History

Trust Board History

History of Tauranga Moana

MISSION STATEMENT

of TAURANGA MOANA MAORI TRUST BOARD

"Ko te tumanako a Te Poari Maori o Tauranga, kia kotahi te huarahi e ahu ai nga Iwi o te Moana o Tauranga kia taea hoki nga mea e hiahiatia ana mo te Iwi"

(to facilitate the unified development of Maori people within Tauranga Moana and to assist them achieving their aspirations)

TRUST BOARD BACKGROUND

By Order-in-Council, dated 18 May 1865, the whole of the tribal area of lands known as Tauranga Moana was confiscated by the Crown under the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863 for rebellious acts by the natives during two local battles. In 1975, a deputation from the Tauranga Moana Maori Executive committee on behalf of all Tauranga Moana tribes made submissions to a Parliamentary Select Committee for compensation for these lands. These submissions were accepted by Prime Minister Rowling at the time. With a change of government however, it was not until 1981 that an Act to establish The Tauranga Moana Maori Trust Board was passed by Parliament.

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A payment of $250,000, as compensation for the 86,602.804 hectares forfeited to the Crown, was subsequently awarded to the descendants of “those persons as having been engaged in rebellion against the Crown’s authority…and whereas it is expedient that the money be paid to and dealt with by a Maori Trust Board under and in accordance with the Maori Trust Boards Act 1955”[1].

The establishment of the TMMTB has not resolved all grievances over raupatu (confiscation) issues. Many of the aggrieved felt the compensation should have been refused due to the low value placed on the confiscated lands, while others felt that such things could not be paid off with money. Some hapu (subtribes) claimed to be more disadvantaged by the confiscation than were others. Amid these feelings of dissension, the ten original members of the TMMTB took up the challenge to serve its beneficiaries as the Tauranga Moana Maori Trust Board Act 1981 allowed, and within the traditions of its Maori heritage.

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The functions and powers of the Board under the Maori Trust Boards Act 1955 were quite broad and generally described the manner in which funds could be used for the benefit and advancement of any specific beneficiary or class of beneficiaries. These included, for example, the promotion of health; the promotion of social and economic welfare; the promotion of education and vocational training, and or “other or additional purposes as the Board from time to time determines”[2].

In determining a vision of managing its resources for the advancement of its beneficiaries, the original ten elected Board Members made the decision to invest in the horticulture industry.

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In 1981 the projected returns for kiwifruit, labelled as the ‘golden fruit’ of the next decade persuaded the Board that its goal of achieving a high return on investment as well as the opportunity to up-skill and also to provide employment for its beneficiaries, could be realised.

Two kiwifruit orchards were subsequently purchased with loan assistance from land development funds through the Ministry of Maori Affairs. The high returns of the early 1980s were not sustained and some crop diversification occurred. The TMMTB retains its investment in the orchards, with profits distributed to associated marae. The orchards currently provide the bulk of TMMTB’s revenue.

In the 1990s, a second major initiative for the TMMTB was its involvement in delivery of services to Maori through government initiated programmes. This included training programmes as well as loan assistance to businesses. However with changes in government came changes in government policy that directly affected the Board’s control over service delivery funding. An example was the National government’s policy to divert previously targeted “vote Maori funding” to mainstream government agencies.

This move affected both the training and employment initiative which was subsequently serviced through Tertiary Education Commission, and loans funds which were contracted to Business Development Boards. The main effect of these changes for the TMMTB was the loss of funding for the administration component of services delivered. Nevertheless the TMMTB still derives a small amount of its revenues from its loans portfolio and administration services provided to other companies in which it is also invested.

Organistional structure of TMMTB has a relatively complex representational role. As the TMMTB’s representational role is based on Hapu groups (subtribes), it embraces three iwi groups (tribes) traditionally residing in the area, (Tauranga Moana), viz Ngai te Rangi Iwi, Ngati Ranginui Iwi and Ngati Pukenga Iwi as well the class of beneficiaries set down in the Trust Board Act 1981.

This class of beneficiaries are described in the Act as “descendants of the members of those tribes who took up arms against the Crown at the Battles of Gate Pa and Te Ranga or which were dispossessed of any lands as a direct result of those battles”.

Memorial for the 'Battle of Te Ranga'

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[1] Tauranga Moana Maori Trust Board Act 1981

[2] Maori Trust Board Act 1955, s 24 (d)

Tauranga Moana Maori Trust Board
No. 3 The Strand
P.O. Box 98
TAURANGA
Phone (07) 571 8686 Fax (07) 571 8745