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Central North Island iwi Ngāti Rangi is leading a project to develop the communities around the central volcanoes.
Spokesperson Che Wilson says today’s launch by minister Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia of the Ruapehu Whānau Transformation Project is about the communities of Raetihi, Ohakune and Waiouru finding solutions for themselves.
It involves the iwi, the council, churches, community groups, families, the police, and large employers like the army, the ski industry and forestry companies.
He says Ngāti Rangi is living in relative poverty among affluence.
"The iwi made a conscious decision to start to identify solutions for ourselves and then invited the rest of the community to be part of this because 43 percent of the population is Māori and so how do we start to find solutions for ourselves when the average Māori income is $18,000," Mr Wilson says.
The Ruapehu Whānau Transformation Project will focus on education, employment, including managing the challenges of seasonal work, housing, health, and social cohesion.
He hōtaka whakatupu
Kei te ārahi ā Ngāti Rangi ō Ohākune i tētahi hōtaka hai whakatupu i ngā hāpori i te puku ō te ika.
Hai tā Che Wilson, māngai kōrero ō Ngāti Rangi, e whakarewa ana i tā rātou kaupapa i te rā nei ki mua i te aroaro ō Pita Sharples rāua ko Tariana Tuuria.
E mea ana ā Wilson, he rohe whai rawa te rohe whānui ō Ruapehu, engari kei te kite i tētahi hāpori anō, arā he hāpori pōhara kei waenganui.
Ka titiro te hōtaka whakahou ō Ruapehu ki ngā take mātauranga, ki te rapunga ō te mahi, ki ngā take whare mē te hauora.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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