Tongans living in the New Zealand town of Nelson have established a community trust to serve Tongans living in the area. 

The trust named the Tongan Community Trust was launched on Saturday, February 25. A minute of silence was held at the launch paying respect to the recent passing of the Queen Mother, Halaevalu Mata'aho.

The Tongan Community Trust will organize youth, health and cultural programmes for an estimated 1000 Tongans living in the Nelson-Tasman region. Every year, hundreds of seasonal workers from the Pacific Islands migrate to the region, including many Tongans, for fruit picking and other seasonal work.