Te Ohu Kaimoana wishes to thank and acknowledge those who were able to attend our national hybrid wānanga on the Māori Fisheries Act Amendments on Monday 9 September. Particularly given recent events and the many commitments within Māoridom our iwi leaders are involved in.

Key take outs from the day

We thoroughly appreciated the kōrero brought to the table from our iwi representatives at the wānanga. It  highlighted that while this an exciting time for iwi and Te Ohu Kaimoana – it was an equal reminder that the next two years will be in parts intensive and require us to work together closely to ensure a smooth, efficient and collaborative process.

Tax

A significant point discussed at the wānanga was the matter of tax treatment in regards to the transfer of Aotearoa Fisheries Limited (AFL) shares from Te Ohu Kaimoana to iwi. You can read about this in further detail in the summary notes above. Te Ohu Kaimoana is commissioning tax advice for iwi and we anticipate this will be circulated in the coming months.

Amending constitutional documents

Alongside amending the constitutions of our Te Ohu Kaimoana kāhui entities, the changes to the Māori Fisheries Act will also require amendment to the constitutions of Mandated Iwi Organisations, Recognised Iwi Organisations, and Asset Holding Companies.

As discussed with iwi at the wānanga, this is a focus for Te Ohu Kaimoana and in the coming months we will be providing further information on what resources will be made available to guide you through this upcoming process. In the meantime, we encourage you to review the implementation timeline and workstreams found in the presentation from the day.

What’s next?

Further detailed workshops will be planned in the following months to work with iwi on key changes, including:

  • Tax readiness for iwi in anticipation of the AFL share transfer
  • MIO and AHC governance document amendment
  • Iwi contribution to key policy documents

These workshops will be open to  representatives from Mandated Iwi Organisations, Recognised Iwi Organisations, Asset Holding Companies and Representative Māori Organisations (as defined under the Māori Fisheries Act 2004).

Thank you again for your participation and input to date, and we look forward to continuing to work alongside you in the successful implementation of the MFAA.

For a copy of our summary notes, presentation and information pack from the wānanga, please email us at: ika@teohu.maori.nz

If you have any questions in the meantime, or proposed topics for discussion at the upcoming roadshows, please contact Bede Dwyer (Brand Communications Manager) via: bede.dywer@teohu.maori.nz or phone: 021 073 9684.