July 20, 2022
Wealth share challenge for ahu whenua
Federation of Māori Authorities chair Traci Houpapa wants members to consider how they can share their wealth more evenly.
Ms Houpapa says Māori land-based authorities have benefited from record earnings in the primary sector.
That’s at the same time there is record poverty and deprivation in the community.
“Because I go home to Taumarunui and I see our whanau struggling and so while it’s okay to report we had a great result at our hui a tau, our AGMs, that doesn’t mean much if our whanau are still struggling. Closing the loop on this for Māori means any profits we make, we need to think smartly and seriously about how we transfer that wealth and we distribute that profit to our people,” Ms Houpapa says.
She says it’s not just a problem for Māori authorities but for government and industry as well.