Whāngaia te iwi.
Te Puna
Te Puna (the Māori Advisory Group) was established under the Taumata Arowai–the Water Services Regulator Act 2020 and was appointed by the Acting Minister of Local Government on 20 May 2021. Te Puna is chaired by Riki Ellison.
Te Poari o Taumata Arowai (the Board) is responsible for the governance of the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai and Te Puna is integral to the success of that governance. The Memorandum of Understanding sets out their expectations and intentions to work as partners.
Memorandum of Understanding
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Board and the Māori Advisory Group sets out their expectations and intentions to work as partners.
The Māori Advisory Group advises on Māori interests and knowledge as they relate to the objectives, functions and operating principles of the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai and the Board’s collective duties. This includes:
- developing and maintaining a framework that provides advice and guidance for the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai on how to interpret and give effect to Te Mana o te Wai
- providing advice on how to enable mātauranga Māori , tikanga Māori, and kaitiakitanga to be exercised
- any other matters as agreed by the Māori Advisory Group and the Board.
The approved Terms of Reference of the Māori Advisory Group are included below.
Te Puna Terms of Reference for Taumata Arowai
The purpose of this Terms of Reference, Ngā Tikanga Whakahaere o Te Puna, is to set out the scope and role of Te Puna, the Māori Advisory Group.
Riki Ellison | Chair
Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāi Tahu, Te Ātiawa
Riki is a consultant specialising in environmental management and iwi Māori development, working with central government agencies, local government, iwi and hapū.
As an adviser to the Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group and a member of the Ministerial advisory group Kāhui Wai Māori, he has an in-depth knowledge of Te Mana o te Wai in a policy context.
Bonita Bigham
Ngāruahine, Te Ātiawa
Bonita is currently a member of the Taranaki Coastal Community Board, the New Zealand Geographic Board, the Oranga Marae committee, Te Ātinga committee of Toi Māori Aotearoa, is chairperson of Te Maruata, the national Māori collective within the local government sector and sits on Local Government New Zealand’s National Council. She is in her fourth term as an elected member, including three as a South Taranaki District Councillor. Bonita is also an iwi representative on a Taranaki Regional Council committee and brings her strong local government experience to the Māori Advisory Group. She has also been actively involved in whānau, marae, hapū and iwi kaupapa all her life.
Loretta Lovell
Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu and Whakatōhea
Mihi
Nau mai haere mai
Ko Takitimu te waka
Ko Mohaka te awa
Ko Taihoa te marae
He tamahine ahau o nga iwi o Rongomaiwahine, Ngati Pahauwera, Ngati Kahungunu me Whakatōhea
Ko Loretta Lovell toku ingoa
E whakahonoretia ana ahau hei wāhi o tēnei haerenga
No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa
Loretta is a Solicitor, Independent Environmental Commissioner and Professional Director.
For over 20 years Loretta has specialised in public, commercial, energy and resource management law, advising clients as they develop their resources and negotiate and progress large scale infrastructure projects. As an environmental commissioner and chairperson, she has considered and decided many complex plan and consent applications often involving large scale infrastructure for telecommunications, electricity grid, lines and generation, and drinking, storm and wastewater.
Loretta is also an Associate Commissioner of the Commerce Commission which is the economic regulator for water for New Zealand, providing a common conduit between the economic and quality regulators at governance level. She is also a Board member of The Charities Registration Board and until recently served on the board of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and the Environmental Legal Assistance Advisory Panel.
Loretta has previously been a legal advisor for several Treaty settlements and iwi organisations, and brings legal, environmental and Te Tiriti experience to Te Puna and our board.
Te Huia Taylor
Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Te Waiariki
Te Huia is a product of the Kura Kaupapa Māori Movement and was raised by her iwi of Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua. The passion she has for te reo Māori is reflected in being a licensed translator and in her current pursuit of a Masters in Te Reo Kairangi (Language Excellence). She is the Director of Paakaurua Consultants Limited whose focus is to imbed Kaitiakitanga principles in kaupapa that affect the taiao. Paakaurua led the Māori Engagement Plan for Auckland's Climate Plan - Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri and the delivery of the Rangatahi section within that same plan. Their current project role is leading the Manawhenua programme for Te Whakaoranga o Te Puhinui, a catchment wide awa restoration project which has a key focus on honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Te Huia is a board member of Te Ara Rangatahi, is the Ngāti Te Ata Representative on a Waka Kotahi Steering Group and was recently appointed to the Te Paenga Hira - Toitū te Taiao Exhibition Māori Advisory Board. Te Huia’s experience in effective engagement with Māori communities and her in-depth understanding of whānau, hapū and iwi dynamics is an asset to Te Puna.
Stephanie Dijkstra
Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mamoe
Stephanie is of Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Mamoe descent and specialises in intergenerational environmental outcomes and the interweaving of mātauranga and western science. She has qualifications in Biochemistry and Plant Cell Biology.
Stephanie has extensive experience in the governance sector and is the Chair of the Ngāi Tahu HSNO Kōmiti and a member of the pan Māori Te Herenga rōpū of the Environment Protection Authority. She is also a member of the Water NZ Te Mana o te Wai subgroup and Stormwater Committee.