After 26 years as the chairman of Ngati Kahungunu, Ngahiwi Tomoana has been beaten in Iwi elections by Hastings District Councillor Bayden Barber.
New iwi chairman Bayden Barber aims to build on the groundwork laid by predecessor Ngahiwi Tomoana and develop kotahitanga for Ngāti Kahungunu.
Barber is only the second person to fill the role of Ngāti Kahungunu iwi chairman after Tomoana's 26-year tenure.
Barber won with a 486 vote majority, 2273 votesto 1787 for Tomoana.
His election win this week was "humbling".
"I'd like to firstly acknowledge Ngahiwi's great body of work for 26 years. I know all his whānau, his hapu and his marae, and just understanding and appreciating that they would be hurting with the result.
"He has set an awesome foundation and he needs to be acknowledged, not just by the Māori community but by the whole of Hawke's Bay, Kahungunu and even wider nationally."
Barber said he and his whānau were happy to get over the line.
"I was not confident. I know I had put in the hard yards, but an incumbency of 26 years, that in itself is a huge hurdle to get over."
"They've [the children] had to put up with their dad always being kind of fixated and the mind always working for the past three months."
He said he wanted to also thank every one of his campaign team members in the community and the voters who supported him.
While he has not yet made a decision, he said it was unlikely he would maintain his role as a councillor on Hastings District Council because the iwi chair role would require his full time and attention.
Bayden Barber looks to the future of Ngāti Kahungunu as iwi chairman in front of the pou of his ancestor, Tiakitai, at Nga Pou o Heretaunga. Photo / Warren Buckland
He said there would be exciting times moving forward and his major focus in the long term was kotahitanga, a vision of unity for Ngāti Kahungunu.
"It's an intergenerational vision, more for our people on the ground, more benefits in terms of housing, health, education, business, economic opportunity and the environment."
One of his first steps in the role will include understanding how Ngāti Kahungunu fisheries business is going.
"That was one of the big concerns, some of the big losses the iwi has experienced in 2021, so it's time to lift the bonnet and have a good look under the hood to see what the issues are and rectify them ASAP."
He said he would also like to start discussion around a term limit for the iwi chair role to support bringing in younger people and supporting their pathways to leadership roles.
"We've got a lot of skilled and qualified young people out there who would be more than ready if we give the pathway, if we support them in terms of their learnings and experience."
Barber himself has experience as a chartered member of the Institute of Directors NZ, the chair of the Hastings District Council's strategy and policy committee, an independent director of Beef + Lamb NZ, a director and former chair of Health Hawke's Bay and a board member of Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission).
Tomoana gave his congratulations to Barber in a statement and said he would support him from the background to let him grow.
Ngahiwi Tomoana said he had no regrets following his 26-year tenure. Photo / Warren Buckland
"E pari te tai, e timu te tai, e ngunguru nei te moana, kua huri te tai!
"The time and tide waits for no man, and the tide has turned with Bayden Barber being elected as the new chair of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated."
He said he had no regrets following the result and his 26 years serving as iwi chairman.
"I am proud to have been able to do that off the mana āhua ake of Ngāti Kahungunu, the absolute uniqueness of Ngāti Kahungunu, to manaaki all people."
2022 Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi election results
Nigel William How won the Ngāti Kahungunu Wairoa Taiwhenua seat with 569 votes to 431 votes for Naomi Wilson.
Haami Hilton won the Kaumātua role with 668 votes to 490 for Jerry Hapuku.
Melissa Ihaka won the Kahungunu ki Wairarapa seat by one vote, with 126 to 125 for Jenishavorne Waipuka
Uncontested seats were:
Kahungunu ki Tamaki Nui A Rua - Hayden Hape
Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga - Thompson Hokianga
Te Taiwhenua o Tamatea - JB Heperi-Smith
Te Taiwhenua o Te Whanganui A Orotu - Hōri Reti
Taurahere Runanga – Northern District - Eruera Beattie
Taurahere Runanga – Southern District - Brian Ruawai-Hamilton
