Whakauae Board of Directors

Peter Fraser

Ngati Hauiti

I am a policy economist with a strong background in applied microeconomics, having worked in areas as diverse as health economics to natural resources to agriculture to competition policy. I have worked for a range of public sector organisations (including Treasury, the Crown Company Monitoring Unit, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Department of Building and Housing and the Department of Labour) in addition to lecturing at Te Wānanga o Raukawa and the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. As a private consultant, I advised clients ranging from corporates to NGOs in areas such as competition policy in the dairy industry and the economics of water storage. I have provided expert economic advice to Environment Commissioners and the Environment Court; and provided economic analysis to the Waitangi Tribunal as part of the Mokai Patea Waitangi Claims Settlement.

In September 2019, I joined the Institute for Governance and Policy studies at Victoria University of Wellington, and continue to operate a surface cleaning business, conducting commercial blasting of roads, boats and building sites.

I whakapapa to Ngāti Hauiti through my maternal grandmother (Rora Catherine Potaka) and grandfather (John Tihone Kereopa) and affiliate to the Tamatereka hapū. I am a commissioned officer in the New Zealand Territorial Army and in 2002 undertook a tour of Bosnia-Herzegovina. I chair the Whakauae Board and am a member of Te Rūnanga o Ngati Hauiti representing the Tamatereka hapū.

I am married with two young sons and enjoy taking the boys along to the many iwi activities I am part of.

Anthony Thompson

Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Whitikaupeka

I have been a Board member of Whakauae Research Services Ltd for three and a half years and I began as a Rangatahi representative on Te Rūnanga o Ngati Hauiti , transitioning to a representative of my hapū in 2019. In 2019 I also joined the Rangatahi group of the Iwi Chairs forum and am a representative on the Pou Taiao and I have appreciated the many opportunities to learn from iwi leaders.

As a Rangatahi I attended the Ngāti Hauiti young leaders development programme 'He Whetu Arataki' which was part of my preparation to take up future leadership roles within the iwi.  It is my aim to help nurture others and support the future for our Māori people.  I have a keen interest in hauora and the future wellbeing of whānau, hapū and iwi.  My passion is to help preserve our culture and work towards improving our future prospects as a people. 

I am currently studying towards a Bachelor of Science, with a double major in Environmental Science and Geo-Spatial Science. I have completed a one-year Diploma programme in Personal Training at the Institute of Sports and Technology.    In 2015, I successfully completed a programme with Te Wānanga Takiura o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa in Rūmaki Reo.  Throughout my teen years I’ve worked in and around Taihape and was also fortunate to be selected in the NZ Secondary School Rugby Team three years running from 2008.  My current hobbies include Mau Rākau and Hākinakina (sports) with a particular interest in our whenua and its unique setting within Mōkai Pātea. 

My partner and I live in Tamaki Makaurau with other Hauiti whānau.

Dr Erica Williams

Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pikiao, Te Whānau ā Apanui

I am currently Pou Whakarae - Te Hiringa Taiao within the - Māori Environmental Research (Te Kūwaha) with NIWA (the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) based in Wellington.

In 1995 I joined NIWA as a technician in the eco-toxicology lab. I have since completed a MSc (University of Waikato) and a PhD (University of Auckland) which investigated the effects of a group of contaminants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on shellfish. As a principal scientist I worked  on a wide range of projects spanning both the marine and freshwater environments within the National Centre of Māori Environmental Research. In May 2019, I was appointed as a Board Director with Whakauae Research.