Four economic development initiatives in Te Tai Rāwhiti

PĀNUI PĀPAHO | MEDIA RELEASE

Te 12 o Haratua 2017 | 12 May 2017

Te Puni Kōkiri invests with four economic development initiatives in Te Tai Rāwhiti

Te Puni Kōkiri, Ikaroa-Rāwhiti office in Gisborne today announced their investments in four local economic development initiatives. These initiatives follow the launch of the Tairāwhiti Māori Economic Report (supported by Te Puni Kōkiri) in February alongside the Tairāwhiti Action Plan.

“Today we are pleased to support Ngāti Porou Mīere, Activate Tairāwhiti, Tairāwhiti Rural Education and Activities Programme and Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou and their exciting initiatives in our region,” says Deputy Chief Executive Regional Partnerships, Di Grennell.

“These initiatives are the result of the hard work of regional leaders to build cohesion and collaboration for the benefit and economic development of our region. These initiatives also reflect Tairāwhiti Māori economic development priorities of apiculture, Māori tourism, removing barriers to employment (driver licensing) and rural whānau enterprise.”

The initiative with Ngāti Porou Mīere is a mānuka honey production project on approximately 12,000 ha of Ngāti Porou owned land. Te Puni Kōkiri is supporting Ngāti Porou Mīere $172,950 to develop a prototype Apiary Information and Land Management Tool.

The Activate Tairāwhiti initiative is in partnership with Tairāwhiti Māori to develop a Māori tourism approach that connects people, places and stories. Māori Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing global tourism markets. Te Puni Kōkiri is supporting with $100,000 towards a project management team; building local capacity; and the incubation of Māori tourism solutions.

The third initiative is with Tairāwhiti Rural Education and Activities Programme. Tairāwhiti has one of the highest incidences of driver licensing recidivist offending, which acts as a major barrier to employment opportunities. Te Puni Kōkiri is supporting Tairāwhiti Rural Education Activities Programme $100,000, to support rural Māori to participate in the graduated driver licence programme.

The initiative with Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou will go towards the development of a trail that connects and consolidates business activity along the East Coast. Whānau enterprise and rural development are sources of latent economic regional potential in the Tairāwhiti. Te Puni Kōkiri is supporting Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou with $50,000 to provide a range of business support services.

The four signings between Te Puni Kōkiri and Ngāti Porou Mīere; Activate Tairāwhiti, Tairāwhiti Rural Education and Activities Programme and Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou will take place at Te Puni Kōkiri Gisborne office at 10:00am on Wednesday 17 May.

ENDS

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