Whānau
Fishing Licences
Fishing Licences
Te Arawa Whānui!
Aurakihia ngā wai whakahoki mai.
Nau mai te kāhui kaihao, ko Waitī e karanga ana.
- To view the Fishing Licence Distribution Policy 2024 – 2025, please click here.
- Fishing Licences 2024 now closed. To view the pānui, please click here.
Matariki Koeke Ball
Matariki Koeke Ball
Organised by Te Arawa Lakes Trust in association with Te Arawa entities, the Matariki Koeke Ball is an annual event for Te Arawa Koeke aged over 70 years old.
The ball coincides with Matariki, the Māori New Year and has been held annually since 2008 with the exception of 2020/2021 when it was cancelled due to COVID-19. The Trust is looking to reinstate the ball in the near future.
Funded by Te Arawa entities and trusts as a way to say thank you to our koeke for their work and contributions to the iwi, the Matariki Koeke Ball is about Te Arawa giving back to their koeke whilst reflecting on Matariki, a time of remembrance to those that came first and those who are no longer here.
Pou Whakawhirinaki
Pou Whakawhirinaki
Helping raise the economic, social, cultural, and environmental outcomes of Te Arawa and its whānau underpins everything Te Arawa Lakes Trust sets out to do.
This natural progression of our mahi and kaupapa was the genesis of our new Pou Whakawhirinaki team, focusing on embracing and uplifting Te Arawa to improve the social outcomes of our people across a range of sectors, including health, education, and employment.
Pou Whakawhirinaki aims to be the Te Arawa voice around the table, ensuring agencies in these key social sectors deliver for Māori across our rohe.
A current focus is supporting the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in our rohe, working with our hapū delegates to deliver marae and community-based outreach clinics to reach whānau in the places and spaces that they know best. Without the dedication and mahi of our hapū delegates, this kaupapa would not be possible.
This widened focus is part of our cultural values framework, Te Tuāpapa o ngā wai o Te Arawa and complements our ongoing mahi in the environment sector.
MEET THE TEAM
Taparoto Te Rerehau Nicholson
Relationship Manager
Tainui, Te Arawa, Mataatua Aotea me Takitimu
With more than 30 years’ experience in the Cultural Heritage, Education and Tourism sectors, Taparoto has been involved in numerous projects advising Marae, PTIs, CRIs, companies, local government and other government agencies in areas of organisational development including staff development, cultural supervision, education and tourism. These included the development of education and training programmes for Te Wānanga o Raukawa and Aotearoa.
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Taparoto’s governance experience includes membership on various boards, including current roles on Te Runanga o Ngai Te Rangi Trust, Ngai Te Rangi Settlements Trust, New Zealand Geothermal Association, Geothermal Nuclear Science Governance Boards.
Taparoto joined Te Arawa Lakes Trust in May 2021, bringing extensive cultural and relationships experience to the new role.
Kim Richards
Pou Arahi | Project Manager
Te Arawa – Ngāti Tura/Ngāti Te Ngākau, Ngāti Awa – Ngai Tamaoki/Ngai Tamawera me Tūhoe – Ngāti Haka Patuheuheu
Kim has spent 24 years working in the social services sector, harnessing her skills and passion to help and support Māori.
Some of her previous roles include working in Lakes DHB – Māori Mental Health, Te Arawa Whānau Ora and Te Waiariki Purea Trust, where she was the family harm co-ordinator.
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Her current role at Te Arawa Lakes Trust is Project Manager for the Te Arawa COVID-19 Response Hub, working alongside hapū delegates to support the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine in our rohe.
For Kim, practising whanaungatanga and building relationships is key to every role she takes on as it creates a safe, trusting, and nurturing environment. Through genuine and responsive conversations, Kim builds strong and meaningful relationships with her whānau, hapū, iwi and the wider community.
Mere Vercoe
Pou Arahi | Project Manager
Te Arawa, Tainui, Aotea me Takitimu
Mere recently returned home to Te Arawa after working and living in Auckland for the past 20 years. Joining Te Arawa Lakes Trust in April 2021, Mere is responsible for helping our people find employment.
With a background in both the education and health sectors, Mere has been a team leader at the University of Auckland and worked across hospitals in the North Shore and Waitakere.
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One of her greatest passions is working for and alongside our Māori people, but she is also comfortable working with Crown agencies to achieve better outcomes.
Growing up, Mere watched both her grandparents and parents working for our iwi and she always knew that, eventually, she would end up doing the same. This is why she jumped at the opportunity to become a part of Pou Whakawhirinaki, where her project management skills could be utilised.