Hinehou Timutimu

Hinehou Timutimu (Tuhoe, Whakatohea, Te Atiawa) – known widely as Hine – is the General Manager of Te Tawa Kaiti Lands Trust in the Bay of Plenty, where she leads a dual-enterprise model combining dairy farming and maize. Her leadership philosophy — guided by the whakataukī ‘Ka ora ai te whenua, Ka ora ai te tangata’ (When the Land thrives, the People thrive) — is woven through every initiative she leads.

Hine brings together mātauranga Māori and western science to deliver climate resilience, biodiversity restoration, and dairy performance improvements. Her work includes Project Te Aroha, which accelerates dairy productivity and emissions reduction through herd genomics and regenerative farming; He Whāriki mō Paekoau, a catchment restoration programme engaging schools and hapū; and Kua Āmio ki Tōna Tīmatanga, which creates bilingual resources embedding cultural knowledge into environmental action.

In 2025, Hine represented New Zealand as an expert speaker at the APEC Technical Cooperation Workshop in Bangkok, contributing to international discussions on women’s economic empowerment and sustainable agriculture. She holds governance credentials spanning the IoD Company Directors’ Course, Fonterra Governance Development Programme, LIC leadership programmes, MPI Governance Essentials, and has been selected for the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme 2026. She is also Deputy Chair for Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards Management Committee.

The judges said Hine is a deeply values-driven leader whose philosophy — guided by the whākatāukī ‘Ka ora ai te whenua, Ka ora ai te tangata’ (When the Land thrives, the People thrive) — is woven through every initiative she leads as General Manager of Te Tawa Kaiti Lands Trust in the Bay of Plenty.

She brings together mātauranga Māori and western science to deliver climate resilience, biodiversity restoration, and dairy performance improvements — and her leadership is truly transformational: grounded in doing, empowering others, and bringing people along on the journey.

Humble in her approach yet powerful in her impact, Hine acts as a unifying force within her community — from navigating post-Cyclone Gabrielle recovery to representing New Zealand at the APEC Technical Cooperation Workshop in Bangkok.

– Judges Panel