Latest news with #ManaTāhunaCharitableTrust
Otago Daily Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Shotover issues spur Rewi to enter mayoral race
After more than 30 years in Queenstown, kaumātua Darren Rewi has put his hand up to lead the district for the next three years. Mr Rewi, 62, said he had been contemplating standing for the mayoralty for the past four months or so, spurred on by issues at the Shotover wastewater treatment plant, something he believed would take "generations" to resolve. "There was so much wrong about that ... and then I looked at what I thought was going wrong around leadership and I thought I've got skills where I can add value in that space." Originally from Invercargill, Mr Rewi and his whānau moved to Queenstown 32 years ago. He has since been involved in a wide range of community groups and organisations, ranging from Scouts to junior and senior football, worked in the health sector and spent nine years as a volunteer firefighter. He also has more than 20 years of senior-level leadership, government experience and qualifications in strategic and change management. Mr Rewi is the founding chairman of the Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust, formed in 2020, and is a SkyCity Queenstown Community Foundation trustee. He is also the vice-chairman of the national Victim Support board, ministerial appointee of Herenga ā Nuku, the Outdoor Access Commission, and mandated Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku representative on the Otago Regional Council's upper lakes freshwater catchment working group. He has also been vice-chairman of the arts and culture heritage strategy and was the mayoral-appointed chairman of the Welcoming Communities steering group. Mr Rewi said the Queenstown council was in a "tail-wagging-the-dog" predicament. In a statement, he said the electorate had become "exhausted from issue after issue being exposed, and an executive leadership team [ELT] and council that has yet to see that they are on a burning platform". "It's obvious that there has been poor decision-making and now it's for the new council and mayor to create an expectation of accountability, and that's a conversation with the CEO." He believed the ELT was "at the steering wheel", when that role was for elected members. Mr Rewi said the potential regional deal with central government on infrastructure, housing and economic growth presented a "whole lot of opportunity", and he supported the proposal as it stood, but cautioned there could be pitfalls. He noted there was nothing certain about the regional deal and the government could withdraw the opportunity, particularly if it thought the region was not "being astute enough ... around finances". He also said the council could do more to harness the power of the multibillion-dollar Māori economy, particularly partnering with iwi on critical infrastructure. As to the site of the council's offices, he backed a main location in Frankton, which would enable staff to be under one roof and remove access barriers for the community, he said.
Otago Daily Times
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Light entertainment for Matariki
Inky Eyles, 3, and Lily Hughes, 8, enjoy the lights at Kāhui Whetū in the Gore Gardens last night. PHOTO: GERRIT DOPPENBERG Thousands of people turned out in Gore and hundreds more in Queenstown last night to welcome in Matariki, the Māori New Year. Gore Gardens were lit up with a sparkling display from 5pm to 9pm for Kāhui Whetū, a bright and flashy festival where butterflies, disco lights, fire dancers, waiata and face painting were all on show. There was something for everyone as those attending wandered through the gardens on a warm evening. On stage at the Matariki 2025 event at the Queenstown Memorial Centre last night are (from left) Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust chief operating officer Ebony Webster, The Harmonic Resonators front man Jeremy Hantler, Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Glyn Lewers and Te Kaika chief executive Matt Matahaere. PHOTO: GUY WILLIAMS And in Queenstown, about 120 people attended an event in the Queenstown Memorial Centre, which featured a three-course meal and performances by Tauranga band The Harmonic Resonators and Queenstown band The Kollective. It is the second year the Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust has organised the event in the resort to celebrate the Māori New Year. — APL
