Charles Russell and Tom Heeney of Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective
Environmental leadership across kiwifruit orchards and local communities is in the spotlight this month, with several growers recognised through regional and national awards.
Our industry was well represented at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, with growers named Supreme Winners in two regions. In the Bay of Plenty, Charles Russell and Tom Heeney of Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective took home the title, while in Northland, the award went to Alan Dobbie and Pieter Traas of Wiroa Horticulture. The awards recognise farm businesses demonstrating strong environmental management, innovation and sustainable practices.
Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective is a Bay of Plenty kiwifruit business that shows large-scale commercial success can sit alongside deep cultural stewardship. Established in 2018 by Te Arawa Group Holdings, Ngāti Awa Group Holdings and Rotomā No 1 Incorporation, the 224ha operation spans 14 titles and produces SunGold and Green Kiwifruit under a shared governance model.
Guided by the values of toitūtanga (sustainability) and kia pono, kia tika (integrity), the collective invests heavily in conservation, research, and innovation, including native plantings, waste minimisation and advanced land-care technology. By caring for the land as taonga tuku iho the business is building long-term prosperity while safeguarding the orchards for future generations.
Wiroa Horticulture in Northland shows how high-performing kiwifruit production can thrive alongside native biodiversity, just six years after development began in 2018. The 137ha orchard now includes 82ha of SunGold and RubyRed Kiwifruit, with 30ha restored in native bush and biodiversity corridors supporting species such as kiwi, weka, and bats. In 2025, it delivered a record 450,000 trays of SunGold Kiwifruit and its first commercial RubyRed crop, and their win at the awards can be credited to innovative, sustainable farming practices and strong investment in people.
The regional Supreme Winners will represent their regions at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards National Showcase in Christchurch in July, where finalists from across New Zealand share learnings and outcomes from their farming systems.
Pongakawa growers Ross and Rodger Bawden have also been recognised for their work through the Rotoehu Ecological Trust, which received the Sustainable Future Award at the 2026 Western Bay Community Awards.
The Trust, a volunteerled conservation group, has gained a strong reputation for its role in restoring populations of the endangered kōkako within the Rotoehu Forest. Once considered seriously at risk, the most recent formal forest survey shows the kōkako population is now close to capacity, with approximately one breeding pair every four to five hectares.
The Trust has also supported kōkako populations beyond the Rotoehu area, providing birds for other restoration projects including Ōtanewainuku.
Since its establishment, the Trust’s focus area has grown from around 900 hectares to more than 2,000 hectares, largely driven by volunteers. The work is focused on protecting native forest ecosystems in an area that sits within a significant kiwifruitgrowing region.
Ross Bawden says receiving the 2026 TECT Sustainable Future Award was humbling and rewarding.
The Rotoehu Ecological Trust encourages engagement from others interested in conservation and can be contacted through its regular volunteer workdays, with details shared via the Trust’s Facebook page.
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