Waikato Times: New fund honours John Luxton's vision for Māori leadership in farming

ABOVE: John Luxton’s legacy will live on in a fund set up by his family to aid young Māori into the primary industries. PHOTO: DAIRYNZ.

Originally published in Waikato Times, Monday 29 June 2026.

By Charlotte Graham.

John Luxton always believed talent was everywhere, but opportunities were in shorter supply.

One of the late farmer and government minister’s last wishes has now come to fruition: a fund to help bridge the gap, focussed on helping Māori thrive in the primary industries.

The John Luxton Legacy Fund was officially launched at Fieldays - a continuation of a life passion to help others in the agricultural sector. John Luxton was well-known in the rural community for his numerous roles and awards.

John’s son Richard explained that, before his death, John spoke to the family about wanting to do something to open more doors for Māori.

“He came to the conclusion that the Māori connection to the land and the community was something to be admired... Compared to a normal commercial New Zealand business, where the whole motivation is growth, their motivation is kaitiakitanga and bringing the community with them.

“He believed that the more there were Māori in leadership roles throughout the primary industries, the better they would be, so that’s essentially where this fund comes from.”

ABOVE: John’s son Richard Luxton says setting up a fund, or something similar, was one of his father’s last wishes. PHOTO: Mark Taylor / WAIKATO TIMES.

John died in 2021, age 75, and within six months his family started work to set the fund up. It has been gifted to Momentum Waikato to manage and grow, but the family remains the driving force behind funding it and shaping the direction.

“Dad’s mantra was that talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t, so we hope that we can bring about that opportunity and make a lasting difference in some way.”

The family collectively put in $500,000 and has managed to raise roughly another $100,000 of donations so far to get it started. It is exclusively for aiding Māori through scholarships and potentially in the future through mentorship and career opportunities. The first scholarships are expected to be delivered next year.

Richard said the fund was very much still in its infancy stages, and they were still looking to form partnerships with Waikato-Tainui and other iwi across the region, particularly in Hauraki where the family originated.

ABOVE: John Luxton, centre, was heavily involved in rural organisations and served as a minister. Among his portfolios was Māori Affairs.

“We don’t want to offend anyone or tell Māori what to do in any way. Our goal is to sit down with iwi and understand where we can make a difference. From there, hopefully we can grow and we can get some partners on board.”

John was a fifth-generation dairy farmer from Waitoa where the Luxton family has farmed for over 100 years. After completing a Bachelor of Agricultural science at Massey University, he and his wife, Merryl, bought their first dairy farm in Waitoa in 1972.

ABOVE: John Luxton did two aid projects in Tanzania and Malaysia, helping dairy farmers.

The couple then went on two aid projects to Tanzania and Malaysia in the 1970s and 1980s, where John was working as a dairy husbandry advisor.

After returning, a neighbouring farm was bought, before John followed in his father’s footsteps and became involved in politics. He became a Member of Parliament for the National Party between 1987 to 2002, holding several portfolios including Māori Affairs and Agriculture.

Among other things, he served as the inaugural co-chairperson of the Waikato River Authority and was chairperson for DairyNZ and Pouarua Farms Ltd. He received several awards, including Companion of the Queen’s Service Order and Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

ABOVE: The John Luxton Legacy Fund was launched at Fieldays. Pictured left to right: Richard Anderson, Westpac NZ Head of Agribusiness, Pamela Storey, Manager and Professional Advisor Network Momentum Waikato and Richard Luxton.

Richard said his father’s relationship with iwi and time spent working alongside them are what really stuck with him throughout his life. It’s a respect that has been passed on to Richard , who tries to adopt values of community involvement as well.

Richard and his siblings continue to operate the 280ha family farm in Waitoa and milk 1000 cows. Alongside managing the farm, Luxton has been involved in Meat the Need, Ballance and Owl Farm to name a few.

Currently, the fund is aimed at the Waikato but Richard said they may consider opening it up nationally. Donations can be made at the Momentum Waikato site and Richard encouraged iwi and the rural community to reach out. He hoped to form partnerships with banks and industry leaders to create a self-sustaining fund.

“We want it to be a success. We want it to be long-lasting. We really want to make an impact on young Māori lives and see them become genuine leaders across the primary industries.”

ABOVE: Richard Luxton says the fund is in its infancy and they are looking for guidance from iwi on how to best help. PHOTO: Mark Taylor / WAIKATO TIMES.