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Maori economic strategy to be developed

Pita Sharples

Tuesday 13 September 2011, 9:49AM

By Pita Sharples

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Hon Dr Pita Sharples

Minister of Maori Affairs

Hon David Carter

Minister for Economic Development

An independent panel has been established to report to Maori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples and Economic Development Minister David Carter with a Maori economic development strategy and action plan by July 2012.

“The panel’s job is to help raise the rate of return on Maori-owned assets, and to grow the Maori contribution to New Zealand’s economy, by providing a framework for Maori and the Government to work together better,” the Ministers say.

“This Maori Economic Development Panel will produce strategic recommendations on improving the infrastructure and overall collaboration of the Māori/iwi economy, and on Māori/iwi economic development in the context of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand and the wider global economy,” said Dr Sharples.

“Realising the potential of the Māori economy can contribute to achieving a more internationally competitive New Zealand economy.The Māori Economic Taskforce was Phase One, highlighting the need for co-ordinated and sophisticated planning around Māori economic issues. We believe that the time is now right for Phase Two - to develop a broader, future-oriented Maori Economic Strategy and Action Plan,” he said.

“A 2010 BERL report revealed the Maori economy totals nearly $37 billion, but raises questions as to whether it is delivering to its potential,” said Mr Carter.

The strategy and action plan will identify ways to:

· improve the performance and productivity of the Māori economic sector, and;

· clarify the role, and identify the contribution that the Government can make to improving the performance of the Māori economic sector.

“The panel members bring together a broad range of expertise relevant to the review. These include the management of large New Zealand exporting businesses, the governance of Māori assets and entities and experience in international finance and investment,” the Ministers say.

Maori Economic Development Panel members:
 

Ngāhiwi Tomoana (Chair)

Ngāhiwi Tomoana has been Chairman of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated since 1996, serving in that position for four successive terms. He has been involved in hapū and iwi development most of his life, taking a position on the Waipatu Māori Committee while still in High School.

Ngāhiwi is a Director of Hawke’s Bay Seafoods Ltd and Treaty Tribes Coalition, and was a director of Napier Mussels Ltd where he played a key role in securing the resource consent and permits for that development.

Most recently he has been appointed Deputy Commissioner for the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, and was also Chair for the Primary Sector Group of the Ministerial Māori Economic Taskforce. Ngāhiwi is the former Chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana Trustee Company.

Greg Whitred (Deputy Chair)

Greg Whitred is Dean of the Auckland Business School at the University of Auckland. Greg is an Australian who has worked extensively in Asia, primarily China. He has held various posts including at the University of New South Wales and Australian Graduate School of Management and visiting appointments at a number of universities in Asia, the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

Greg is currently a member of the Auckland Council Business Advisory Panel, the Youth Enterprise Trust New Zealand, New Zealand Leadership Institute Charitable Trust, and The Icehouse Charitable Trust.

Debbie Packer

Debbie Packer is a former Deputy Mayor of the South Taranaki District Council, and part-time company director and chairperson of a number of private and public companies and community organisations.

Debbie has worked with PC Group Ltd Management Consultants, and has been an executive trustee of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui, where she carried out governance and change management planning and developed investment strategies for the iwi. Other previous roles include Chief Executive, Te Reo Irirangi o Taranaki 94.8FM, and Sales and Marketing Account Manager, TVNZ.

Roger Pikia

Roger Pikia was until recently, the National Māori Strategist with AgResearch, based at the Ruakura Research Centre in Hamilton. He is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and is studying towards a Master of Professional Studies, majoring in Agribusiness Management, at Lincoln University. Roger Pikia is a trustee on Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Trust for Ngāti Tahu - Ngāti Whaoa, and current Chair of Te Arawa River Iwi Trust.

Roger’s previous positions include being an executive member on the Federation of Māori Authorities, and chairman of its subsidiary company, FOMANA Capital Ltd. He has been a director on AgResearch subsidiary SENZAR and Chairman of Tawaroa Management Ltd. He is a director of Ahuwhenua Management Ltd.

