Uenuku iwi trust in Raetihi has new project manager Honey Winter

Honey Winter is the Kāhui Pou project manager for the Uenuku Charitable Trust. Photo / Supplied

The Uenuku Charitable Trust isn't waiting for its land claims to be settled before growing and developing its three iwi.

It has appointed Honey Winter in the new role of Kāhui Pou project manager. She is a business development consultant with 20 years' experience in health, education, business and social and environmental fields.

She's excited about this new challenge. Three new entities are planned, which will be subsidiaries to the trust.

The first, a social and cultural trust as yet unnamed, was launched in Raetihi on November 22. More than 100 people went to the Theatre Royal to hear about it and watch historic and more recent footage shot on the Whanganui River.

The footage shared information about the identity and history of Uenuku, Tamakana and Tamahaki with the wider community, trustee Moana Ellis said.

The other two entities, yet to be formed, are to be economic and environmental. Together they would benefit the whole community, Mrs Winter said.

"It is incredibly exciting to come on board with Uenuku at this time of potential. We will be guided in our strategic direction by our whānau, hapū and other stakeholders."

The Uenuku Charitable Trust is based in Raetihi and represents the Uenuku, Tamakana and Tamahaki iwi. It has been mandated to negotiate their land claims and signed terms of negotiation in February this year.

Formal negotiations started after that, and an agreement in principle may be signed by mid-2018.