June 01, 2017
Whanau ora agencies a good fit for economic push
The chair of the new Maori Economic Development Advisory Board wants to encourage more collaboration between Maori entities so the limited resources available are used most effectively.
The board, which advises the Ministers for Maori Development and Economic Development, has set ambitious targets, such as raising the Maori median income by 20 percent.
Robin Hapi says that means making sure Maori get the best education, rangatahi are given the support they need, and there are meaningful interventions to allow Maori to develop their assets.
The board met yesterday with North Island whanau ora commissioning agency Te Pou Matakana, which with its South Island counterpart, Te Putahitanga o Te Waipounamu will be critical to the board’s strategy.
"They’ve already got the infrastructure. They are already connected to thousands of Maori. We need to be part of their equation if we are going to be spearheading a lot more effort in terms of Maori economic development, in terms of ensuring our people are getting jobs and better paid jobs, ensuring our regions are being focused on in terms of economic development for Maori," Mr Hapi says.
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