About Us
Office Holders of the Marlborough Sounds Restoration Trust are:
Patron - Sir Paul Reeves
Chairman – Andrew Macalister
Secretary – Michael Gilbert
Treasurer – Doug Holmes
Trustees - Geoff Walls, Rhys Millar, Sara Archdale, Peter Beech.
The Department of Conservation's Sounds Area Manager and the Marlborough District Council's Environmental Science and Monitoring Manager are ex officio members of the Trust. The Trust is incorporated under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957, and is a registered charitable entity in terms of the Charities Act 2005. Information about the Trust is publicly available on the Charities Register.
The Trust is exempt from income tax, and individuals or companies who donate property to the charity are given relief from gift duty.
The Trust is also considered a donee organisation for tax purposes, such that any gifts of money it receives from individuals and certain companies qualify for tax advantages.
Message from the Patron
The Marlborough Sounds is one of New Zealand’s iconic landscapes, but like so many parts of the country, it suffers from misguided management decisions made in the 20th century. The Sounds are now threatened by the spread of wilding pines and other weed species, the encroachment of feral pigs, goats and possums, and severe over-fishing and loss of marine habitat.
It is unrealistic to expect the statutory authorities to resolve all these problems on their own.
What is needed is a community-led approach to solve these problems, in which partnerships between central and local government, the community, iwi and business interests become the norm.
The Marlborough Sounds Restoration Trust is to be commended for mapping a way forward.
Please give it your active support.
Sir Paul Reeves
Patron
Marlborough Sounds Restoration Trust