Whakamārama
About us
Who are we? Pūniu Inc is making Aotearoa more environmentally resilient - not just for our generation, but generations to come.
In our journey, guided by Te Ao Māori, we dream of a future where our Taiao thrives. Where clear, life-giving waters flow through our lands and our whenua is safe and nurtures us. We see our communities connected by the principles of kaitiakitanga, actively caring for our awa, moana, and all living things. In this vision, the waters of places like the Pūniu River are a source of pride and a testament to our collective efforts to respect and nurture Papatūānuku.
Our vision is to create and nurture safe, thriving environments where healthy waters sustain vibrant communities across Aotearoa. We are guided by the principle of Kaitiakitanga, committed to restoring and protecting our land, water, and people, ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come.
Our role in this collective journey extends from Te Wai Pounamu to Te Ika a Maui. That’s nationwide, e te whānau! We're committed to planting native trees, acknowledging their vital role in climate change mitigation and water resource management. These trees are critical in rural areas for flood control and water quality preservation and in urban settings for improving air quality, providing cooling shade, and lifting biodiversity.
We focus on the well-being and development of our whānau too. We gauge our contribution through various metrics, including team growth and individual learning and development.
And we’re not alone. Pūniu Inc. are aligned with a network of groups, including Native Plant Propagators, Cultural Advisors, and Environmental Scientists. We strive for a harmonious and sustainable future for Aotearoa's natural resources and communities. Together, we recognise that our collective efforts are essential in shaping an environmentally resilient Aotearoa.
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The Pūniu River flows from within the Pureora Forest, past four Marae: Mangatoatoa, Rāwhitiroa, Aotearoa and Whakamārama through to Pirongia where it flows into the Waipā River, and then on to the Waikato River. At 83kms long, this makes the Pūniu River one of the longest secondary tributaries in Aotearoa.
The Pūniu river holds a cultural significance to local marae, hapū and iwi. The river gets its name from the Patupaiarehe (Māori mythical being of human form) that travelled down the river from the Pureora Forest seeking knowledge of the future by supernatural means.
“Pūniu River, once a clear river with a gravelly bottom is now brown with a muddy silt bed”
Pūniu River was once a rich source of freshwater kai and provided many picnic and swimming spots for the local people. Currently the river is not classified as being of a swimmable standard. The tuna stocks have depleted in some areas, the banks of the rivers are eroding and over 10,000 tonnes of sediment discharges into the Waipā river from the Pūniu River every year.
Ko Mangatoatoa te pā, ko Te Aroha O Ihoa te whare kōrero o ngā tūpuna, te whare tuakana hoki ki te whare hōu ko Te Maru O Ihoa ka tu ai ki reira.
Tu kaha , tu maia, tu manawanui te maunga Kakepuku, ka whakawhiti atu ki Pirongia, ka anga mai ki te hiwi o te kāinga ko Pukekawakawa tērā.
Ko te koawa o Wharekorino e rere atu rā ki roto o te awa o Puniu, ko te awa kaukaunga.
Ko Kahuwera te maunga, ko Mookau te awa, Napinapi Te Marae Ko Parekahuki te tupuna whare, Ko Paretekawa Te Hapū.
Ko Tainui te waka, Ko Hoturoa te tangata
Ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi, He uri anō o Ngāti Paretekawa te hapū
Ki te taha o toku Pāpā, ko Reuben Te Huia rāua kō Phyllis Wehewehe Muraahi oku kuia koroua ingaro atu ki te pō. Ko Greg Te Huia rāua ko Suzette Poole oku mātua.
Ko Shannon Te Huia tēnei, te Pou Tāhūhū o PRC. E mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.
"Mōkau ki runga, Tāmaki ki raro, Mangatoatoa Ki Waenganui, Pare Hauraki, Pare Waikato, Te Kaokaoroa O Pātetere”
Tū mai rā Wharepūhunga taku maunga rangatira. E rere kau ana ki Pūniu taku awa aroha.
E tū rangatira a Takihiku taku tupuna whare. Ko Rāwhitiroa te marae taku tūrangawaewae.
Ko Tainui te waka, ko Hoturoa te tangata.
Hei nōhanga mō Ngāti Takihiku te hapū.
He uri au nō Ngāti Raukawa ki Wharepūhunga.
Ko Quinton Tunoho tēnei, e mihi nei.
Ko au te Pou Tiaki o Ngā Kaitiaki o te Awa o Pūniu
Tihei mauri awa!!!
Ko Takitimu te waka
Nō Hauiti ahau
Ko Raymond Spooner tōku ingoa
Ko au te Pou Whakahaere o Ngā Kaitiaki o te Awa o Pūniu arā Te Kāhui a Hiwa
Nō reira, tēnā tātou katoa
Pūniu Inc. board members
WHATUNGARONGARO HE TANGATA TOITŪ TE WHENUAThe land and plants will remain when the people are gone
Ko Pirongia Te Maunga
Ko Puniu Te Awa
Ko Pare Te Kawa Te Hapu
Ko Maniapoto Te Iwi
Ko Peehi Tukorehu Te Tupuna
Tena Koutou
I was lucky enough to have spent much of my growing up at Mangatoatoa Pa with my grandparents which gave me a solid grounding in life. My education and work took me many places in the world only to return to New Zealand and pursue a senior management career in the Health industry and then eventually returning home to raise our children.
