Ngā Pou a Tāne Incorporation is the National Māori Forestry Association
Established in 2022, we support and advance the aspirations of Māori forest landowners. Our members represent more than 15,000 whānau, hapū and iwi across the motu — and growing.
Māori forestry is grounded in whakapapa. Forests are not simply resources; they are living systems of relationship connecting Ranginui, Papatūānuku, and all Tangata Whenua. Through this lens, forestry is the expression of intergenerational responsibility — ecological, cultural, and economic.
Ngā Pou a Tāne exists to ensure forests on Māori land embody resilience across generations.
Through Te Tiriti o Waitangi, our tūpuna safeguarded enduring rights and responsibilities to whenua, ngahere and moana. Today, these rights continue to shape a rapidly evolving Māori forestry estate.
In our generation, the forest land compulsorily annexed by various means during the 1800s and 1900s is returned through negotiations with the Crown (New Zealand Government). This land was purchased by Iwi based on the maximum value and use of the land as commercial forest. Seventy plus settlement Acts have seen ex-Crown Forest License Land returned with option to purchase forest cutting rights from private forest owners. Further CFL land is on a list to be transferred through future settlements.
Over 511,000 hectares of Crown Forest Licensed land has been returned through Treaty settlements
More than 194,000 hectares of commercial forest is owned and managed by Māori entities
Tangata Whenua hold interests in over 1 million hectares of native forest
This estate sits within an increasingly complex environment — shaped by regulation, global market expectations, and the need to balance cultural integrity with commercial performance.
Ngā Pou a Tāne provides national leadership in this space. We support our members to:
Access trusted information and expertise
Build governance and technical capability
Navigate regulatory and market change
Strengthen Māori ownership across forestry value chains
We are currently leading the development of Phase 3: Activation & Scale in the National Māori Forestry Strategy — a long-term framework to guide decision-making, unlock value, and position Māori forestry on the global stage.
Our vision: a thriving Māori forestry system that reflects whakapapa, strengthens whenua, and delivers enduring prosperity for future generations.
Our Purpose
He whanake, he pupuri hoki i tētahi hanganga tautoko whakakaurahi mā ngā rōpū ā-rohe, e taea ai te whakamana i te iwi Māori i roto i te raupapa uara mahi ngahere.
To develop and maintain an augmented support structure through regional branches that enable and empower Māori both in and into the forestry value chain.
He mahitahi i te taha o te Karauna hei reo mārohirohi, reo whai wheako, reo whaihua, hei māngai hoki mā ngā hapori Māori me ngā kaitiaki whenua Māori, ki te whakawhanake kaupapa here hei kōkiri i ngā wawata o aua hapori me te kaupare i ngā pāpātanga panonitanga ture, waeture hoki o nanahi, o nāianei, o āpōpō hoki.
To partner the Crown with a constructive and powerful voice, representing Māori communities and landowners to develop policy that furthers Māori aspirations in the forestry value chain and obviate negative policy impacts both prospective and retrospectively.
Board Members
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Donna Awatere Huata
MA Hons Diploma of Teaching Diploma of Educational Psychology
Donna currently holds the positions of Māori Climate Commissioner, Chair of Te Arawa Oranga Tamariki Working Group, Secretary of Te Whare Whakaruruhau o Te Arawa Building Social and Cultural Rangatiratanga and Secretary of Te Arawa Education Taskforce.
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Te Kapunga Dewes
Ngāti Porou, Te Arawa, Te Whakatohea
Te Kapunga has twenty years senior management experience in the forestry and manufacturing sectors, including CEO of PF Olsen Ltd, the largest privately owned forestry company in Australasia. He is currently CEO of Whenua Oho, a Māori Landowner advisory, advocacy, and consultancy service. Te Kapunga is on a number of Māori Trusts, government advisory groups, and is Chair of Ngā Pou a Tāne – The National Māori Forestry Association.
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Whaimutu Dewes
“E noho koe ki te ngaki i nga werawera a o matua tipuna mo nga uri whakatipu”.
Whaimutu Dewes, of Ngati Porou and Ngati Rangitihi descent, is constantly reminded of the strictures of his elders to realise the aspirations of the people for the generations that follow has an intense interest in the role of economics and governance in New Zealand and Maori economic development.
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Mike King
Mike is the Managing Director Of Interpine Group of companies including Interpine Group Ltd, Interpine Holdings Ltd, Interpine Innovation Ltd and Interpine Global Ltd. He is a strategic and innovative thinker who brings a positive disruptive approach to solution finding. With grass roots wisdom and experience from the 40+yrs of involvement within the forestry sector, Mike is a valuable contributor. In addition, Interpine brings a broad range of experience and expertise to the forestry value chain.
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Doug Macredie
BA Parks and Recreation, Post Grad Dip Marketing, Dip – Adult Ed, NC L4 Health and Safety
He currently holds the position of Strategic Relations Manager Walking Access Commission. In his most recent position, Doug was the Principal Advisor Māori Te Uru Rakau for the NZ Forest Service and was responsible for guiding the building of relationships with Māori across TUR and MPI, driving Internal capability development relative to te Ao Maori, guiding policy advice to the minister regarding Māori land and aspirations and scoping out Te Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities.
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Lees Seymour
Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Hoturoa te tangata
Ko Pirongia te maunga
Ko Kāwhia moana te moana
Ko Ngāti Hikairo te iwi
Ko Waipapa te marae
Tihei mauri ora !Lees currently holds the positions of Strategic Advisor – Global Forest Partners (U.S.A), Director Timberlands Limited ( Kaingaroa Timberlands), Director Wakatū Incorporation, Managing Director Nelson Consulting Group, Tainui Kāwhia Incorporation Committee of Management and Forest and Wood Products Industry Transformation Plan – Chair.
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Ernest Morton
Hei ahua manawaroa kia waihotia hei taonga anga mua.
Ernest is a purpose-driven Forestry Professional with experience in a variety of settings spanning 40+ years which includes employing and training our local people, silviculture, export, purchase of woodlots and forestry management. He specialises both in negotiation and, with a common wairua, bringing a diversity of operations and cultures together that produces results.
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Rawson Wright
Rawson is the managing director of Wright Partners Ltd, deputy chair of Te Taumata, chairman of Taitokerau Forest Limited, a committee of management member for Kaitoto Station, Enterprise Advisor on FoMA Innovation Team, Māori Advisory Group for Te Uru Rakau/Forestry New Zealand, and an advisory member of Treasury, Overseas Investment and Forestry Reference group.
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Bob Cottrell
Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga
Robert (Bob) is a businessman and proud Māori agribusiness supporter. Currently, he is Chairman of Te Awahohonu Forest Trust, Director of Awhina Management Ltd and a member of the Māori Primary Industry Forum (MPIF). Spanning his career, he has been a member of a number of agency advisory groups including Chairman of AgResearch's Iwi Futures Governance Group, Director of the Red Meat Profit Partnership’s - Project Steering Group (PSG), and past executive member of FoMA (1997-2009).