Whanganui iwi settlement entity chief executive Ray Hall resigns

Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui kaihautū Ray Hall will miss his contact with Whanganui people when he leaves the job in May. Photo / File

The first kaihautū of Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui Trust is to leave the organisation in May this year.

After 18 months as kaihautū (chief executive) of Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui Trust, Ray Hall has announced his intention to move to Wellington for family reasons. His resignation takes effect from mid-May.

The trust is the post settlement entity of Whanganui iwi responsible for implementation of the Whanganui River Settlement signed between the iwi and the Crown in 2014, resulting in enactment of world-first legislation for the Whanganui River as Te Awa Tupua in 2017.

"My wife and I moved from Auckland to Whanganui in late 2019 so that I could take the role of kaihautū and propel the trust forward in key areas of its work," Hall said.

"We committed ourselves to the kaupapa and despite the fact I am leaving earlier than anticipated, I will leave satisfied that I've been able to do that."

In addition to implementing a world-first status for a river system, the trust manages well over $100m of financial assets on behalf of Whanganui iwi and has investment and distribution subsidiaries to co-ordinate.

"Ray brought expertise we have not previously had at management level," trust chairman Gerrard Albert said.

"The trust respects Ray's decision to move on in May, noting at the same time that Ray's
departure will leave a big gap to fill.

"Ray has increased the trust's operational reach across central and local government partners and that momentum will need to continue. We've begun a search for a replacement kaihautū, but it will be tough replacing what Ray has brought to the organisation."

Hall is both philosophical and reflective about his time in the role.

"Ideally, I would stay to continue the trust journey, but this has been a family-based decision and reflects my priority for the welfare for my whānau. I hit the ground running in 2019 and it has been an intense, but a worthwhile experience as kaihautū, in a role I have enjoyed immensely," he said.

Four months into his role, Covid-19 alert level 4 was enacted and lockdown saw Hall supporting the iwi-led response as part of the technical leadership team of Te Ranga Tupua, a role that was all the harder for the fact he was a recent arrival to the area.

"Ray excelled in that level 4 environment, working beyond his 9 to 5 role to keep whānau, hapū and iwi he had barely met, safe," Albert said.

After lockdown ceased, Hall began getting to know the beneficiaries of the trust better.

"That is a part of the job I will miss most, the kaumātua, whānau and hapū of Whanganui. I have enjoyed being welcomed onto many marae as kaihautū. The people have given me guidance as an outsider from the north, and hopefully I've been able to give them something in return," he said.