Representative for Puketeraki

Matapura Ellison

Matapura was born in 1955 at the Palmerston Cottage Hospital in East Otago. A son of Rangi and Joan Ellison, he was raised on the family farm at Karitāne where he still resides.

His mother fostered his interest in his Kāi Tahu, Taranaki and Pākehā heritage from an early age. He was 18 when in 1973 he first joined the Huirapa Māori Committee after being encouraged by local kaumātua. From that time until the current day he has maintained an active involvement in the affairs of Puketeraki marae.

Matapura was part of the Governance Review project team charged with progressing the Te Rūnanga governance review process. He is a staunch advocate for seeking to put in place mechanisms that underpin good governance.

He believes that the greater capacity within the Office of Te Rūnanga developed by the current CEO will greatly aid representative ability to achieve robust assessment, monitoring and review. Seeking regional equity in the application of our available resources will be an ongoing tension to work on.

Matapura strongly believes in the Papatipu Rūnaka ahi kaa organisations and marae being sustained as central pivots in our Kai Tahu communities and that appropriate resources need to be made available by Te Rūnanga in support of their objectives.