About Us
Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea Trust
The Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea Trust has set the vision and tikanga for the Tū Mai Taonga project.
It has appointed a Project Steering Committee to support delivery of the project.
Project Steering Committee
The Project Steering Committee is a partnership between mana whenua and the Aotea Conservation Community with delegated responsibilities for overseeing and monitoring project implementation.
The members of the steering committee are:
• Opo Ngawaka (Chair) - Mana Whenua - NRNWKA Trust
• Matthew Ngawaka - Mana Whenua
• Marylin Stephens and Paula Williams - Mana Whenua
• Sue Daly - Community - Nominee
• Izzy Fordham - Community - Local Board
• Kate Waterhouse - Community - Nominee
Project Team
A small project team provides management support for the project.
Makere Jenner
Project Lead
Chris Giblin
Operations Manager
Tim Higham
Communications
Dave Braddock
Finance and Administration
Michelle Fisher
Senior Administrator
Hannah Gale
Administration & Communications Assistant
Technical Advisory Group
A Technical Advisory Group provides expert advice and peer review of the feasibility study and operation plans for the Tū Mai Taonga project.
Membership
Jo Ritchie, Chairperson - Experienced project manager who has been involved in many successful conservation initiatives around the country.
Fiona Cameron - Marketing, data analysis, community survey expert, including the 2020 North Aotea resident survey.
Biz Bell - Ecologist and pest management expert with national and international experience, including long term monitoring of Aotea’s tākoketai/black petrel.
Judy Gilbert - Windy Hill Rosalie Bay Catchment Trust manager with 20 years on-island pest management and monitoring knowledge.
John Innes - Leading NZ pest mammal and forest ecologist, experienced with sanctuaries and biodiversity monitoring.
John Parkes - Vertebrate pest ecologist, consulting internationally including feral cat eradication planning.
Scott Sambell - Conservation technology and GIS specialist, ex Glenfern Sanctuary manager and experienced rodent dog handler.
Kat Strang - Studied feral cat behaviour on islands, now working on a landscape scale animal pest management project to protect kiwi and kōkako.
Reference Documents
Feasibility Study
In November 2021, Kurahaupo Consulting prepared a summary of the rationale for pest
management on Aotea developed by the Aotea Great Barrier Environmental Trust as a proposal for Jobs for Nature funding.
It provides a formal study of what is feasible in relation to feral cat and rat eradication or control given the current and potential tools and constraints of their use and offers background details on how the project might be implemented.
A Pathway to Eradication
Following the review of the Kurahaupo Consulting feasibility study by the Tū Mai Taonga Technical Advisory Group and the project’s funders, a Pathway to Eradication was defined. This longer-term, adaptive approach to realising a predator-free future for Aotea helped the project secure commitments from funders and is guiding operational planning.
Tū Mai Taonga: A Pathway to Eradication, October 2022
Operational Plan Summary
At the ‘Pestival’ event in November Operations Manager Chris Giblin introduced Tū Mai Taonga’s operational approach; particularly its first phase work in the Te Paparahi area.
Pestival Presentation October 2022
Collaborating agencies
The Tū Mai Taonga project is reliant on the support of many collaborating organisations including:
Aotea Great Barrier Environmental Trust
Aotea Great Barrier Island Local Board
Auckland Council
Department of Conservation
Glenfern and Kotuku Peninsula Trust
Jobs for Nature
Kawa Marae
Motairehe Marae
Motu Kaikoura Trust
Okiwi Community Ecology Project
Predator Free 2050
Windy Hill Sanctuary and Rosalie Bay Catchment Trust
And landowners and residents around the motu.
Vacancies
The Tū Mai Taonga project will be recruiting new staff in 2023 to help deliver its operational plan. Keep an eye out for vacancies posted on the News section of the website.