Māori-owned businesses surpass 1000 in Hawke’s Bay

Business and Economic Research (BERL) chief economist Hillmarè Schulze (left) speaking in Hastings after the new report's release. Photo / Michaela Gower

The number of Māori-owned businesses in Hawke’s Bay has surpassed 1000 for the first time on record, a new report has highlighted.

An event at Hastings' Toitoi Arts and Events Centre was held on Wednesday to mark the release of a nationwide report, Te Ōhanga Māori Economy 2023.

The report is released every five years and provides trends and insights about the Māori economy across Aotearoa.

It utilises Census data and has been published since 2010.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) commissioned the latest 56-page report, prepared by Business and Economic Research (BERL).

The report highlighted that Hawke’s Bay (referred to as Tākitimu) now boasts 1002 Māori-owned businesses, and the number of Māori-owned businesses is trending upward nationally.

A Māori-owned business is defined as a business where at least one owner is of Māori ethnicity or descent.

The report did not include a regional breakdown of which sectors that incorporated or how the figure had grown over the years.

However, separate data from the Ministry for Māori Development suggested it was the highest number of Māori-owned businesses on record for Hawke’s Bay.

The panel at the event in Hastings as part of the release of the report. Photo / Michaela Gower

When it came to the primary sector - which includes farming, horticulture, forestry and fishing - the Te Ōhanga Māori Economy report highlighted some national trends.

“Māori-owned businesses often prioritise kaitiakitanga, the guardianship and sustainable management of natural resources,” the report read.

“This translates to practices that minimise environmental impact, such as organic or regenerative farming, reforestation initiatives, and eco-tourism ventures that minimise disturbance to the natural environment.”

MBIE’s Shar Amner said the latest report would be relied on for Government decision-making.

Not all private businesses in NZ were able to be identified to check Māori ownership.

You can view the report on the MBIE website.

Snapshots from the report:

• The Māori population increased between 2018 and 2023 by 14% nationwide, from 775,800 to 887,500. That growth outpaced the 5% in the non-Māori population.
• In 2023, 53% of Māori households owned their own home (a slight increase from 2018), compared to a 67% national average across all ethnicities.
• The Māori asset base has grown from $69b in 2018 to $126b in 2023. This growth has outstripped the previously predicted figure of $100b by 2030.
• The Māori economic contribution to the NZ economy has grown from $17b in 2018 to $32b in 2023.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.