Graham Stuart

Currently Chief Executive at Sealord Ltd, Graham Stuart has held senior management positions for more than twenty years, including Chief Executive of Mainland Products, Managing Director of Lion Nathan International, Commercial Director with the New Zealand Dairy Board, and chief financial officer for Fonterra.

Graham was Fonterra’s director of strategy for almost three years. He played an integral role in the merger that led to the formation of Fonterra in 2001. He led acquisition and divestment projects worth more than $1 billion.

Gina Rangi

Gina Rangi, of Rotorua, is Deputy Chair of Tuaropaki Trust, a Māori land trust with a capital value of $280 million, and business operations in geothermal power generation, geothermally-heated glass-house horticulture, farming, and communications. She is also a director of the Tuaropaki Power Company Ltd.

Gina is a member of the Tuwharetoa Māori Trust/Mighty River Power Economic Development Group which administers economic development funding to Ngati Tuwharetoa, and a member of the Kawerau Geothermal Peer Review Panel, which is appointed by Environment Waikato to advise it on management of resource consents.

She is Development Manager of Indigenous Corporate Solutions Ltd, an agency providing Māori organisations with advice on post-Treaty settlement negotiations, business advice of land trusts, and environmental consulting.

Glen Tupuhi

Currently employed as Strategic Development Group manager at Te Runanga o Kirikiriroa, managing the supply service contract with Hamilton City Council.

Glen is also Chairperson of The Ngati Paoa Trust 2005 to 2010, current trustee and has been on a Trustee of the Hauraki Maori Trust Board since April 2009. He is also Trustee of the Pare Hauraki Fishing Trust and Mana whenua representative, Independent Maori Statutory Board.

June McCabe 

June McCabe is the founding Chair of Excelerator, the New Zealand Leadership Institute at Auckland University. She is a Council member of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Previous roles include being a member of the Māori Economic Taskforce, director of the Accident Compensation Corporation, Housing New Zealand, a Director of Television New Zealand Limited (TVNZ), the Crown Health Financing Agency and the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund. Other former roles include Director of Corporate Affairs, Westpac Banking Corporation, and Chief Executive Officer of Mortgage Corporation Limited.

Mark Solomon

Mark Solomon has been Kaiwhakahaere (Chair) Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu since 1998.

Mark currently holds directorships with Te Hāpai Mauri Ltd. Te Pātaka o Rauru, Te Pātaka O Tangaroa Ltd, Ngāi Tahu Group Management Ltd and Ngāti Ruanui Holdings Operating Co. Ltd amongst others. He is also Summit Member of the Hillary Institute and a member of Te Kāawai Taumata.

Previous roles include being a member of the Māori Economic Taskforce and trustee of Takahanga Marae. Mark was on the board of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa from 2001 to 2007.

Bevan Graham

Bevan Graham is AMP New Zealand Chief Economist. Bevan was previously the Chief Economist at AXA Global Investors, where he has worked since June 2008.

Bevan began his career in financial markets at the ANZ Bank before a move to Westpac where he was Chief Economist from 1994 to 2000. In 2000 he became Chief Economic Advisor to the Leader of the Opposition, a position he held until the end of 2002. Following a period back in financial markets as Head of Client Relations at Alliance Capital Management, Bevan became Chief Executive at the Economic Development Association of New Zealand (EDANZ), a position he held until his move to AXA Global Investors. Bevan has a Bachelor of Social Sciences (B.Soc.Sci) degree from Waikato University, majoring in Economics.

Te Puni Kōkiri and the Ministry of Economic Development will provide support to the panel, and it will be funded within their existing budgets.

Māori Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan:

Terms of Reference


Purpose 

The Minister of Māori Affairs and the Minister of Economic Development are commissioning an independent panel to develop a Māori Economic Strategy and Action Plan.

Context 

Iwi/Māori have steadily increased their contribution to the economy over the past decade and the iwi/Māori asset base has grown strongly in this period. This growth and the opportunities it offers are largely unrecognised even within Māori contexts.

