The company works to provide landowners with strategies and funding to create large-scale solar farms and multiple-use carbon forests for honey, nutraceuticals, horticulture or agroforestry.
He said the nomination made him reflect on the work Tāmata Hauhā had done since it started.
“You look back over the last two years we’ve had in this space and at the time you’re like, ‘Wow that was awesome’ but you sit back and go, ‘Actually we’ve done some pretty remarkable stuff’,” he said.
The company opened its office in Marton this year and so has funded the planting of 4.9 million trees, with development set for another 25 million over the next five years.
Thirty million tonnes of carbon is on track to be removed over the next 30 years from the organisation’s efforts.
Tāmata Hauhā has also made multiple TV appearances this year and won the supreme award at this year’s Te Manu Atatū Māori Business Awards.
“To get to where we’ve got to hasn’t just happened by me, it’s everyone in the background helping us out and predominantly our families, who have been okay with us being away for long periods of time,” Jamieson said.
He also co-founded the charity Tamitanga Whakamuri, which he said was started to address “a real issue” in New Zealand.
“That is 5 per cent of land, which is predominantly Māori land, can’t get economic support or finance to uplift itself.
“The reality is that you can’t do much on Māori land and it’s limited by court processes, it’s limited by government frameworks and legislation and it’s limited by the fact you can’t get money to do anything on it.”
Profits from Tāmata Hauhā get reinjected into communities to address wider issues for Māori like health, education and housing.
The organisation also contributed more than $50,000 to community projects and clubs.
Jamieson said the charity had been going on in the background of the company’s work around carbon sequestration, but it was just as important and to be recognised for it was humbling.
“If we don’t look after our communities and if we don’t look after people, we kind of deserve to be swallowed up by the ocean, so that’s how we apply ourselves,” he said.
Other semifinalists for New Zealander of the Year included journalist Rachel Smalley, former professional boxer and community leader David Letele and former Black Ferns and All Blacks coach Sir Wayne Smith.
Jamieson said being part of the semifinalists was enough of a win, especially being put next to others who were meeting the needs of their communities, like Letele.
“It’s pretty special to even be standing alongside guys like that who are actually looking after people in their rawest moments.”
The three finalists for the award will be announced in March 2024 and the winner announced at the New Zealander of the Year Awards Gala on March 30.
Finn Williams is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in early 2022 and regularly covers stories about business, events and emergencies. He also enjoys writing opinion columns on whatever interests him.
