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Nga Mahi o te Tau: Our Year in Review
Tena tatau nga uri o Porourangi,
As the year comes to a close, I want to acknowledge our wider whanau and share a short update on what Nati Growth has been up to.
In a tough economic environment — here in Aotearoa and overseas — we are pleased to deliver a solid result. Our diversified investment portfolio continues to support the work we do to grow returns, strengthen our asset base, and create lasting benefits for Ngati Porou.
This year has included progress across our portfolio — from whenua and farming to property and new products — and we remain focused on increasing the impact of our investments in the rohe.
To all Ngati Porou whanau, wherever you are in the world, we wish you a safe and happy festive season and a positive new year ahead.
Nga manaakitanga,
Henare Walker, CEO
JW Marriott - Property Investment
We maintain a diverse property investment portfolio across residential, commercial, and agricultural sectors throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Property investment remains a core focus of our mahi, with a balanced mix of active and passive holdings — ranging from development opportunities through to mature, income-generating assets.
A standout joint venture investment within our portfolio is the five-star JW Marriott Auckland, located in the heart of downtown Auckland. The hotel officially opened in May following an extensive multi-million-dollar transformation, becoming the first JW Marriott in Aotearoa and joining Marriott Bonvoy’s global portfolio of more than 30 leading hotel brands.
This investment reflects our strategy of building long-term value for Ngati Porou by partnering in high-quality developments that deliver sustainable commercial returns.
Waikanae Beach Cafe and Property
Waikanae Beach Cafe was successfully rebranded and fully renovated, including a new retail space showcasing local products, a refreshed cafe with takeaway options, a coffee kiosk at the front of house for passers-by, and a large covered outdoor deck.
Trish and the team have done a fantastic job strengthening the menu and service, creating a great summer option for everyone over the festive break. We look forward to welcoming you and the whanau in for some kai, or to check out the great mix of local products on offer.
Te Ihi Wellness - Mānuka Product Launch
We celebrated the launch of Te Ihi Wellness, a new Ngati Porou-owned manuka honey and natural products brand. Te Ihi products are made using certified UMF manuka honey sustainably harvested from remote East Coast forests by our own people on our own whenua.
The launch range includes UMF manuka honey (UMF 5+ to 20+), manuka heal gel, skin heal cream, pet heal balm, and an oral spray. The brand is positioned for high-value domestic and international markets, supporting the growth of our product portfolio and long-term returns for Ngati Porou.
Ngati Porou Native Nursery
We fully completed the establishment of the Native Nursery on Nati Growth whenua, located next door to EIT Ruatoria. The site is now well equipped, including a 19m greenhouse, a 26m shade house, two storage containers for tools and equipment, a covered work area, five 30,000L water tanks for irrigation and storage, a power supply for the greenhouse and work-shed, and a full irrigation setup. Our goal is to produce up to 50,000 native plants each year to support planting and restoration across the rohe. During the year, we welcomed Rob Thompson as our Afforestation Lead, and we planted over 9,000 native plants on our property along Wainui Road.
Ngati Porou Seafoods
Ngati Porou Seafoods Group manages major fishing assets, including quota that provides an annual catch entitlement of over 4,000 metric tonnes across 75 New Zealand fish species. We are the largest partner in the Iwi Collective Partnership, and we lease our annual catch entitlement to the collective. We also hold a 7.5% stake in Aotearoa Fisheries (Moana) and an interest in Ahi Mokopuna, a joint venture focused on sustainable sea-reared salmon farming.
During the year, Ngati Porou Seafood Limited strengthened its quota holdings by acquiring an additional 610kg of CRA 4 lobster quota, with catch entitlement starting 1 April 2025.
Sponsorship
During the year, we were proud to support a number of community initiatives through sponsorship, including NPEC Rugby, Ngati Porou League and Touch teams and Surfing for Farmers – Tairawhiti.
Each year, we select a small number of commercial sponsorships that align with our goals of raising awareness of what we do, enhancing our brand image, strengthening connection with our community through events, and growing our digital engagement.
Ngati Porou Fish Truck
Over the past year, we have continued to operate our fish truck, providing affordable, fresh fish to our community one delivery at a time. Each week the truck travelled up the East Coast, bringing top-quality fish directly to our whanau and supporting access to kai moana for households along the coast.
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