Photo credit / Stuff
Wakatū chairperson Paul Morgan (Ngāti Rārua, Te Māhurehure) has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Morgan, who has been a leader in Māori economic development for more than 30 years, is recognised for services to Māori and business.
He was chief executive of the Federation of Māori Authorities from 1996 to 2007 advocating for the interests of Māori business.
For more than 31 years, Morgan has dedicated himself to the Nelson Tenths land claims, including years of research and travel to talk to affected families. The claim was settled in 2017 when the Supreme Court recognised that the Crown owes legally binding duties to Māori landowners, independently of the Treaty of Waitangi or statute.
Morgan was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame in 2021.