko te tangi o ngā manu nei indicates that people should turn their hands to cultivating the garden, preparing the soil and planting crops – ara ko te Koanga tenei, this is the season of spring. E ai kī te tupuna, he tapu te maara, i tiakina e Rongomai atua. In Mahuru, the whole family would gather to dig the soil and add sand, gravel, and ash. Then more would follow to form mounds and plant ngā kākano hou. Therefore, when preparing your garden at home, first plant the seeds in a seedbed facing the rising sun so that the warmth of the sun is captured, allowing the seeds kia mātātupu te kākano ā kia puta ngā wenewene. Then transplant the seedlings to the garden. The maramataka guides the planting and cultivation processes. It is a practice that has been passed down nō ngā tupuna mātua, the Moon Phases and their tasks: Whiro: A day for rest. This indicates low energy (strength) in the land, so it is not suitable for planting or harvesting. Tirea to Tamatea: The first quarter of the moon. This is a good time for planting as the increasing light promotes the growth of the shoots. Huna Nui (Korehurehu to the Pae o Rongo): The first quarter moon phase. It is good for planting above-ground crops (such as beans, spinach and cabbage). Hinamatanui to Oike: The full moon phase. It is beneficial for all plants, particularly those producing leaves and fruits above ground. Pō Tangaroa: The waning moon phase. This is a good time for planting root crops (like kūmara, potatoes, and carrots) and perennials. It is believed that the waning light promotes root development. Ōtane to Mutuwhenua: The final phase of the moon. This is the time for weeding, pruning, and pest control. Plant growth is slow, so it’s a good time for soil preparation. The maramataka integrates environmental changes and daily life, ensuring that food-gathering practices align with kaitiakitanga, improving soil fertility and crop yields ā ka mau tonu ki ngā
mātauranga me ngā tikanga tuku whakarere iho ō ngā tupuna. Kia makurukuru ano te kai o tō maara, ka tohatoha atu ka pīki ake te manaakitanga me te aroha ō ngā tangata katoa. The students covered a lot of ground on a field trip into the whenua. Students come togetherThe Trust hosted many of this year’s education grant recipients at a student wānanga at Hīrangi Marae on 25-27 June. Tertiary and senior high school students engaged with members of the Trust, internship providers, mana whenua and each other. The opportunity to gather together was poigniant as some of our students had never been on Tūwharetoa whenua or into Lake Taupō Forest. The wānanga emphasised the importance of:
Students visited significant sites in Te Matāpuna, talking with internship providers. They learned about the Trust’s challenging formation and spoke with chairman Binky Ellis. On an all-day forest trip students saw first-hand the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle, visited historical sites and learned about the many taiao projects. The day ended with a soak in the hot pools, puia hakari, waiata and korero. Lake Taupō Forest Trust offers education grants for tertiary studies every year, to assist our whānau in their educational endeavours. This year we are supporting 64 applicants from our whānau for the academic year of 2024 with a grant of $1000 each. Learning about the forest activities were among the wānanga highlights Holiday internships aheadLake Taupō Forest Trust is working with its partners to arrange intern placements for successful candidates. Placements will cover areas such as accounting/taxation and law. These tertiary internships offer a great learning space for our grant recipients who want to gain experience in their chosen study fields. Keep an eye out soon for internship offerings on our website, Facebook and Instagram pages. Last year, University of Canterbury student Paris Heremaia, pictured below, joined Whāia Legal as our Paetahi Ture (summer law clerk) in the Ōtautahi, Christchurch office. Do you know these people?The owners listed below are owed significant unclaimed money from the Trust. If you know these people or their uri, we’d appreciate knowing their whereabouts so we can get them registered and have their monies paid. Feel free to phone 07 386 8839 or visit our office in Tūrangi. Wider access for ownersAs cyclone salvage work wraps up in our forest, we have been able to open more areas for recreation. Owner access is now open to the area south of Kiko Road via the Waimarino Road gate. Te Whakao will stay closed until forestry operations are finished. We will keep you informed about when it will reopen. Just a reminder that winter access hours are: Weekday access 4pm-8pm; weekend access 7am-8pm. Summer hours return