14 Aug 2013

Te Kauhanganui head says tribe working together

11:02 am on 14 August 2013

Maxine Moana-Tuwhangai, who is of Ngaati Hikairo and Ngaati Apakura hapu, has filled a nine-month-old vacancy as chair of the 196-member assembly.

As well as Te Kauhanganui, there is an executive board - Te Arataura - which oversees the tribe's commercial interests and trusts, looking after interests in the Waikato River and the endowed college.

Ms Moana-Tuwhangai says it's important everyone works towards Whakatupuranga 2050, the tribe's long-term plan for development.

The ground work in getting everyone to work together has been done and tribal members are aware of the direction the iwi is taking, she says.

Ms Moana-Tuwhangai holds a number of governance positions, including being a member of the Maritime Authority and the Waikato Institute of Technology board, as well as being a director of New Zealand Rugby League's upper central zone board.

Former Te Kauhanganui chair Tania Martin was voted out of office last November.