Pacific families to benefit from Tamaki project

Pacific families will be among the first to benefit from the National Government’s urban regeneration initiative – the Tamaki transformation project.

Pacific Island Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu, a member of the Ministerial group with oversight of the project, said Tamaki has a diverse population - predominantly non-European, with a number of ethnic groups clustered in specific locations throughout the area.

‘Seventeen thousand people live in five thousand households.

‘Almost half of the population identify with one Pacific Island group. Thirty per cent of the Tamaki population is less than 15 years old and there is a high proportion of single parent and large families.

‘It is therefore no surprise that this community is characterised by high levels of deprivation and poor socio-economic outcomes,’ she said.

The project announced today by Housing Minister Phil Heatley will position Tamaki as an attractive area for future growth when the current economic constraints ease. It provides the opportunity to trial changes in service provision across central and local government agencies.

It will complement initiatives such as the Jobs and Growth Plan which emphasises projects that can be implemented quickly to mitigate the impact of the global crisis and make a lasting contribution to the New Zealand economy.

‘Pacific Island communities will be closely involved in developing this new approach,’ Mrs te Heuheu said.

‘Tamaki is a potential model for community regeneration in similar urban communities such as Otara, Mangere and Porirua. It also provides the opportunity to build on infrastructure investment in the Auckland area.’

Housing Minister’s announcement: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/tamaki%E2%80%99s+bright+future+starts+now