In 2009 Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust was a party to the historic Central North Island (CNI) Treaty of Waitangi settlement and received more than $9 million in settlement assets and holdings. As a result of the settlement Ngāti Rangitihi now plays a role in the various companies set up to undertake management of our assets and develop our economic base.

Read about how our assets are being managed for the benefit of all Ngāti Rangitihi iwi members below.

The CNI Iwi Collective’s intention has been to continue working together to make the most of their shared whāinga and tikanga (goals and values), and the combined strength that has made the Collective a force to be reckoned with and respected.

An economic development strategy sets out the Collective’s vision and aspirations. A ‘commercial discovery process’ in partnership with the Crown was carried out to investigate the opportunities for economic development that the Collective would have, once the settlement assets were transferred. And so, CNI Iwi Discovery Limited was formed.

Completed in early 2009, the Collective’s commercial discovery process found that its members were presented with an exciting opportunity. Iwi have the chance to use the world-class natural resources of the CNI region to create a portfolio of commercial companies that return large cash flows for many generations to come.

Extensive consultation was undertaken with iwi to discuss the findings and to gather recommendations for the form, function and funding of the Collective’s commercial entity.

The CNI Crown forest lands were transferred from the Crown into a trust holding entity called CNI Iwi Holdings Limited. Of that whenua, 90 per cent - by value - belong to members of the Collective. The remaining 10 per cent is being held in trust by the Crown for six years while the claims of other iwi are settled, and cultural redress is provided for members of the Collective.

CNI Iwi Holdings Limited is the corporate trustee of the CNI Iwi Holdings Trust. The key functions of CNI Iwi Holdings Limited are to:

• Receive the settlement assets;
• Distribute the settlement assets and any ongoing revenue from those assets, including ongoing licence fees paid under the Crown Forest Licences; and
• Safeguard the land and ensure that it is never put at risk.

CNI Iwi holdings Limited is run according to a Trust Deed and Shareholders Agreement and is governed by a Board of Directors. The eight iwi Post Settlement Governance Entities are all equal shareholders, with two directors appointed for each of the eight iwi. 

Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust is represented by Kenneth Raureti and Graham Pryor. The key role of the directors is to ensure that CNI Iwi Holdings Limited, as Trustee, acts in the best interests of the trust’s beneficiaries.

CNI Iwi Holdings Ltd has outsourced the management of all the CNI forests land it owns to Tukia Group Limited. Tukia Group is owned by six of the iwi in the CNI Collective – Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Raukawa, Ngāti Whare, Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Rangitihi. 

It is governed by a board of directors that includes representatives from each of the six iwi. Ngāti Rangitihi is represented by Graham Pryor.

A commercial development company, Tukia Group is responsible for performing the important land management function for the settlement land. This is to provide a separation between asset guardianship and commercial management, to ensure that the land is never put at risk.

The company works with Māori asset owners and commercial partners, using its global connections to develop large, long-term enterprises. Its international team has many years experience in structuring profitable investment partnerships, and a unique focus on long-term investment and sustainability for future generations.

Tukia Group is currently managing a broad, land-based investment portfolio on behalf of the iwi owners including forestry, geothermal, carbon farming, agriculture, energy and hydro power.

In June 2010, the company secured an exclusive partnership with Carbon Energy Partners (CEP) and CO2 Group to develop a large scale carbon farming venture – CO2 New Zealand. Tukia Group holds 45 per cent, CEP 10 per cent and CO2 Group 45 per cent. CO2 Group is Australia’s largest provider of dedicated carbon sink plantings. Click here to read more about Tukia Group's activities.

While CNI Iwi Holdings Limited is holding the settlement land in trust, it will distribute net rentals from the CFLs on these lands back to iwi members annually, using the agreed proportions that were part of the Deed of Settlement.

The CNI Iwi Collective’s share of accumulated rentals, or ‘cash’ portion of the settlement, came to around $255.6 million. It was transferred to CNI Iwi Holdings Ltd and from there it was distributed out to the individual iwi PSGEs using the Initial Agreed Proportions. 

Ngāti Rangitihi received $9.2 million.

The annual rental income from the CNI forests land – approximately $13 million gross for the financial year 2010-2011 – was distributed to all shareholders using the Collective’s and Crown Agreed Proportions.