Te Aroha owners take role in governing their land
Over 2000 owners of Te Aroha Aggregation farm in Waihi are celebrating a major milestone in its development, with an
open day on Saturday. The day signifies the start of responsibility for the farm being passed back to the owners.
For the last three years, owners and trustees of the Māori-owned dairy farm have been supported by Te Tumu Paeroa to
develop the skills and experience in governance so they can self-manage the successful enterprise.
Since 1989, Te Tumu Paeroa have been responsible trustee to Te Aroha Aggregation. Saturday’s ceremony signifies an
important step for owners in the transition of management responsibility to them.
Brad Tatere, owner and Advisory Trustee for Te Aroha farm, says, “This is an exciting step for us to be taking. Te Tumu
Paeroa have done a great job in supporting us to this point, giving guidance with our strategy which will ultimately
lead to our owners’ aspirations becoming a reality. The farm’s in a strong financial position, and while there’s further
development to be done on-farm, we’re now looking at opportunities in other sectors. We’ve been working alongside Te
Tumu Paeroa in a decision making capacity for some time now. We believe the time’s right to formalise this and take over
the governance of the farm and assets.”
“Together we’ve made a lot of improvements to the farm. Now we’re confident that, with that infrastructure and the level
of expertise in the Trust, we’re well on our way to reaching our goals”.
“Te Tumu Paeroa will continue to play an important role in the future of Te Aroha, providing professional services to
the trust. Our success will be a result of having strong capability around our table as we continue this journey”, says
Brad.
Jamie Tuuta, Māori Trustee and CEO of Te Tumu Paeroa, says “We want owners to be actively involved in decision making
for their whenua. Te Aroha is a perfect example of this in action. The owners and trustees that Te Tumu Paeroa has
worked with over the last three years have shown a strong desire to create a legacy of success for their land and
people. This is their next step in achieving that.”
Te Tumu Paeroa will continue to play a supporting role with Te Aroha as part of the Trust’s longer term strategic plan.
--ENDS—
Te Aroha Open Day
When: 10am – 3pm, Saturday 1 April 2017
Where: 381 Old Tauranga Road, Waihi
Events: Whakatau, Pou blessing, Farm visit & tree planting, owners update
Kai and refreshments will be available. Owners and guests will be briefed on health and safety requirements during the
day.
About Te Tumu Paeroa
Since 1989, Te Tumu Paeroa, the organisation responsible for supporting the Māori Trustee, has been responsible trustee
for Te Aroha Aggregation in Waihi.
Everything we do at Te Tumu Paeroa is focused on protecting and enhancing Māori land.
Our vision is to support land owners to use their land to its fullest potential – creating a legacy for this generation,
and the generations that follow.
We look after 100,000 hectares of Māori land on behalf of almost 100,000 owners.
About Te Aroha Aggregation
Te Aroha Aggregation is a combination of Te Aroha Sec 1B Block III and Te Aroha Sec 2 & 3 Block III.
The farm has over 2,000 owners.
485 hectare Māori-owned dairy farm
Over the past three years a number of improvements have been made to the farm. The dairy shed and effluent pond received
an upgrade, new lodgings were built on the whenua for farm staff, and fencing was added to protect the waterways.