Ngati Whare Trust

Following the corporatisation of the New Zealand Forest Service in 1987, various rural villages that had housed Forest Service workers were deemed "surplus to requirements". In 1988 the government decided to pass one of those villages, Minginui, to Ngati Whare iwi. This happened at about the same time that all workers in Minginui were rendered unemployed.

In the process of the "hand back" the land on which Minginui rests was placed in a Section 438 Trust under the ancestor Wharepakau, to be managed through the Ngati Whare Trust. Presently the Ngati Whare Trust is a separate entity to Te Runanga o Ngati Whare Iwi Trust, although a number of the Trustees appointed to it are also Runanga members. Current trustees are: Bob McMahon (Chairman), Anaru Te Amo, Doug Rewi, Aubrey Kohonui, James Carlson, Bronco Carson and Pene Olsen.

The Ngati Whare Trust holds responsibility for the running of Minginui, although many of its duties until recently have been managed through Minginui Village Council Ltd. It should be noted that the Crown effectively divested itself of a liability in 1988 when it handed over the village to iwi management and control. Much of the village's infrastructure failed even then to meet the standards set by the Whakatane District Council.

The Ngati Whare Trust is currently working with a specially constituted government body, "The Minginui Regional Agencies Forum", to try to find a way forward to meet Minginui's infrastructure, housing and development needs.

The Ngati Whare Trust can be contacted through:

Hulton Patchell Ltd
Chartered Accountants
2/1176 Amohau Street
PoBox 12003
Rotorua

phone (07) 34301050