After establishing the first total emersion Kura, Nga Purapura O Te Aroha Kura Kaupapa Maori in te Awamutu my wife and I owned and operated a number of business’s. This gave us great insight into what it means to be self-sufficient and taking control of our own destiny.
I joined Pūniu River Care as a Board Member with a full commitment to pursuing the vision of Mana Motuhake for Mangatoatoa Pā and our whaanau. To achieve a self-sustainable Marae, through Kaitiaki Whenua, Kaitiaki Awa principles.
Waikato-Maniapoto (Ngaati Kinohaku), Ngaati Raahiri, Ngaati Kuiaa
Senior Lecturer at Te Wānanga o Waipapa, University of Auckland, Dan specialises in Earth Systems Science; Integrating mātauranga and science; Governance & Advisory Boards & Panels and Kaitiakitanga – revitalising Mauri
E noho ai ki runga i te mahau o Te Aroha o Ihoa me Te Maru o Ihoa, ki runga i te pā o Mangatoatoa.
Ko Tainui te waka, Ko Hoturoa te tangata.
Ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi, He uri anō o Ngāti Paretekawa te hapū
Ki te taha o toku Pāpā,ko Brown Barrett rāua kō Tarita Muraahi oku kuia koroua ingaro atu ki te pō. Ko Mathew Barrett rāua ko Marilyn Barrett oku mātua.
Ko Craig Barrett tōku ingoa. Ko au te hoa rangatira o Cate Barrett. Te pāpā o aku tamariki, aku ngākau aroha e whā.
Craig is a Partner at Baker Tilly Staples Rodway Waikato Chartered Accountants in Hamilton. He works with commercial entities and Māori organisatons and provides strategic and commercial advice on all aspects of their business. He is passionate about innovation and value add to improve economic performance. Craig has a Bachelor of Management Studies from the University of Waikato, majoring in Accounting and Finance, and is a chartered accountant. He is also a member of the Institute of Directors. Craig also holds a number of trustee and directorships.
Become a member todayEnhance the waters and replenish our taonga within Aotearoa
Pūniu Inc. board members
WHATUNGARONGARO HE TANGATA TOITŪ TE WHENUAThe land and plants will remain when the people are gone
Ko Pirongia Te Maunga
Ko Puniu Te Awa
Ko Pare Te Kawa Te Hapu
Ko Maniapoto Te Iwi
Ko Peehi Tukorehu Te Tupuna
Tena Koutou
I was lucky enough to have spent much of my growing up at Mangatoatoa Pa with my grandparents which gave me a solid grounding in life. My education and work took me many places in the world only to return to New Zealand and pursue a senior management career in the Health industry and then eventually returning home to raise our children.
After establishing the first total emersion Kura, Nga Purapura O Te Aroha Kura Kaupapa Maori in te Awamutu my wife and I owned and operated a number of business’s. This gave us great insight into what it means to be self-sufficient and taking control of our own destiny.
I joined Pūniu River Care as a Board Member with a full commitment to pursuing the vision of Mana Motuhake for Mangatoatoa Pā and our whaanau. To achieve a self-sustainable Marae, through Kaitiaki Whenua, Kaitiaki Awa principles.
Waikato-Maniapoto (Ngaati Kinohaku), Ngaati Raahiri, Ngaati Kuiaa
Senior Lecturer at Te Wānanga o Waipapa, University of Auckland, Dan specialises in Earth Systems Science; Integrating mātauranga and science; Governance & Advisory Boards & Panels and Kaitiakitanga – revitalising Mauri
E noho ai ki runga i te mahau o Te Aroha o Ihoa me Te Maru o Ihoa, ki runga i te pā o Mangatoatoa.
Ko Tainui te waka, Ko Hoturoa te tangata.
Ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi, He uri anō o Ngāti Paretekawa te hapū
Ki te taha o toku Pāpā,ko Brown Barrett rāua kō Tarita Muraahi oku kuia koroua ingaro atu ki te pō. Ko Mathew Barrett rāua ko Marilyn Barrett oku mātua.
Ko Craig Barrett tōku ingoa. Ko au te hoa rangatira o Cate Barrett. Te pāpā o aku tamariki, aku ngākau aroha e whā.
Craig is a Partner at Baker Tilly Staples Rodway Waikato Chartered Accountants in Hamilton. He works with commercial entities and Māori organisatons and provides strategic and commercial advice on all aspects of their business. He is passionate about innovation and value add to improve economic performance. Craig has a Bachelor of Management Studies from the University of Waikato, majoring in Accounting and Finance, and is a chartered accountant. He is also a member of the Institute of Directors. Craig also holds a number of trustee and directorships.
Ngā UaraOur Values
Our core values ground us in our journey to create safe, thriving environments where healthy waters sustain vibrant communities across Aotearoa.
Guided by these principles, we are committed to restoring and protecting our land, water, and people, ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come.
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