on Monday, 30 September 2024. John Hura, from NZ Forest Managers, flanked by Trustee Ngahere Wall and Wood Council CE Damita Mita. Photos: CNI Wood Council Special award for NZFMCongratulations go to the staff and management of NZ Forest Managers (NZFM) who received a special award and recognition at the Central North Island Wood Council Forestry Awards in Rotorua recently. NZFM received accolades for their exceptional industry collaboration following the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on the forests around Tūrangi. The collaboration spearheaded by NZFM led to a swift and effective response to Cyclone Gabrielle and also provided avenues for displaced workers to join the salvage operation, showcasing their commitment to sustainable forestry practices. The National Forest Industry Collaboration Award was presented by the Wood Council’s CE Damita Mita, in conjunction with Lake Taupō Forest Trust Trustee Ngahere Wall. “This achievement is a testament to the outstanding teamwork and contribution that each of you made during this time. This award belongs to us all and I hope you take a moment to celebrate this achievement,” NZFM general manager John Hura said. NZFM is owned by our commercial entity, Tupu Angitu, in partnership with Lake Rotoaira Forest Trust. Some of the big team from NZ Forest Managers who attended the awards evening. Work is already under way to build a large outdoor pool at the Prawn Park. Big plans for Prawn FarmThe Tūwharetoa joint venture which now owns the Huka Prawn Park at Wairakei has development plans which will see hot pools added and staff numbers boosted to about 60. Te Kiri o Moehau Partnership is a 50-50 collaboration between Tupu Angitu, the commercial arm of the Lake Taupō Forest Trust, and Netcor 2, an arm of Wairakei Terraces & Thermal Health Spa. “This marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for this unique local attraction, well known for its innovation with the introduction of prawn growing and prawn fishing, and its blend of family leisure, riverside dining, and adventure,” says Tupu Agitu’s CE Olivia Poulsen. The business currently employs about 30 staff but this is expected to double as the redevelopment progresses and new activities come on stream. The commercial management of the business is overseen by Tupu Angitu while Netcor is in charge of developing the new hot pools and supporting infrastructure. The venture’s name, Te Kiri o Moehau, covers the area between the original mouths of the Wairakei and Te Kiri o Hinekai streams. “A key aspiration of the project is to restore the mana of these waterways, provide a place of connection for our people and re-establish our taonga species,” Olivia says. The site is about 40 hectares and includes a restaurant, prawn hatchery and recreational space. Prawn growing and fishing will continue, blending family leisure, hot pools, riverside dining, and adventure activities. “We want to revitalise Huka Prawn Park into a premier destination that combines tourism, education, health and wellbeing, with opportunities in employment, and family-friendly activities with a deep appreciation for the Taiao (natural world).” Upcoming plans will include building a large family hot pool and a toddlers’ pool. As part of the phased development, certain areas of the park will be temporarily closed, but the riverside restaurant and hatchery tours will continue to operate as normal.. New director for Tupu AngituProminent lawyer and businesswoman Kerensa Johnston, pictured, has joined the board of Tupu Angitu, the commercial arm of the Lake Taupō Forest Trust. Ms Johnston is the current chief executive of Nelson-based Wakatū Incorporation and has extensive governance experience, overseeing property and forestry portfolios and prioritising asset diversification, sustainability, and cultural revitalisation. Ms Johnston joined the board from this month. The new appointment was made as Jonathan Cameron, a founding member of the Tupu Angitu board, left at the end of his tenure last month. Jonathan was instrumental in the establishment of Tupu Angitu and the acquisition of NZ Forest Managers Ltd. The trustees of Lake Taupō Forest Trust and fellow directors of Tupu Angitu extend their thanks to Jonathan for his service over the past four years. The trustees have also reappointed Temuera Hall to the board for an additional term. The full list of Tupu Angitu directors is Temuera Hall, Kerensa Johnston, Mawae Morton, Tina Porou and Pahia Turia. Tupu Angitu was set up in 2019 to oversee and grow the Trust’s commercial interests and asset base – now valued at more than $500 million – enabling trustees to focus on land, cultural, social and charitable matters. |