Roger Pikia, who is currently at the centre of a Serious Fraud Office investigation, has been appointed as co-chair of the Waikato River Authority which oversees millions of dollars (file photo).

The Waikato River Authority, which oversees millions of dollars in grants, is in uproar after two unexpected resignations.

The chairwoman of Raukawa Settlement Trust resigned from the authority's board after objecting to the appointment of Roger Pikia as co-chair.

Backed by Ngāti Raukawa, Vanessa Eparaima resigned on Friday, following the appointment of Pikia, who is currently at the centre of a Serious Fraud Office investigation into the finances of two Te Arawa iwi trusts which he chairs.

Pikia was appointed in a surprise election at Thursday's River Authority board meeting after Tukoroirangi Morgan announced his resignation as co-chair.



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Pikia replaces Morgan, who will leave the co-chair role after eight years.

Morgan, who publicly announced his departure from the board on Friday, was instrumental in the establishment of the Waikato River Authority alongside Lady Raiha Mahuta. The authority was formed for the protection and restoration of the Waikato River and oversees millions of dollars in funding. To date, it has paid out more than $38 million in grants to more than 250 restoration projects.

SUPPLIED Raukawa Settlement Trust chair Vanessa Eparaima has resigned from the Waikato River Authority Board citing the appointment of Roger Pikia (file photo).

Sources say they were blindsided when informed of the snap election.

It is understood Ngāti Maniapoto representative Weo Maag was first to be elected as co-deputy chair of the authority. He then nominated Pikia for the co-chair position, which was seconded by Morgan.

In her resignation letter to authority board members, Eparaima, who has represented Ngāti Raukawa on the board for three years, said the appointment of Pikia would undermine the authority's reputation.

FAIRFAX NZ Tukoroirangi Morgan resigned his post as co-chair of the Waikato River Authority on Thursday (file photo).

Eparaima stated in the letter, viewed by Stuff, that she had no option but to resign, effective immediately.

"Raukawa do not support the appointment of Roger Pikia as the new iwi co-chair of the WRA given the ongoing Serious Fraud Office investigation into his affairs," she wrote in her letter to the board.

"We are concerned that the reputation of the WRA will be damaged, thereby negatively impacting upon the WRA's ability to realise the aspirations of the Vision and Strategy. I therefore have no option but to resign as the Raukawa appointee to the Waikato River Authority effective immediately."

The River Authority has 10 board members – five appointed from each river iwi (Tainui, Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa, Raukawa, and Maniapoto) and five Crown-appointed members. The regional council nominates one Crown member and one is nominated by the territorial authorities. The Minister for the Environment appoints one of two co-chairpersons; iwi choose the other.

The SFO investigation into Pikia's financial dealings is ongoing.

It was revealed in 2017 that $775,000 belonging to the Te Arawa River Iwi Trust (Tarit), which Pikia chairs, had been invested in Ka Ora Ltd, a health food company of which Pikia is a director and previous shareholder.

It was also revealed that the small Tahu-Whaoa iwi, which Pikia also chairs, had covered the $2.6m in debts of a failing Tongan forestry company and had agreed to pay a further $3.5m in return for control of the firm.

Stuff reported in November that Pikia used a Tarit credit card while in Tonga, running up bills at a top restaurant and a "ladies and gentlemen" club.

In 2014, he travelled to Hawaii with the Maori King's son, Whatumoana Paki, and sent an $18,000 invoice for the trip to Tarit.

Pikia is currently an adviser to Maori King Tūheitia Paki.

​In July, the King's office in Ngāruawāhia was searched by SFO personnel in a separate investigation into the Ururangi Trust, which manages the office of the king.

The trust receives $1.7m annually from its parent trust, Waikato-Tainui's Waikato Raupatu Lands Trust.