Tihei: Minister intrigued by 'go get em' attitude

Minister for Māori Development, Willie Jackson (seated centre) during his visit to iwi offices. Photo / Supplied

On Wednesday, February 23, iwi representatives Ngahiwi Tomoana, JB Heperi-Smith, Barry Wilson, Aayden Clarke and Chrissie Hape met with the Minister for Māori Development, Willie Jackson during his haerenga (travels) throughout Ikaroa Rāwhiti.

During his hour-long visit to the iwi office, iwi leaders were able to give an update on the Kahungunu economic focus and progress to date.

Minister Jackson received a report back on the push-pull effect of Te Aratini Expo – The Festival of Indigenous & Tribal Ideas that was held in November 2021 as part of the NZ Pavilion programme at the World Expo in Dubai.

Māori are leading the Indigenous world in a cultural and economic renaissance and other indigenous nations are looking at the models being used, to use in their own tribes to progress alongside their governments.

The Minister was invited to be the guest speaker at a wānanga scheduled to take place in March that will look at options moving forward to the next World Expo being held in Osaka, Japan in 2025.

K3 – Kahungunu Property chief executive Aayden Clarke shared a presentation on K3, the property and housing development in Kahungunu, and how they are building whare for whānau while supporting Māori apprentices through their training, and growing Māori business ownership.

Statistics shared showed that the Māori economy is growing at 10 per cent per annum whereas the NZ economy is averaging at 1-2 per cent per annum.

The excitement amongst the Māori economy is innovation. K3 is an example where there's a push from whānau to use their own whenua resources, their own whānau hands and their own whānau lands to build their own papakainga – which is a subsidy of whānau to the government, not the other way around.

The fact is that land is at a premium for the government to build houses. Papakainga houses within Kahungunu are tripling the Kainga Ora builds because of whānau enthusiasm to engage with their own lands.

The Minister commented on the speed and the way Ngāti Kahungunu is proceeding even though we are virtually resource-less from the government, however through the small Te Puni Kokiri putea we have received, we are able to outstrip mainstream government ambitions in housing.

Minister Meka Whaitiri has been looking at a wool strategy for Kahungunu, a meat strategy and a wood strategy so that wood from our own forests can go into building our own houses through our timber companies and our own retail outlets. Just as we are doing with our fish, we should be doing with our forest and our fruit as well.

Minister Jackson was keen to take these examples and compare them around the country. He was intrigued by the 'go get em' attitude displayed by our K3 team, our whānau, our hapū and our whenua, our resources and our marae with their resilience.

Minister Jackson has invited Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated to Wellington on March 8, where he will announce the Kahungunu housing package that will be delivered through K3, amounting to at least 150 houses per year over the next five years.

Minister Jackson was supported by Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Te Puni Kōkiri regional director Mere Pohatu and senior advisor Shalom Haenga.