Governance
Te Rūnanga is bound by the Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Act 1996.
The Act prescribes, amongst other things, the status of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the members of Ngāi Tahu Whānui and their entitlements, the Papatipu Rūnanga that are members of Te Rūnanga and the provisions for electing Representatives.
The Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Charter is a contract between Te Rūnanga and the Members (Papatipu Rūnanga) and further prescribes the obligations and operation of Te Rūnanga.
Te Rūnanga is made up of the 18 member Papatipu Rūnanga. The Te Rūnanga Act stipulates that the Appointment Committee for each Rūnanga will appoint a member to act as its Te Rūnanga representative. The Rūnanga Appointment Committee will be elected in a democratic manner, by postal ballot, by the members of each Papatipu Rūnanga. Every Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu representative must be a member of Ngāi Tahu Whānui and be affiliated to the appointing Papatipu Rūnanga.
Newly appointed Directors
Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporation Limited
Trevor Burt and Catherine Drayton have been appointed as Directors on Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporation Limited (NTHC), with Mr Burt appointed as Chair.
Ngāi Tahu Fund
Newly Appointed
Piri Sciascia (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Kaweriri, Ngāti Kahungunu)
Suzanne Ellison (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe, Waitaha, Ngāti Mutunga)
John Prendergast
Existing
Jane Davis (Chair), Rakiihia Tau Senior, Te Ao Hurae Waaka
Iain Hines.
Ngāi Tahu Property Ltd
Rick Braddock, Barry Bragg, Lex Henry and David Kennedy as Directors with Ngāi Tahu Property Ltd.
Linda Constable will chair the Property Board.
Ngāi Tahu Seafoods Limited
Brian Rhoades, Robert Pooley and Colin Topi have been appointed as Directors on Ngāi Tahu Seafoods Ltd, with Dr Rhoades appointed as Chair.
Responsibility of the Rūnanga Representatives
The core responsibility of a Te Rūnanga Representative is outlined in the Charter as follows:
8.1. Fundamental Duty - The Rūnanga Representatives will administer the assets and liabilities of Te Rūnanga as kaitiaki for Ngāi Tahu Whānui. In performing those duties each Rūnanga Representative is to act in good faith and in a manner that the Rūnanga Representative believes on reasonable grounds is in the best interests of Ngāi Tahu Whānui as a whole."
8.2. Collective interests of Ngāi Tahu Whānui - A Rūnanga Representative must not, when exercising powers or performing duties as a Rūnanga Representative, act or agree to act in a manner which unfairly prejudices or unfairly discriminates against any particular Papatipu Rūnanga unless that Rūnanga Representative believes on reasonable grounds that the fundamental duty set out in sub-clause 8.1 requires such action."