Latest News
For Manawa Trust (formerly TECT), long-term thinking means balancing the needs of today with those of future generations. CEO Wayne Werder reflects on the Trust’s role in backing transformational projects, building regional capability and helping position the Western Bay for the decades ahead.
Why does your organisation exist and what long-term role does it play in the future of the Western Bay?
Manawa Trust exists to create enduring benefits for the people and communities of the Western Bay of Plenty. Our role is unique because we steward an intergenerational asset on behalf of the region, making decisions not just for today’s communities, but for future generations as well.
We invest, distribute and grow our funds in ways that strengthen community wellbeing, resilience and opportunity over the long term. This means supporting projects and organisations that can help shape the future of the region while carefully protecting and growing the asset base that will continue to benefit the Western Bay for decades to come.
Tell us about a couple of projects, investments or initiatives that best demonstrate the impact your organisation can have on the region.
The development of the University of Waikato’s Tauranga campus is a strong example of the type of transformational project Manawa Trust supports. It was made possible through genuine collaboration between local government, tertiary education providers, iwi, business and funding organisations. The campus has strengthened educational opportunities within the region, helping retain talent, attract investment and contribute to the long-term prosperity of the Western Bay.
Another example is Bay Conservation. Manawa Trust provided leadership and seed funding to help establish an organisation that could connect and support environmental groups across the region. Rather than funding individual projects alone, Bay Conservation created a network and umbrella organisation that helps community conservation groups work together more effectively while pursuing larger-scale environmental outcomes. It demonstrates how strategic investment can build capability and create impact well beyond the initial funding contribution.
One of the themes of our story is intergenerational capital. What does thinking in decades rather than years allow your organisation to do differently?
Thinking in decades rather than years fundamentally changes how we invest and how we support the community. As a long-term investor, we can look through short-term market volatility and focus on the returns that can be generated over many decades. That allows us to maintain a growth-oriented investment portfolio and accept periods of uncertainty, knowing that volatility is a normal part of achieving stronger long-term outcomes.
An intergenerational perspective also requires balance. While we have a responsibility to grow and protect the fund for future generations, our purpose is not simply to accumulate wealth. We also have a responsibility to invest in today’s communities and help address the opportunities and challenges facing the region now.
Success comes from getting that balance right. If we spend too much today, future generations may not enjoy the same opportunities. If we focus solely on preserving capital for the future, we risk missing the chance to make a meaningful difference in our communities today. Our role is to strike the right balance between delivering impact now while preserving and growing the fund for those who come after us.
Looking ahead 20 years, what would success look like for the Western Bay, and what role do you hope your organisation will have played in achieving it?
The Western Bay is one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing regions, and with that growth comes both significant opportunities and complex challenges. Success in 20 years would be a region that has managed growth well, with the infrastructure, housing, transport networks, environmental stewardship and community facilities needed to support a larger population while maintaining the quality of life that makes the Western Bay such a desirable place to live.
Achieving that future will require difficult decisions and a willingness to plan for future generations rather than short-term demands. Communities, councils, iwi, business and central government will need to make bold choices and invest ahead of growth rather than simply react to it.
I would hope Manawa Trust is seen as an organisation that helped support those decisions. Whether through investment, funding, partnership or bringing stakeholders together, our role is often to help enable the conversations and initiatives that might otherwise struggle to gain momentum. If, in 20 years’ time, we can say we played a part in helping key stakeholders such as local government, iwi and central government make courageous long-term decisions that have better positioned the region for future generations, while also leaving behind a stronger fund than the one we inherited, that would be a powerful measure of success.
Left: Wayne Werder, CEO of Manawa Trust
Signup for our fortnightly newsletter with events, insights and opportunities.
Other profiles in this series: