Charles Russell and Tom Heeney
Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective

For this Bay of Plenty kiwifruit operation, the land is viewed as far more than a commercial asset. It is taonga tuku iho – an intergenerational treasure.

Spanning over 224 hectares with a productive canopy of more than 101 hectares, the business is proving that significant commercial scale and deep cultural stewardship can thrive in unison.

Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective is a strategic venture between Te Arawa Group Holdings, Ngāti Awa Group Holdings, and Rotomā No 1 Incorporation. The partnership was established in 2018 to hold kiwifruit investments and to build prosperity over time for the three partners.

Operating across 14 separate titles, the orchards produce a mix of Gold and Green kiwifruit and collectively governed by a single board of shareholder and independent directors.

The business is driven by a clear vision: to cultivate a legacy of prosperity that honours the mana of the iwi. This philosophy moves beyond simple economics by embedding the values of toitūtanga (sustainability) and kia pono, kia tika (integrity) into daily operations.

The ultimate goal is to safeguard the orchards, ensuring they remain productive and ecologically sound for future generations.

The commitment to conservation is visible across the landscape. In 2025 alone, the team established 13,000 native plants, expanding on years of significant wetland creation and riparian restoration.

The orchards also serve as active research grounds, having hosted scientific trials on native pollinators since 2019 to better understand the ecosystem.

Innovation plays a crucial role in their environmental strategy. For example, a waste minimisation initiative has resulted in 450km of growing string – used annually to train vines – being collected during winter pruning and recycled into plastic pallets.

In addition, the collective uses cutting-edge technology for land care, including the development of drone-based pest plant management.

By actively managing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding native plantings under the Emissions Trading Scheme, Matai Pacific Iwi Collective is setting an industry benchmark for excellence.