Rotorua-based Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust was highlighted as an example of a successful post settlement governance entity at the Annual Maori Legal and Business conference in Wellington today. Pukeroa Group trustee and director David Tapsell, one of the keynote speakers at the conference, gave a history of the growth and development of the trust over the last 15 years and discussed a number of common themes for success along with other conference speakers.
"The first thing that interested many attendees was the actual growth of the Pukeroa Trust from $39m in 2003 to over $200m in 2016," he said.
"We have been under the radar because our settlement was only a small area of land that we had gifted the Crown for railway purposes in the first place - we didn't receive a large cash settlement like some iwi.
"Even though we received a very small part (non-comprehensive) settlement in 1994 relative to other large settlements we have worked really hard to develop these assets for the benefit of our people and our city."
While conference speakers drew out many common "success themes" across entities, Mr Tapsell said it was important to remember that everyone was different and needed to work to their unique circumstances.