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Maori forestry land and aquaculture space have been indentified as being key to further economic growth in the Bay of Plenty.
A regional growth study put together by the Ministries of Business, Innovation and Employment and Primary Industries in partnership with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council was released in Tauranga yesterday by Ministers Steven Joyce, Nathan Guy and Te Ururoa Flavell.
It found the region has a solid base to build on, including its central location and infrastructure, sustainable natural resources, access to productive land, significant untapped Maori asset base and an enviable range of economic and industry strategies and projects already in place.
Despite that, the economy has lagged behind other regions over recent years and there are significant economic disparities across the sub-regions.
The study identified six key growth opportunities including forestry on Maori-owned land assets, horticulture including kiwifruit, avocado and honey, improving farm productivity and related processing, the planned development of a mussel farm at Opotiki, tourism, and specialised manufacturing research and development around titanium powders and alloy products.
The next step involves working with key players across the region to develop an action plan.
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