Special General Meeting 

 

A Special General Meeting (SGM) of the Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Charitable Trust will be held to consider updates to our Trust Deed and Asset Holding Company constitution.

Date: Saturday 2 May 2026
Time: 10.00am start
Venue: Omaka Marae, 120 Aerodrome Road, Blenheim

Why is this hui being held?

The Māori Fisheries Amendment Act 2024 requires iwi organisations such as ours to update their governing documents so they remain compliant with the law.

If these updates are not made, the Trust risks becoming non-compliant and losing key fisheries-related rights and benefits.

For Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, this means updating:

• our current Charitable Trust Deed, and
• our Asset Holding Company (AHC) constitution

These changes are being made to meet the new legal requirements. They are not intended to make significant changes to the way the Trust operates. We have also taken an approach that aligns with other Kurahaupō iwi.

What will whānau be asked to approve?

The Trust seeks the approval of the Adult Beneficiaries to the following resolutions:

Special Resolution 1:
To approve amendments to the Current Deed to comply with the Māori Fisheries Amendment Act 2024 and to remain compliant with the updated Māori Fisheries Act 2004.

Special Resolution 2:
To adopt the Amended and Restated Deed as the new deed of trust for Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust on 26 July 2026, in which the relevant provisions of the Māori Fisheries Amendment Act 2024 come into force.

Resolution 3:
To approve that the amendments to the Trust Deed are for the collective benefit of all Members of Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō.

Resolution 4:
To approve:

(a) the amendments to the AHC constitution have been made to comply with the Māori Fisheries Amendment Act 2024 and to remain compliant with the updated Māori Fisheries Act 2005; and
(b) that the amendments contemplated by (a) above are for the collective benefit of all Members of Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō.

In accordance with the requirements under the Current Trust Deed and the Māori Fisheries Act 2004, voting papers will be provided for Resolutions 1 and 2 electronically. Resolutions 3 and 4 will be held in person at the SGM by a show of hands.

Voting

Voting is being independently managed by ElectionNZ, who are acting as the Returning Officer.

Voting packs will be sent to members by email, with postal packs also provided for members aged 60 and over.

You can vote in one of three ways:

• Online using your unique login details
• By post using the freepost envelope provided
• In person at the SGM (ballot box available on the day)

Voting deadlines:

• Postal voting closes: 5.00pm Friday 1 May 2026
• Online and ballot box voting closes: 10.30am Saturday 2 May 2026

ElectionNZ will also send reminder emails to members during the voting period.

If you haven't received your papers by 18 April 2026 or you would like to receive your voting papers via post, please email office@ngatiapakiterato.iwi.nz or call us on 0800 578 900.

Why attendance matters

For the SGM to proceed, we need a quorum of 25 registered members present.

Your attendance and participation matter.

Want to ask questions first?

An online information session will be held before the SGM so whānau can ask questions and better understand what is being proposed.

Date: Tuesday 21 April 2026
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: Microsoft Teams

Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/48070984563714?p=zNJyWMIX9eMBrtxM
Meeting ID: 480 709 845 637 14
Passcode:EE3US33G

Further information

You can review the full documents below. These set out the detailed legal changes being proposed:

• Draft Amended and Restated Trust Deed (with commentary)
• Draft AHC Constitution
• Copy of Private Notice to Members
• Copy of Appendix 1 to Private Notice - Further information
• Copy of Public notice published in Newspapers

If you would like help understanding any of these documents, please feel free to attend the information session or get in touch with the office

A final note

This process is about making sure our governance documents remain legally compliant and fit for purpose under the new legislation.

The proposed changes are intended to be as limited and practical as possible, while ensuring Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō continues to meet its obligations.

We encourage all registered adult members to read the information, attend the hui if you can, and vote.

Please Register to attend this Special General Meeting

The easiest way to register is through our online, MāoriMe portal: and navigate to 'hui'

If registering online isn’t easy for you, or you're booking for a group, we’re happy to help:

• Email: office@ngatiapakiterato.iwi.nz
• Phone: 0800 578 900 (toll-free, Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm)
• In person:
  • 78 Seymour Street, Blenheim
  • 315a Hardy Street, Nelson

Nau mai, haere mai — we’re looking forward to seeing you there.