What we do
Maori economic development
OVERVIEW
Priority One’s Primary Strategic Actions
- Build relationships and effective communication networks with the Maori economic community to increase understanding and create a strong platform to achieve Maori economic development and skill enhancement.
- Support the development of structures and skills to maximise economic growth and the utilisation of Maori land, including advocating for changes to legislation, as appropriate.
OVERVIEW
Maori constitute 25% of the wider Bay of Plenty region’s population and have extensive land holdings and strong cultural and economic ties to the region. Population forecasts show a trebling of the Maori population over the next 50 years. This growth will lead to an increased need to provide housing, employment and social services. Resources such as kaimoana, marae and urupa will be subject to increasing demands. The development of strong hapu communities is seen as an important outcome and a means of withstanding the pressure which will be exerted by growth in the long term.
There are 18,507 hectares of Maori land in the Western Bay of Plenty sub-region, of which 16,888 hectares is rateable. The development of Maori land has the potential to be a significant economic driver in the region, as well as providing for the environmental, cultural and social well-being of tangata whenua. A key to unlocking this potential is enabling tangata whenua to utilise this land by the removal of barriers and development of funding arrangements, tools/methodologies which can be applied and replicated across the sub-region.
In addition, the settlement of Treaty claims will provide iwi with additional capital to invest in productive enterprises. Maori are actively involved in tourism, forestry, food cultivation and processing throughout the region and have a key role in ensuring the economic potential of the region is fully developed.
