The Property Team for our financial arm is responsible for a vast portfolio covering many of the assets handed back in the Ngāti Awa settlement, as well as more recent investments.

The team, which is a department of Ngāti Awa Group Holdings Limited (NAGHL), currently employs three people consisting of Property Services General Manager Stevie Ransfield, Maintenance Manager Pat Wetini and Facility Manager Mania Crown.

Last weekend, the team supported by Kaimahi and directors from NAGHL, as well as leaders from within Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and other uri hosted a group of architectural lecturers and tutors from the University of Auckland.

Starting with a pōhiri for ngā waewae tapu at Te Mānuka Tūtahi marae, the day was an opportunity for the Property Team, our financial arm and leaders within our Rūnanga to get to know the group.

Facilitated by Te Patuwai Architect Anthony Hoete, who is also a lecturer at the university, because he wants to find a way where a group of Master’s students that he teaches can help his iwi.

Previously, Anthony had reached out to the Rūnanga and eventually met with Stevie and NAGHL Chief Executive Tyrone Newson to explain the potential opportunity.

From that meeting, both groups agreed that the natural first step in building any relationship should be a visit to the Ngāti Awa rohe to meet some of the people.  So, last Saturday, Anthony and other architectural lecturers and tutors from the university were welcomed into Mataatua wharenui.

Stevie says the day was an opportunity to get to know Anthony and his colleagues more.

“The relationship with the Architectural Department at Auckland University provides an immense range of opportunities and I want to thank Anthony for his vision in it.

“Being able to welcome them at Te Mānuka Tūtahi marae was special, and we are exceptionally grateful to those Ngāti Awa uri who turned up and helped us support the day.

“However, we are just starting out by getting to know the team from Auckland University and as with any relationship in Te Ao Māori, we must first meet with them, kānohi ki te kānohi, so that we can get to know them. This way they get to feel what we are about, and we can also determine whether this is something that might be right for Ngāti Awa and our property portfolio.”

Stevie says she looks forward to exploring the relationship further and being able to bring back any tangible plans to the iwi at the appropriate time.

Background: Who is NGAHL Property Team?

Responsible for managing for a vast portfolio covering many of the assets handed back in the Ngāti Awa settlement as well as more recent investments, the NAGHL Property Team currently employs three people consisting of Property Services General Manager Stevie Ransfield, Maintenance Manager Pat Wetini and Facility Manager Mania Crown.

It reports to NAGHL Chief Executive, Tyrone Newson, who is responsible to the NAGHL Board. NAGHL is the financial arm of the Rūnanga

Below is a summary of the assets that were received by Ngāti Awa from the Crown in acknowledgement of its historical grievances, and the process. Many of these assets are managed by the NAGHL Property Team.

In 1990, as part of the Crown's efforts to address Ngāti Awa's historical claims, the Ngāti Awa station was transferred to Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa.

This was an important aspect of the settlement, recognizing the significance of the farm/station to the iwi. The Crown also provided payments totaling $200,000 to Ngāti Awa, distributed across the years 1988 and 1990. Ngāti Awa viewed these returns as partial settlements of their broader raupatu claims.

Ngāti Awa settled its historical claims in 2005. In the Deed of Settlement between Ngāti Awa and the Crown, several assets were handed back as part of the settlement, including:

Commercial Redress Properties and Land:

·         Crown Forestry Land: Ngāti Awa received certain portions of Crown Forest land under the terms of the Crown Forest Assets Act 1989. The Redress Licensed Land included areas such as Rotoehu East and West, with specific parcels described in the document.

·         Ohope Beach Holiday Park Land: This land was also transferred to the Ngāti Awa Governance Entity as part of the redress.

·         Leaseback Properties: Certain properties were transferred to Ngāti Awa with a leaseback arrangement, where the Crown or relevant agencies continued to lease the land from Ngāti Awa, ensuring its use for certain purposes, such as schools or courts.

Valuation and Compensation:

·         The redress also included monetary compensation and license fees related to the Crown Forestry Rental Trust, entitling Ngāti Awa to payments derived from the Crown Forestry Licenses.

In addition to the assets handed back in the Ngāti Awa settlement, the property portfolio also includes Ngāti Awa Farms (Rangitāiki) Limited, where the Rūnanga owns 51 per cent, and the Ōmataroa Orchard Limited Partnership.