Te Tatau o Te Arawa voting papers have been counted and the 2022 – 2025 rangatahi representatives are Te Waiarangi Merito and Kahutapeka Ututaonga. 

Voting closed at midday. (05 August 2022)

Election Services’ Dale Ofsoske, who is the Chief Returning Officer for Te Tatau o Te Arawa, declared the successful candidates after the votes were confirmed.

The voting results show Maringi James received 627 votes, Tara Sears received 486, while 915 votes were secured by Te Waiarangi Merito and Kahutapeka Ututaonga acquired 686 votes.

Te Tatau manahautū, Jude Pani, acknowledges everyone who took the time to vote.

“Ka nui ngā mihi tātou mā. Thank you for voting. We are pleased to have Kahutapeka rejoin the board and are eagerly excited to welcome Te Waiarangi to our team. Well done.

“And although we won’t have the pleasure of Maringi and Tara joining the board, we have extended an invitation to them to come and observe the board because they too are, Te Arawa leaders of today and the future,” she says.

Rangatahi representatives, Te Waiarangi Merito and Kahutapeka Ututaonga, will take their place alongside twelve other board members who were duly elected unopposed as the number of candidates did not exceed the number of available vacancies.

Seven of the 12 are incumbent members. They are Kiri Potaka-Dewes (Koeke), Rawiri Waru (Te Arawa Land Trusts & Incorporation), Rangitiaria Tibble (Ngāti Whakaue), Potaua Biasiny-Tule (Te Arawa Iwi/Hapū), Aroha Bray (Te Arawa Iwi/Hapū), Dr Kēpa Morgan (Te Arawa Iwi/Hapū) and Te Taru White (Te Arawa Iwi/Hapū).

They are joined by Andrew Te Amo (Te Arawa Land Trusts & Incorporation), Lani Kereopa (Ngāti Whakaue), Roku Mihinui (Pan-Te Arawa Entities), James Hamiora and Mariana Vercoe (Te Arawa Iwi/Hapū) who were also elected unopposed.