November 09, 2014
Strong Maori economy for Waikato future
Economic consultancy BERL says Waikato needs to tap into the strength of the Maori economy if it is to achieve its potential growth.
The report was commissioned by the Federation of Maori Authorities, Te Puni Kokiri and Waikato Regional Council.
It will provide background for a Maori economic development workshop in Hamilton tomorrow.
BERL identified $6.2 billion of Maori assets in the region and estimated the Maori contribution to regional gross domestic product was worth $1.4 billion or 8 per cent of the total in 2012.
It says 28 per cent of the assets were in agriculture, fishing and forestry, 23 per cent in property and business services, and 15 per cent in manufacturing.
Just under half of the assets were collectively owned by authorities such as trusts, incorporations and Treaty of Waitangi settlement entities.
Maori made up 22 per cent of the population, but a large proportion of Maori were employed in low paid, low productivity industries.
The average weekly income for Maori was 25 per cent or $189 lower than the average weekly income for non-Maori and debt levels in Maori households were high.
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