Planning for 2040: a Te Tiriti-centred approach to governance 

Kura Moeahu QSO, MInstD

For iwi leader and parliamentary advisor Kura Moeahu QSO, MInstD, the most pressing issue as a board chair is planning for the next 15 years.

“What does governance look like for Māori boards as we work towards 2040 and the bicentenary of the signing of our foundational document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi?” he says. “Are we continuing to drive forward as Te Tiriti-centric organisations and keeping that central to daily operations?

“At the same time, there is space for a stronger presence of tikanga Māori within wider governance. It is embedded in Māori governance, but there is room for it in larger corporate organisations.”

Moeahu’s governance roles includes; chairing Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa, the Waiwhetū and Atiawa Toa FM Radio, as well as serving on a number of advisory boards.

Since 2008, he has served as Tumu Whakarae [Principal Advisor Māori] in Parliament, where he oversees and ensures tikanga Māori is upheld and promoted within Parliamentary Service.

Growing the next generation

He sees encouraging and supporting young people to step into governance as critical to organisations achieving their goals.

“We’ve now had more than 40 years of kura kaupapa and wānanga graduates. We are seeing a significant increase in the use of te reo and a Māori worldview and perspective on life. With the current political environment, there is a strong push to ensure continued cultural permanence in our tribal regions.

“But how can we make governance appealing to our rangatahi and provide opportunities for them to learn? In the past, people were often volunteered to join a committee or board and if you tried to resign, your aunties told you that you weren’t resigning.

“At an early age, I was volunteered as a gravedigger for our urupā. My fellow gravediggers then volunteered me to speak for them at our marae and I’ve been on that paepae for more than 30 years.

“What is now required is a paradigm shift in how Māori organisations make governance appealing to our rangatahi and provide opportunities for them to learn.

“We need a strategy to teach governance and provide opportunities to build interest because there are many boards that can accommodate different interests.”

He sees boards welcoming diversity, combined with formal governance training, as critical to that.

“Respecting diversity of opinion is a challenge for many boards. Opinions can be aired forcefully by what might be perceived as the ‘stronger’ members. But everyone has a view and it is important as a chair to ensure you enable full consideration of everyone’s views.

“I didn’t pursue training until later in my governance career. Once I completed IoD and other training I realised there were better ways we could operate in terms of compliance, risk and having the best systems in place.

“I completed the IoD’s Chairing the Board course last year, and I encourage board members to take time to upskill in governance. That’s important for a board, no matter how big or small the organisation.” 

Leadership, succession and the role of the chair

Moeahu says he was fortunate in his early career in local government, the public sector and education, to have strong mentors including John Rangitihi Rangiwaiata Tahuparae, the first official kaumātua for the New Zealand Parliament.

This taught him the importance of encouraging young people to step out of their comfort zones and extend themselves in leadership roles.

“He’d put us in roles where we weren’t going to be comfortable, and once we got comfortable, he’d put us in roles that stretched us further.

“Joining your first board or committee can feel intimidating. You might think you aren’t up to the standard of others around the table, but you’re just as important. They might have been on the board for three or 30 years, but you bring a new perspective. You may feel uncomfortable at first, but it will help you grow.”

For Moeahu, ‘the chair-CEO dynamic’ resonates most from  the IoD’s Top 5 issues facing directors in 2026.

“The test of an organisation is the relationship between the chair and the CEO – learning to build that relationship. Also, how you navigate through that process of succession so someone leaves with their mana intact. Too many people simply ‘disappear’.

“My uncle had an eminent career in New Zealand and overseas before coming back to be a leader for our iwi for many years. After he retired, we’d still have our regular meetings. There is a proverb, Ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi – when the old net is cast aside, the new net goes fishing. 

“However, we also say the new net must ask the old net where the fish are. He’d cast his net aside to let me go fishing, but I would still seek his guidance and it was very valuable.”

Looking ahead with confidence

Moeahu says funding cuts to services are another challenge for the organisations and communities he serves. 

“There are some very good models around the country that have proven highly successful in supporting families in need that are no longer being funded or funding has been cut. That’s hard on Māori communities. 

“However, I’m excited for the future. We now have those 40-plus years of youth who have come through the kura and wānanga, and many are parents or grandparents themselves. They bring more than 40 years of immersion in te reo Māori and a Māori worldview. 

“They are clinicians, lawyers, accountants, young leaders in government. People in every profession with a deep understanding of te ao Māori and that is only going to get stronger, irrespective of the political environment. 

“I was raised in an English-speaking household. Now my grandchildren argue with me in fluent te reo. 

“The old net will be cast aside. I’m looking over my shoulder and I see the cavalry coming, our rangatahi, our young leaders. It’s exciting and we need to make sure everyone can get on board.” 

 Chairing the Board is a two-day course that explores governance best practice, effective board structures and policy, and the key elements of board performance, composition and culture.