Chief Executive Officer, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu: Ben Bateman

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
TE RUNANGA O NGAI TAHU
BEN BATEMAN

He tau koroke te tau, he tau nihoroa te tau
Na Marukaitatea te whakatonu ‘Koi patua moetia koe’
Ko maraka, ko mataara a Tahu
Na Tuteurutira te whakahau ‘Aukahatia o koutou waka’
Ko whatua ka aukaha mauroa mo te ao komiro nei
Kia tuturu te noho, kia tuturu te hono, kia tuturu ake nei
Waihao awa, Waihao takata
Kai ka tohuka o te manaaki
‘Te taukaea o te aroha, ka mau ake tonu e’

As we close out the year, Hui-a-Tau at Waihao offered a reflective reminder of who we are when we come together, and a tono to ‘bring back the aroha’.

My sincere thanks to Waihao Rūnanga for their manaakitaka and to every whanau member who joined us. The wairua over the weekend was uplifting – a sign of our collective strength, and the deep pride we share as Kāi Tahu.

This year has been unlike any other in recent memory. We have operated in an economic environment that remains challenging and uncertain, while also navigating a political climate where our Settlement rights, our mātauraka, and our constitutional standing have been questioned repeatedly.

Against this backdrop, our responsibility is to remain principled and fiercely focused on the aspirations and intergenerational
prosperity of our people.

Throughout the year, we have spoken clearly to the Crown, reminding leaders that “a nation is not a blank canvas,” and that asserting our rakatirataka is not radical; it is inherited. From Treaty principles debates to resource management, conservation reform, Takutai Moana, and national Māori policy settings, we have engaged openly and constructively, but without compromising the integrity of our Settlement or the rights of our whanau and tāiao.

We continue to demonstrate our leadership and rakatirataka, bringing stability and thought leadership during a period of divisive tactics and a distracting political agenda.

Alongside this, we have continued to support Papatipu Rūnaka aspirations through the Regional Investment Fund and through shared-service offerings that lift capability, strengthen balance sheets, and build economic self-determination – critical foundations for Mō Kā Uri and a more interconnected tribal system.

This year also required hard decisions and a financial reset. Our review showed our putea distribution levels were not sustainable, so Te Rūnanga reduced the Office budget and began shaping a more enduring long-term strategy.

Hard decisions, but essential to protect our resources for future generations. Looking forward, there is much to be optimistic about. As a country, we are facing a void of credible long-term policy – particularly across water, climate, infrastructure, and regional development.

But within that gap lies one of the greatest opportunities our iwi has had in decades: to shape the future rather than simply respond to it. Mō Kā Uri – Kai Tahu 2050 is the foundation for that future. It brings clarity, purpose, and direction. It centres our rūnaka, lifts the entire Group, and positions us to act as the anchor of Te Waipounamu – for the good of our people, and all of Aotearoa.

Mō tātou, ā, mā kā uri a muri ake nei.