Appendix: Advisor biographies

Throughout this audit, the audit team benefitted from the advice and guidance of Kura Moeahu and Sir John Clarke.

Kura Moeahu

Kura Moeahu is of Te Kāhui Maunga, Te Āti Awa, Ngā Ruahine, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Taranaki Tuturu, and Ngāti Toa descent, and was raised in Wainuiomata and Waiwhetu.

Kura is an experienced and highly sought-after cultural advisor and consultant, and has supported and advised the Office of the Auditor-General many times. Kura is committed to the advancement of whānau well-being through a te ao Māori perspective and is passionate about the revitalisation, promotion, and inclusiveness of traditional Māori arts and culture.

Kura is the Chairperson of Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa ki te Upoko o te Ika a Maui,²³ Waiwhetu Marae, and Āti Awa Toa FM Limited, and sits on the boards of Creative New Zealand, WelTec, and Whitireia.

In 2023, Kura was named a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order in recognition of his knowledge of tikanga and mātauranga Māori and his contributions to the arts, culture, and heritage sector.

Sir John Clarke

Sir John Clarke is of Ngāti Porou and Ngā Puhi descent. He has worked in a wide range of environments in the public sector, including education, justice, health, human rights, Crown law, social welfare, environment, and heritage.

Sir John has played a major part in Māori-Crown relations and been the principal cultural adviser to all Ministers of Treaty Settlements for more than 25 years. He has held numerous senior management positions in the public sector, including Chief Executive of the then Ministry of Māori Affairs, Director Māori Ministry of Justice, and Group Manager Department of Justice. He has also served as Race Relations Conciliator and Human Rights Commissioner.

Sir John is the former principal of Ngata Memorial College and Wellington High and Community Institute. He was involved in implementing te reo Māori in secondary schools from 1971 to 1977. He was also involved in establishing the first national intensive course in Māori language at Wellington Polytechnic in 1977. In 1984, Sir John was awarded the Sir Woolf Fisher Fellowship for outstanding service to education.

Sir John has conducted eight major inquiries as a member of the Waitangi Tribunal. He has also been extensively involved in facilitating and mediating successful outcomes for iwi and the Crown. He is currently a long-serving chairperson of the Māori Heritage Council Aotearoa New Zealand, deputy chairperson of the Board of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, and principal adviser to the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation and Pharmacy Council. He is a Trustee of Te Rimu Ahuwhenua Trust and Tokararangi Forest Trust. He is also a former Trustee of the Sir Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

Sir John was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal and was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2011. In 2018, he was elevated to Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for outstanding service

23: Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa ki te Upoko o te Ika a Maui is a Whānau Ora provider.