Cath Nesus (Ngāti Porou)

Cath Nesus chairs the Te Aka Matua Committee. She has worked both as a senior public servant and as a consultant, providing advice to support Māori development.

Cath has substantive experience working on Māori issues and opportunities. She understands the Māori context and dynamic, having been involved in significant Māori policy and legislation for at least 20 years. The most recent was Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Act), passed in 2016 and the setup of Te Mātāwai, a statutory entity responsible for leadership of revitalisation of te reo Māori for iwi and Māori.

Cath’s experience is supported by a strong set of skills and a framework grounded in the Treaty of Waitangi. Māori policy and legislation has dominated her career. A key feature of her work has been to work closely with Māori to develop and progress both policy and legislation so that they provide a solid context for them to meet their ambitions, opportunities and priorities.

Cath has an Executive Masters Public Administration (Victoria University, 2005), LLB (Victoria University, 1987).

Current term

26 February 2020–25 February 2024

Number of previous terms

None