About the Trust

The Crown Forestry Rental Trust was set up under the Crown Forest Assets Act 1989, after the New Zealand Māori Council and Federation of Māori Authorities took court action to protect Māori interests in the Crown’s commercial forests.

The Act allowed the Crown to sell licences for forestry, but prevented it from selling the land itself until the Waitangi Tribunal recommends who has ownership of the land – Māori or the Crown.

Crown Forestry Rental Trust (‘the Trust’):

• operates within a Trust Deed;
• provides funding to eligible Māori claimants to prepare, present and negotiate claims against the Crown, which involve, or could involve, Crown forest licensed lands, and
• reports annually to the Minister of Finance, who is the Trustees’ Crown appointor, and to the New Zealand Māori Council (NZMC) and Federation of Māori Authorities Incorporated (FOMA), who are jointly the Trustees’ Māori Appointor.

The Trust funds come from annual rental fees for licences to use certain Crown forest licensed lands. Until the beneficial owners of the lands have been determined, the Trust:

• invests the rental proceeds and holds them in trust, and
• applies the interest earned on the rental proceeds to help eligible Māori claimants prepare, present and negotiate claims which involve or could involve Crown forest licensed lands.

The accumulated rental fees for all Crown forest licensed lands are returned to successful claimants who are the confirmed beneficiaries as a result of achieving negotiated settlements with the Crown. If, at the end of the Trust’s operational life, it retains any Trust funds (which have not been returned to successful claimants), these funds will be returned to the Crown.

Settling claims is the responsibility of claimants and the Crown.

Founding documents

Forestry Agreement 1989
Made between the Crown, and the NZMC and FOMA, plus the amending Deed made on 17 October 1989.

The Crown Forest Assets Act 1989
This Act provided for:

• management of the Crown’s forest assets;
• transfer of those assets, while protecting the claims of Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975, and
• transfer of Crown forest licensed lands to Māori ownership and payment of compensation in the case of successful claims under that Act.

Trust Deed for Crown Forestry Rental Trust, April 1990 (amended 26 September 2018)
Key provisions included:

• the purpose and duration of the Trust;
• Trust funds;
• number of Trustees;
• appointment of Trustees;
• powers, duties and liability of Trustees;
• removal of Trustees;
• payments to claimants;
• allocation and distribution of Trust funds, and
• procedure on winding up.

Crown Forestry Rental Trust

The Trust:

• has six Trustees (three appointed by the Minister of Finance acting as the Crown Appointor and three appointed by the Federation of Māori Authorities and the New Zealand Māori Council acting as the Māori Appointor);
• has staff with research, mapping, financial and funding, contract management, and Treaty-sector expertise;
• is based in Wellington.

The Trust has two business units – Funded Services and Corporate Services and Assurance.

Funded Services performs the Trust’s client/claimant interfacing role. This includes engaging directly with claimant groups and Approved Clients, providing operational, specialist advice, research and mapping funding advice to help them access Trust funds and assessing funding requests and making recommendations to Trustees. Funded Services consists of a Senior Advisor and a Principal Advisor with research, mapping, contract management and Treaty-sector expertise.
All queries about how to become an Approved Client and how to obtain Trust funds should be directed to Funded Services staff. Email contact@cfrt.org.nz

Corporate Services and Assurance manages the Trust’s financial, information management, administration and human resource administration functions.

Crown Forestry Rental Trust has six Trustees, who are appointed by designated Appointors:

• For the Crown – the Minister of Finance as Crown Appointor, appoints three Trustees, and
• For Māori – the New Zealand Māori Council and the Federation of Māori Authorities appoint three Trustees.

Trustee powers and duties are defined in the Trust Deed, and broadly include:

• duties to account for forest rental fees paid to the Trust;
• duties to report to Appointors;
• powers to invest rental fees, and
• powers to apply interest income to help eligible Māori claimants prepare, present and negotiate claims that involve, or could involve, Crown forest licensed lands.

Current Trustees

Mr Rakihia Tau

Rakihia is the Crown Forestry Rental Trust Chair. Rakihia’s his first career was in engineering, being certified with Advance Trade Certificate in fitting and turning, and he is also a qualified Marine Engineer. After qualifying with a B.Com and MBA, he began his second career in business and commerce.

He was one of 5 principal negotiators for the Ngāi Tahu Claim. He has held several senior governance positions including being past chair of the SOE AgriQuality Ltd and a director of Ngāi Tahu Properties Ltd.

Rakihia has also held senior executive positions within the public (publically listed) and private sectors. Rakihia is a Partner and Commercial Director of the consultancy firm Arahia.

Rakihia joined the Trust in July 2013.

Mr Paul Majurey

Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Whanaunga, Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Tamaterā (Marutūāhu)

Paul is an iwi leader, experienced governor and nationally recognised environmental and Treaty lawyer.

He has chaired three iwi collectives, comprising some 30 tribes.

Paul chairs various statutory entities and companies, including the Tūpuna Maunga Authority.

He has appeared as senior counsel before the Privy Council, Supreme Court and specialist environmental and Treaty courts. He has also served on Ministerial technical advisory groups and is a co-author of the leading environmental law textbook.

