Representative for Taumutu

Pari Hunt

Pari Hunt serves as the Te Taumutu Representative to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, advancing the aspirations and tikanga of Te Taumutu whānau at the highest levels of iwi governance. Pari brings more than three decades of executive leadership across Justice, Intelligence, international operations, health and local government.

As Te Aho Matua / Treaty Lead and a member of the Executive Leadership Team at Christchurch City Council, Pari leads Treaty-based strategy and cultivates critical relationships with Ngāi Tahu and Papatipu Rūnanga. His mandate is clear: strong governance, influential policy leadership, and measurable equity for whānau, hapū and iwi Māori.

Prior to his public sector career, Pari spent nearly a decade as an international construction diver working across the Middle East and Asia in offshore oil, gas and marine construction. He built and decommissioned oil rigs and pipelines, led multinational crews and operated within high-risk, multimillion-dollar environments — sharpening his commercial acumen, operational discipline and risk leadership.

He has held governance and advisory roles spanning Māori health, community law, education and strategic partnerships, including within Ngāi Tahu structures.

Married to Trish, father of five tamariki and Papa to thirteen mokopuna, Pari’s leadership is driven by intergenerational responsibility. His vision is decisive: an iwi future where every mokopuna thrives, excels, and prospers’.