Major Maori economic strategy launched

FILE

New Zealand's first regionally co-ordinated Maori Economic Development Strategy was officially launched in the Bay of Plenty today.

It was the culmination of two years of development and the input of more than 200 iwi and Maori business representatives.

The strategy, He Mauri Ohooho, has been developed under the Bay of Connections framework in partnership with Te Puni Kokiri, and it strongly links with the national strategy, He kai kei aku ringa.

Launched at Mataatua Wharenui in Whakatane it covers the wider Bay of Plenty region including Eastern Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Western Bay of Plenty and Taupo.

The strategy was guided by an advisory group consisting of Maori business interests, iwi representatives, council members, economic agencies and other organisations.

Bay of Connections Maori Advisory Group co-chairman Richard Jones said the focus of the strategy was to improve the wealth and wellbeing for Maori across Bay of Plenty in the key areas of income, employment, health and education.

"Maori economic development is central to our region's prosperity. The goal of the strategy is to provide the necessary support to ensure the success of the many initiatives that are already underway at local, regional, iwi and trust levels, and provide the medium to develop new ones," Mr Jones said.

The development of the strategy started with an economic analysis of Maori in the Bay of Plenty followed by five consultation hui across the area.
Te Puni Kokiri chief executive Michelle Hippolite praised the initiative shown in the Bay of Plenty to get the strategy launched.

" It demonstrates the kind of thinking we have always hoped He kai kei aku ringa would inspire. Local interests have worked together on ways in which economic development can flourish and contribute to the health and well-being of their communities.

"I am sure that there will be many other regions around the country that will watch this work with interest," Mrs Hippolite said.

Maori Advisory Group co-chairman and Bay of Connections Governance Group member Anthony Olsen said one of the challenges of the project was to capture actions that supported economic opportunities as well as those that focussed on capacity building and skill development.

"Communities recognise that all levels of society will contribute to economic development in the region. Maori are major stakeholders and contributors to economic growth in the wider Bay of Plenty and this can be recognised across all sectors, from health and education to forestry and energy, aquaculture and horticulture to freight logistics and sport and recreation," Mr Olsen said.

The strategy identifies six strategic priorities that will contribute toward the vision of Maori creating wealth, job and prosperity across the region - strategic leadership, collective asset utilisation, business networks, high value business growth, capital and investment and education and skill development.

The establishment of a targeted action croup to implement the strategy is now in progress.