Derek Morehu CNZM
Derek Te Ariki Te Whetu Takatahi Morehu, of Rotorua, received the Insignia of a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori. Mr Morehu is an elder of Te Arawa and Mataatua and has spearheaded the retention and revitalisation of the customs and traditions of these iwi. He is an esteemed orator. He has been a member of the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust and has served on a number of land trusts, including the Taheke Lands Trust, which has developed a major project to realise the potential of geothermal resources that lie beneath Trust property. Mr Morehu has also served on the Waiariki District Council of Tribal Executives.