There is significant scope for iwi/Māori asset holders to achieve greater economic value and increase the return on investment from their assets, through:

  • aggregation of assets to provide scale and leverage;
  • effective and efficient use of resources;
  • alignment of education and training with industry and labour market demands;
  • improved access and investment in innovation and science;
  • improved market positioning to increase export growth; and
  • recognition of Māori as tangata whenua of New Zealand.


Growing the Māori economy will make a major contribution to the prosperity of Māori, and the resilience and growth of the New Zealand economy, by lifting per capita income and improving export performance.

The context for this strategy and action plan is framed by principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and the Government’s Economic Growth Agenda.

Objectives
This Strategy and Action Plan will produce strategic recommendations on:

  • improving the overall collaboration and infrastructure of the Māori/iwi economy;
  • Māori/iwi economic development in the context of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand and the wider global economy.


This Strategy and Action Plan will also produce specific and practical recommendations on:

  • improving the performance and productivity of the Māori economic sector;
  • clarifying the role, and identify the contribution that the Government can make to improving the performance of the Māori economic sector;
  • considering the role and contribution of Māori to their own economic development.
  • It is imperative that these recommendations are action-focused and that the Panel produces a clear and concise set of steps for lifting Māori economic performance.
  • The Panel will comprise up to ten members, appointed jointly by the Minister of Māori Affairs and the Minister for Economic Development, in consultation with the Minister of Finance.
  •  

Tasks of Panel 

The Panel will:

  • review and define the Māori/iwi economy;
  •  
  • identify opportunities and growth models to grow the Māori economy at the collective and whānau level;
  •  
  • identify opportunities for enhanced coordination and increased efficiency of government economic policy, programmes and related expenditure. This includes consideration of infrastructure that supports Māori/iwi economic development;
  •  
  • identify methods for communicating and engaging with iwi/Māori on the benefits of economic growth and how to optimise the economic opportunities that are present within the Māori economy;
  •  
  • produce a Māori Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan, with specific, practical, and action focused recommendations on how to grow the Māori economy and develop new commercial opportunities for iwi/Māori.


Scope

The Strategy and Action Plan will identify how to improve the performance and productivity of the whole Māori economy, including how to:

  •  
  • develop and add value to the iwi/ Māori asset base;
  • encourage export opportunities and the internationalisation of collective ventures and iwi/Māori companies;
  • build capability of iwi/Māori company and collectively held assets;
  • increase savings by, and investment in, the Māori economy;
  • increase labour market participation, employment rates and improve the quality of employment;
  • lift the human capital of the Māori population;
  • enhance coordination and increased efficiency of government economic policy and programmes in relation to the Māori economy1; and
  • communicate and engage with iwi/ Māori on the benefits of economic growth.


Timelines

The review, strategy and action plan development will be undertaken in phases and the Panel is expected to provide progress reports to the Minister of Māori Affairs and Minister for Economic Development on an on-going basis. Key phases will be:

  1. Establishment of the Panel in September 2011.
  2. Review and define the key issues and opportunities important for Māori economic development. This will include drawing on the work of the Māori Economic Taskforce and the Māori Asset Base, Income, Expenditure and GDP of the 2010 Māori Economy Report.
  3. Developing a Māori Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan, in consultation with Māori/Iwi.
  4. Submit a final report and draft Māori Economic Development Action Plan to the Ministers of Māori Affairs and Economic Development, by the end of July 2012.


Panel mandate and support

The Minister of Māori Affairs and the Minister for Economic Development will be responsible for the review, and confirming the Strategy and Action Plan. Secretariat support will be provided to the Panel by an interagency team led by Te Puni Kokiri and Ministry of Economic Development, with the Treasury providing additional analytical support.

To ensure that the Panel has the necessary information at hand, and to minimise duplication where possible, the Secretariat will provide the Panel with relevant research where available. The Secretariat will also maintain contact with a wider group of stakeholders (including other government departments) and feed input from them into the Panel.