May 28, 2020
New team talks tech with Te Aupouri
Change is afoot in far north iwi Te Aupōuri.
It has a new chief executive, Victor Goldsmith from Ngāti Porou, a new chair, technology entrepreneur Rhonda Kite, and a new deputy chair, Te Hiku Media head Peter Lucas Jones.
The rūnanga has struggled because of poor financial decisions by previous administrations, but Mr Goldsmith says good work has been done in recent years and he’s impressed with the way the new board is coping.
The new team has set transparency and connectivity as key objectives, trying to draw in the iwi’s far flung members.
"We have housing development. We're looking at solar solutions for our people up there. Drinking water because unfortunately for our community in Te Kao, they are still boiling their water – it's unacceptable in this day and age. We're trying to come up with solutions for that. Also housing, connectivity, and the general health and well being of our people," Mr Goldsmith says.
Victor Goldsmith says the board is strengthening relations with the large land incorporations and with neighbouring iwi Ngāti Kuri, Ngāi Takoto and Te Rarawa.
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