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Source: New Zealand Government

Māori development projects across the country will receive a total of $18.8 million from the Provincial Growth Fund that will create infrastructure and permanent jobs, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today.

“These projects will support economic development in Northland, Bay of Plenty, Tairawhiti, Manawatū-Whanganui, Waikato and Southland to build the future prosperity of these communities.

“Each aligns to the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) post COVID-19 reset criteria to create jobs and get social and economic recovery underway via projects visible within regional communities,” Shane Jones said.

More than 300 jobs, both immediate short-term and permanent, will be created across the regions through the investments, with more to be confirmed.

“As part of the PGF reset we are investing in projects that grow Māori firms and Māori assets in sectors that will be core to the economic rebuild. We are also continuing to invest in projects that meet whenua Māori criteria such as increasing productivity on underutilised land blocks, announced in February this year,” Shane Jones said.

“The PGF is funding existing Māori regional businesses with capital investment to increase productivity, increase job numbers and allow businesses to invest in regional economic development initiatives like construction and infrastructure. This investment allows these businesses to diversify into other sectors and markets and grow the Māori asset base in the regions.”

Nationally, the PGF is partnering with Poutama Trust which will receive a $5 million grant to provide access to development capital for small- to medium-sized Māori enterprises so it can scale up and grow.

In Northland Taumata Tirotiro Ltd will receive $719,000 for land development on four Māori-owned land blocks to operate a beef farm.

About $5.6 million will go to three Bay of Plenty projects which include the establishment of a food production hub in Ruatahuna, land remediation and kiwifruit orchard development at Welcome Bay near Tauranga, and the conversion of part of a dairy property to sheep-milking in Rerewhakaaitu.

Tairawhiti region will receive nearly $2 million for three projects that will lift productivity on whenua Māori. Over $970,000 will go to Te Aitanga a Māhaki Trust’s 23 Whenua Māori blocks so it can plant forestry. Parera Station will receive $495,838 for farm remediation and an upgrade of its East Cape campground. Maraetaha Inc will receive $489,900 to develop 460ha of underutilised farm land.

In Manawatu-Whanganui, the PGF is investing nearly $2.6 million to develop a 5ha strawberry farm near Whanganui.

Pukerewa Station Development in Waikato will receive $912,000 to install water reticulation and fencing.

In the far South, Rakiura Māori Lands Trust will receive nearly $2.2 million in loans and grants for an environmental tourism initiative on Stewart Island. This involves building tracks and other infrastructure, including a predator-proof fence. 

“The funding announced today will help these Māori Trusts and businesses to diversify, develop capabilities and create job opportunities within their communities. Many of these groups would not have received funding from commercial sources as their assets are on collectively owned Māori land.

“There are still more announcements that will benefit regional Māori businesses and communities to come,” Shane Jones said.

Project

Recipient

Amount

Jobs

created

Project description

NATIONAL

Poutama ki te taumata: Accelerating Māori enterprise development

Poutama Trust

$5 million

Numbers TBC

Partnership project with Poutama Trust to identify regional Māori business able to upscale.

NORTHLAND

Nga Whenua Whanui

Taumata Tirotiro Ltd

$719,000

8

Land development on four Māori owned land blocks for a beef farm operation.

WAIKATO

Pukerewa Station Development Project

Pukerewa ‘A’ Trust

$912,000 grant

7, and 2 long-term

Install water reticulation, subdivide paddocks, and install fencing.

BAY OF PLENTY

Food Production Hub Tuawhenua

Tuhoe Tuawhenua Trust (TTT)

$986,000 grant

Up to 10 immediately, increasing to 25 by 2023

The building of a Food Production Hub in Ruatāhuna including processing, packaging and storage facilities for food products.

Te Haumanu o Te Kapua

Ngāti Pūkenga Investment Limited (NPI)

$3.9 million loan and $165,000 grant

16 and 13.5 long-term

To develop underutilised Māori land into a 7ha Sungold™ kiwifruit orchard in Welcome Bay; restoration of 3ha of wetlands; restoration of a 2ha protected pā site.

Establishment of Miraka Hipi Dairy Platform

Onuku Māori Lands Trust

$549,000 loan

3 and a number of seasonal jobs

Conversion of a dairy operation to sheep milking.

TAIRĀWHITI

Turanga Ngāhere – Collective Forestry Development Project

Te Aitanga a Māhaki Trust

$971,158

10 and 170 long-term

Land development to enable forestry plantations on 23 Māori Land Blocks, west of Gisborne.

Parera Station Development

Proprietors of Marangairoa C4

$495,838

10 and 2 long-term

Farm remediation to install fencing and establish crops and upgrades to campground.

E tu Tamanuhiri Maranga

Maraetaha 2 sections 3&6 blocks Inc

$489,900

12

Land development on 460ha of underutilised land including fencing and water reticulation.

MANAWATŪ-WHANGANUI

Harakeke Strawberry Farm development

Ngā Wairiki – Ngāti Apa Developments Limited

$1.62 million loan and $894,636 grant

25 for one year and up to 36 long-term by year 3

Develop a strawberry farm on a 5ha block of iwi land near Whanganui Prison

SOUTHLAND (Stewart Island)

Rakiura Oneki Southern Wildnerness Experience

Rakiura Māori Lands Trust

$1.23 million loan and $950,000 grant

30

Develop visitor infrastructure including building tracks and shelters, a predator-proof fence, a new wharf and a building.

TOTAL

$18,882,532

MIL OSI