Jenny Rowan dumped as Lake Horowhenua Domain Board chair after four months
by Veronica Harrod
Only four months into the job and Lake Horowhenua Domain Board chair Jenny Rowan has been dumped by the Department of
Conservation after Lake Horowhenua Trust registered a vote of no confidence in her.
The minutes of a special meeting held by the Trust on 12 June 2018 state Iwi representatives on the board have no
confidence in Ms Rowan because, "actions and statements made by [Ms] Rowan...is undermining the ability of the Trustees
to carry out their responsibilities on behalf of beneficial owners."
The Trust also trespassed Ms Rowan and Horowhenua District Council Mayor Michael Feyen from Lake Trust land including
Horowhenua Lake Domain but Mr Feyen said, "At this stage I have not been formally trespassed."
On Ms Rowan's removal Mr Feyen said, "I find it sad she has gone. She had a lot to offer and was independent. I also
understand a number of [legal] proceedings are taking place that may have an impact on the issue."
Iwi representation on the Domain Board has expired and new elections have not been held for seven years. Iwi
representatives on the Board include Marokopa Wiremu-Matakatea, Jon Proctor and Rob Warrington who are also Lake
Trustees.
Under the Reserves Act board members cannot be on the Domain Board for a term, "exceeding 7 years."
At the February meeting of the Domain Board meeting two public submissions were made on the issue of Iwi representation
with Peter Heremaia stating, "Tribal representatives...should be elected by the MuaUpoko people, which had not happened
over the last seven or eight years. The full representation of the Tribe also needed to be adhered to, which was four
members, not three."
Mayor Feyen, who is a Board member said, "The sooner Iwi representation was sorted out the better."
In the four months she was in the role Ms Rowan, who represents the Board on behalf of the Director General of the
Department of Conservation, delivered an historic first when she made a submission in May on the Council's first 20 year
Long Term Plan.
She said Lake Horowhenua is, "on private land - it should not be seen in this century to be the local sewer for everyone
else's rubbish and pollutants. We would expect the HDC to invest in educating industry and agricultural operators better
on their obligations around runoff and farm management."
She also expressed a willingness to tackle the outstanding matter of council's continued refusal to restore Horowhenua
resident Philip Taueki's water supply and shift Domain Board meetings to another venue as Mr Taueki is trespassed from
the council building where Domain Board meetings are held.
Mr Taueki’s water supply has been cut off by the council for over 18 months.