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Te Araroa's new blood
Three new regional trusts are now helping Te Araroa Trust get the New Zealand track in place.
Te Araroa Auckland Trust will push the trail through from Mangawhai to Mercer. It was formed December 9, 2003. Te Araroa Waikato Trust will take the trail from Mercer to National Park township. Its setup meeting took place on March 4, 2004. Te Araroa Wellington Trust was formed April 16, 2004, and will oversee the trail route from Levin southward to Wellington.
"The detailed work of getting the trail through all the regions is getting busier, and is now more than we can handle alone," said Te Araroa Trust's Geoff Chapple. "We'll still be assisting the local trusts during their setup, but a handover will take place. The new regional trustees know the turf, and the local funding sources better than we do. And they're go-getters."
Auckland Trust membership is - Raewyn Mackenzie, television producer; Sandra Coney, Auckland Regional Councillor; Dr Norman Sharpe, director of Heart Foundation; Warren Judd, editor, New Zealand Geographic; Roger Wilson Waitakere City strategist; Ron King, long distance tramper, ex-manager Fletchers Construction.
Waikato Trust membership is - Margaret Evans, journalist and ex-mayor of Hamilton; Bill Ward, Hamilton City Councillor; Maria Westphal, company manager; Barry O'Connor company director and Environment Waikato councillor; Rona Larsen, finance manager; Kevin Were, farm manager and consultant; Keith Buswell, Te Kuiti doctor. The Rt Hon James Bolger has agreed to be patron of the new trust.
Wellington Trust membership is - Denis McLean, author and ex-secretary of defence and Washington ambassador; John Farrell, lawyer and ex-CEO of the NZ Bankers Association; Hugh Barr, Wellington Regional Councillor; Barry Morrison, Telecom field engineer and long distance hiker.
Te Araroa Trust will seek to establish another five regional trusts. Alongsie the three already established, their regions will span the length of the country.
