Clear, Shared Tools for Big Decisions About the Whenua.

Where They Started.

Matahi Forest estate, in Waimana, is made up of seven land blocks covering 2,124 hectares, about half of it in production forestry. With harvest decisions ahead, Te Waimana Kaaku Trust wanted a clear picture of what the land could do next, and a transparent way to weigh the options with its beneficiaries.

What We Did.

In 2019 the Trust engaged Ake Projects (then trading as Ake Innovation) for a highest and best land-use assessment, funded through MPI's Māori Agribusiness programme. We:

• Listened first. Steering group meetings, a tikanga-based site visit, and tribal hui and drop-in sessions, so beneficiaries set the criteria the options were judged on.
• Read the whenua. Land titles, land-use capability, soils, climate, waterways and biodiversity, plus historical aerial photos going back to 1949.
• Weighed ten options. From long-rotation timber and mauri enhancement to koura farming, horticulture, meat farming and guided hunting.
• Built two digital tools. A weighted decision-making matrix the Trust can re-weight as priorities change, and a digital dashboard comparing tribal demographics with regional and national census data.
• Mapped the funding. Pathways through the Provincial Growth Fund, the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, the Whenua Māori Fund and Māori agribusiness programmes.

What Changed.

The Trust received the assessment in September 2019: an evidence base for post-harvest decisions, and tools that make the options, and the reasoning behind each one, easy to share with the wider tribal community.