Tairāwhiti Local Advisory Committee

Georgina joins the Tairāwhiti Local Advisory Committee with significant governance experience across charities and government, a degree in business, and Not-for-Profit Management. Her whakapapa connects to Ngāti Porou, Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Mutunga ki Wharekauri, Tainui, Maniapoto. She now shares her time between various contracted roles with Iwi, a local winery, and in the community as Chair of the Consumer Council at Tairāwhiti District Health Board. She was previous Vice Chair with Alzheimer’s Tairawhiti and remains an active Justice of the Peace within the Tairāwhiti region. She is focused on community wellbeing and their aspirations. Georgina serves as a Justice of the Peace, and whanau advocate, which maintains her link to the wider Tairāwhiti community.

Christopher’s whakapapa connects him to Te Whānau ā Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata and Te Aitanga-a Mahaki. He wears many hats in the Tairāwhiti community and has embedded himself in several community projects since 2016. Current voluntary roles include the Chaplain for St John Ambulance and a priest in the Māori Anglican Church. He is currently a Teaching Fellow and PhD student at Otago University and a Kaiwhakaako at Te Rau Theological College. Deeply immersed in Te Reo me ona Tikanga, Christopher was previously a Vicar and Missioner for Te Hui Amorangi ki te Manawa o te Wheke, the Tauranga Moana Māori Mission, where he managed a large geographic area.

Hikihiki’s whakapapa extends to all four marae in Tokomaru Bay. She has recently retired after 19 years working for the District Health Board as a clinical dietitian. Much of her work had been assisting Māori and community groups in Tairāwhiti to develop healthy eating policies and practices in marae, schools, kōhanga reo, sports teams and clubs. Hiki also provided clinics and home visits to those with diabetes, co-ordinated through Ngāti Porou Hauora. Additionally, she held roles as a Professional Practice Fellow and Advanced Learning Dietetic Tutor for Otago University.

Hiki was recently appointed as Deputy Programme Lead in the Tairāwhiti Interprofessional Education Programme by Otago University, based at Hauora Tairāwhiti in Gisborne.

She brings significant governance experience from various roles held in the health sector and is a keen and active member of the Tokomaru Bay community.

Midge brings significant leadership and governance experience to the Tairāwhiti LAC. She recently held a role as Company Director of Tihi Innovation Limited and was a Board Trustee for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Whatatutu. A community leader, Midge is currently the Chairperson of the Mangatū Māori Women’s Welfare League Branch, is actively involved in Te Hāhi Wairua Tapu at Mangatū Marae, a branch of Te Hāhi Ringatū, and is also the marae trustee for Mangatū Marae and Te Kumi Marae in Te Kūiti. Midge has also delivered courses in money management, small business, and project management over the past five years.

TEE MONTGOMERY (Member)

Tee is a community advocate, having previously held a role as Iwi Liaison Advisor for Gisborne District Council from 2019 to 2022, and currently works at Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui a Kiwa.  

She was on the Board of Trustees for Te Kura Māori o Ngā Uri a Māui for six years and on the Board of Trustees for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Horouta Wānanga. She is currently a committee member of Surfcity Squash Club. 

Tee is passionate about working to serve the iwi of Te Tairāwhiti through supporting the response at Tairāwhiti Civil Defence. 

Shane’s whakapapa connects him to Ngāti Porou and Nga Puhi.  

He has two decades’ worth of experience in the security sector, where he currently works as a manager and airport security supervisor. 

Shane previously worked as a community work supervisor for the Department of Corrections and has been contracted to the Ministry of Justice. 

He is connected to the community as a volunteer training staff member for the New Zealand Cadet Forces with the City of Gisborne Cadet Unit and has spent the last 20 years coaching secondary school basketball.