MEDIA RELEASE
25 JUNE 2004

Appointment of New Chief Executive

Sir Graham Latimer, the Chairman of the Crown Forestry Rental Trust, Nga Kaitiaki Reti Ngahere Karauna, is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Chief Executive for the Trust. After a thorough executive search and appointment process, Trustees have appointed Mr Ben Dalton as the Chief Executive.

Mr Dalton has been Acting Chief Executive since the resignation of the previous Chief Executive in January 2004.

Profile

Mr Dalton has over a decade of experience in Maori and community development, with wide and well-established networks across Aotearoa. “Ben is well known for his ability to pull together disparate points of view and to move people forward through complex issues,” said Sir Graham.
Mr Dalton has a Masters in Business Administration.

Mr Dalton was the Manager Service Delivery at the Trust for over three years, developing in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the settlement process and the Trust’s operations, before taking up the role as Acting Chief Executive. In this role he has worked with Trustees in the review and subsequent realignment of the Trust. Both Crown and Maori Trustees believe that he is well placed to take the Trust forward on its new strategic path.

“With Ben’s skills and commitment the Trust can look forward to a strong revitalised Trust supporting real progress in achieving settlements,” said Sir Graham.

Background

The Crown Forestry Rental Trust is an independent trust with equal numbers of Maori and Crown appointed Trustees. It receives no taxpayer funding.

The main purpose of Trust is the management and administration of interest earned from investment of rental proceeds from Crown forest licensed land. It uses this to assist Maori claimants in the preparation, presentation and negotiation of claims before the Waitangi Tribunal.
While settling Waitangi Tribunal claims is the responsibility of claimants and the Crown, the Trust aims to fund and facilitate this process efficiently. In doing so it advances settlement progress so that claimants and the Crown can settle as soon as possible.

Such settlements will benefit claimants, communities, forestry companies and others because long-term decisions can be made about forest assets and claimants can begin work on post-settlement development.

ENDS

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