Ongare Trust

Nau mai haere mai

Welcome to our Ongare Trust Whānau. Our Ahu Whenua Trust is based in Tahawai, north of Katikati, in the Western Bay of Plenty. Our core business remains high value horticulture and we are on the journey to tell our story, growing our people through growing our business. We welcome you and look forward to connecting with all our whānau.
Ngā manaakitanga, Te Poari

Funding applications

Funding applications can now be completed online with your shareholder account. Use the following links to apply for a community grant from Ongare Trust, or for the Enoka Te Whanake Scholarship.

Enoka Te Whanake Scholarship

This scholarship is open to shareholders of Ongare Trust and their uri who are studying full time in New Zealand.

Applications close 28 February 2026.

Apply online

Community Grants

Funding is available to community groups associated with Ongare Trust shareholders.

Apply online

Kō Wai Mātou - Who are we?

Te Whenua - Orchards

The corpus lands of our business are based at Ongare Point in Tuapiro, about 15 - 20 minutes drive north of Katikati in the Western Bay of Plenty.

Our foundational Orchard is known as Ongare and is comprised of 40 canopy hectares of a mix of both organic and conventional Hayward and G3 Kiwifruit.

In 2017 Ongare acquired some new blocks that were sold from an existing orchard in Kauri Point Rd and these now comprise our Te Whanake Orchard.

Discover the orchards

Hītori - History

Tahawai Parish of Lot 5 at Ongare Point was returned to the owners after a 99 year lease came to an end in 1981.

Since the establishment of Ongare Trust there have been a number of Responsible Trustees administering the whenua including the current Board of Trustees.

The inaugural Board included our tupuna who have now passed on including Ngaroimata Cavill, Huakina James Paki, Kapua Te Ua, Kiri Hall, Tubby Faulkner, Turi Te Kani and was Chairman Ron Papuni.

Toahaere Faulkner, Lynn Gillespie, Waraki Paki, Enoka Waiari and Kura Benton were later elected to the Board which now includes
Parewhati Taikato, Joel Ngātuere and Ngawaka Walker.

Read our story

Ngā Kaitiaki - Trustees

The previous Board of Trustees pictured above includes the first inaugural Ongare Trust Chair, the late Ron Papuni and now retired Kaumātua Waraki Paki.
‍
Also pictured are Pua Taikato, Kuraimonoa Benton, Kevin Enoka Waiari and Lynn Gillespie who remain as part of the current Board of Trustees.
‍
The Board of Trustees now has 7 Trustees in total, including our Trustees named above who were joined by current Chair Parewhati Taikato in 2021 and our 2 associate Trustees Joel Ngātuere and Ngawaka Walker soonafter.

Meet the trustees