Ms Bronwyn Koroheke

Ms Koroheke has 25+ years experience in providing financial, accounting and business expertise and 10 years in senior finance roles. She is experienced in various sectors including tertiary education, local and regional government, health, energy, and the Māori and corporate sectors. She is an experienced Chief Financial Officer, and has worked at Māori Television and for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa as Chief Financial Officer. She also has 20+ years experience in operating in kaupapa Māori organisations and has extensive Māori networks.

Ms Koroheke has been a Trustee since 6 November 2017.

Ms Lynell Huria

Lynell is a Partner at Kāhui Legal law firm. She has over 30 years experience working in the intellectual property field, assisting small start-up businesses through to large multi-national corporations, whānau, hapū, and iwi.

Lynell has also built a practice around advising Māori, government, and industry on the protection of cultural heritage. Lynell also has a long history of volunteer work and governance positions across a range of community organisations.

Lynell has been a Trustee since 1 July 2020.

Annette Te Imaima Sykes

Director, Annette Sykes & Co Ltd

Annette Te Imaima Sykes is of Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Mākino descent, born and raised at Hinehopu by Pirimi Whata Karaka and Tawhitoariki Morehu. Annette has devoted her life to championing Māori rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Educated at United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) and Victoria and Auckland University where she obtained a law degree and Bachelor of Commerce. She was an adjunct professor at Auckland University’s Faculty of Law.

Annette’s distinguished legal career spans nearly four decades, focusing on Māori interests and constitutional justice. Annette has served on numerous boards, including Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Pikiao and Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd. She participated in the Fisheries Settlement, arguing the case at the Privy Council. Currently, she advises the Ministry for the Environment on Māori rights in freshwater management and serves as a trustee for the Crown Forest Rental Trust. Annette manages her own law firm in Rotorua mentoring young professionals.

In recognition of her significant contributions to the legal field, Annette has recently been honoured with two prestigious awards. In August 2024, she was conferred the Access to Justice Award by the New Zealand and Australian Bar Association. This was followed in September 2024 by the bestowal of the Lifetime Membership Award from Te Hunga Rōia Māori, the Māori Law Society.

Darren Beatty

(Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Whānau‑ā‑Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Te Roroa, Ngā Puhi)

Darren Beatty is a highly experienced investment, finance and governance leader with more than 25 years’ experience in senior executive and advisory roles across Aotearoa New Zealand. He brings deep expertise in financial stewardship, investment oversight and organisational performance, supported by more than 15 years’ experience working closely with Māori and iwi organisations. Darren’s professional focus is on enabling Māori entities to unlock capital, grow their asset bases and deliver sustainable, long‑term outcomes for whānau, iwi and the environment.

Darren is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Te Roroa, where he works alongside Trustees, kaumātua, whānau, hapū and marae to advance the iwi’s aspirations. His leadership approach is values‑based, balancing cultural integrity and tikanga with strong governance, financial sustainability and commercial discipline to ensure enduring intergenerational outcomes.

Prior to this role, Darren worked in Māori investment and capital raising, supporting organisations to prepare for investment and engage with domestic and international investors across large‑scale greenfield and infrastructure developments, including renewable energy, waste and water infrastructure and other sustainability‑focused projects. He previously held senior leadership roles at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, including Group Head of Finance & Planning and Group Head Chief Financial Officer, with responsibility for group financial performance, investment monitoring, audit and risk, legal and business support functions, and oversight of the Whai Rawa Fund. Earlier in his career, he held executive finance roles at Māori Television and worked in the Big 4 chartered accounting environment, as well as across the energy, fishing, tourism, hospitality, and media sectors.

Darren is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Auckland. He brings strong capabilities in strategic financial management, investment and asset oversight, audit and risk governance, and systems and process improvement. A fluent speaker of te reo Māori, Darren is deeply committed to his iwi and marae, whānau development, and the integration of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga into everyday leadership and governance practice.

Chief Executive, Andrew French

Andrew started at the Trust in February 2009 as Chief Operating Officer. He was appointed as Chief Executive Officer in December 2022. Before that he had spent five years in Korea as New Zealand’s Trade Commissioner heading a team which helped facilitate trade and investment between NZ and Korea. Andrew has a wide breadth of experience in economic and business development, having worked for a wide range of organisations including NZTE, the Māori Economic Development Commission, Treasury, Te Puni Kōkiri and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Andrew has a BSocSci (Honours) in economics and geography and a Masters degree in business studies. Andrew’s iwi affiliations are Muaūpoko, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Hauiti and Whakātohea.

Licensed Crown forest land was created in 1989 with the passage of the Crown Forests Assets Act which established Crown Forest Licences that allowed the Crown to sell the forests whilst retaining the underlying land.

Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) manages Crown Forest Licenced land on behalf of the Crown and administers the forestry licences the Crown has granted to forestry companies to grow trees on the land. The rent from these licences are transferred to Crown Forestry Rental Trust, which holds and invests the rental proceeds on behalf of future successful Treaty of Waitangi claimants. When settlements are completed which include licensed Crown forest land as redress, the accumulated rentals for that land are transferred to the settling group. The settling group also receives the ongoing rental for the land from the licence holders. The transfer of the land has no effect on the licence holders.

Many CFLLs (including land and accumulated rentals) have now been returned to beneficial owners as a result of the work of the Trust and subsequent settlements between iwi and the Crown.