June 14, 2019
Board picked to manage Waitara pūtea
Representatives of iwi and New Plymouth District Council have been chosen for a Board to oversee the new Waitara Perpetual Community Fund.
The fund, for community projects in the town, was created as part of the Waitara Lands Act, which allows leaseholders to buy their leased land on 770 Waitara properties.
So far about 300 lessees have expressed interest in freeholding.
The proceeds from the land sales, which could be as much as $90 million, will be divided into the Waitara Perpetual Community Fund, a Hapū Land Fund under the control of Te Kōwhatu Tū Moana which represents Manukōrihi and Otaraua hapū, and a fund to support Waitara River and environment projects.
That fund will be managed by Taranaki Regional Council and iwi and hapū with interests in the river.
The board members of the Waitara Perpetual Community Fund are Pat Bodger, Donna Eriwata and Mawhaturia White from Te Kōwhatu Tū Moana and Graham Armstrong, Pauline Lockett and Darrel Nicholas from the council.
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