Last month I reported on how the Sport Northland board had taken a significant step towards Māori co-governance through trust deed changes approved at the 2021 AGM in November.
The changes saw the acknowledgement of He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the trust deed as New Zealand's founding documents, and a partnership with Te Kahu o Taonui, the Iwi Chair's Collective, which will see them appoint one trustee to the board and a Te Kahu o Taonui representative being added to the Board Appointments Panel.
This panel is, in turn, responsible for recruiting the other two Māori appointed trustees.
Now, following their recent recruitment process, the Board Appointments Panel has announced the exciting news that April Rawiri and Kath Wharton have both been appointed to the board for three-year terms.
April is a business owner from Herekino in the Hokianga, and was an employee at Sport Northland from 2012-20. She is familiar with the workings of the board having working closely with them around Te Ao Māori education as the He Oranga Poutama lead at Sport Northland.