Lake Taupō Forest Trustees declare an annual distribution to owners at the beginning of each year after detailed consideration of Trust income, expenditure and the level of forestry reserve funds available.
Income is then distributed under a formula contained in the Trust Order based on the area of blocks and shares in blocks. The impact of cyclone damage on the forest saw a halt of distribution in 2025 and the Trust continues to look at new and wider ways to pass on benefits to descendants.
The succession and registration process isn’t always straight-forward so if you have any queries, please contact Administration and Grants at ownership@ltft.co.nz or on 07 386 8839. We’ll help point you in the right direction.
Education grants are available through the Lake Taupō Charitable Trust to support owners and their beneficiaries in their educational journey, including pathways into tertiary education and employment.
This includes:
• Education grants for students studying key subjects related to forestry
• A Tertiary Forestry Scholarship to attend Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology or the University of Canterbury forestry programme
Lake Taupō Forest Trust offers education grants to support paid full-time study (0.8 – 1.0 EFTS) or paid part-time study (0.375 – 0.5 EFTS) for students enrolled at any NZ university, or any NZQA accredited learning institute such as colleges of education, polytechnics, institutes of technology, or other private training establishments (PTE).
Owners or beneficiaries of an owner studying in the following fields are encouraged to apply – environmental studies and te taiao, te reo Māori, finance, business management, law, science, engineering, forestry, information technology, GIS mapping, marketing, and health professions. The value of each grant is dependent on the total number of successful applications received each year.
Grants are now closed for 2026.
The Tertiary Forestry Scholarship is available for full-time study in a forestry management diploma or degree at either the University of Canterbury in Christchurch or Toi Ohomai Technical Institute in Rotorua. These recipients can be provided internships for the summer period.
The scholarship is valued at $10,000 for up to three recipients. For more information, please download the Forestry Scholarship Guidelines.
Applications open on 1st July and close on 31st August each year. Applications can be obtained from Forestry Course Directors at either the University of Canterbury or Toi Ohomai or through our office, please phone 07 386 8839.
If you have recently passed your restricted, full or H/T licence test, you may be eligible for a full refund of the fee paid to obtain your licence.
Eligibility
Registered owner or descendant of an owner of the Lake Taupō Forest Trust
Applications
Please complete all sections of the Driver Licence Subsidy application below.
Required Documentation
* Results must be within a 12-month period from 1 July
* Only one subsidy per licence stage (restricted, full, or H/T)
* You are not eligible if you have already received a refund or subsidy from another entity
The Kaumātua Grant is a one-off annual amount set by the Kaitiaki of the Lake Taupō Charitable Trust and is not retrospective. The value of this grant is $200.
The Kaumātua grant opens on 1st January each year. This is automatically paid to registered and eligible kaumātua. Please ensure you are fully registered with the Owner Services Team at 07 386 8839 or use the form below to update your details.
The Pūtea Aroha Tangihanga fund provides grants to support tangihanga expenses for owners of the Lake Taupō Forest Trust. In late 2025 the Trustees decided to increase the grant value from $2,000 to $3,000. This means, for owners who passed away before 1 January 2026, the grant is worth $2,000. For those who passed on or after 1 January 2026, the grant is worth $3,000.
Please complete all parts of the application form below. Contact our office on 07 386 8839 if you require assistance.
Required Documentation:
