John Whaanga appointed new Director for Tatau Tatau o Te Wairoa

Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa is delighted to welcome John Whaanga as our new director. John, affiliated with Ngāti Rākaipaaka, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Rongomaiwahine, has a long-standing connection to the Wairoa region. He is best known for leading the successful $100 million Treaty of Waitangi settlement for Ngā Iwi me Ngā Hapū o Te Rohe o Te Wairoa — the result of more than 30 years of dedicated work.

As John said in Parliament: “Kia tutuki te wawata kia tū anō tātau ngā whānau, ngā hapū, ngā iwi, i runga i ō tātau ake mana motuhake” — to realise our dreams for our people to stand on our own authority.

John brings decades of experience in public service and education. He is currently Deputy Director-General, Māori Health at the Ministry of Health, and has held key roles in tertiary education, including Chief Advisor Wānanga at the Tertiary Education Commission, Deputy Chief Executive at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, and Chief Operating Officer at Taratahi Institute of Agriculture.

Throughout his career, John has championed the growth and representation of Wairoa’s iwi and hapū, always keeping our whānau and community at the heart of his work. We warmly welcome him to Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa and look forward to his leadership as we continue to build a strong future for our people.