New Zealand’s national GDP may be stagnating, but Māori and iwi-led enterprises are showing strong economic growth at the regional level.
Statistics New Zealand data shows no growth in Gross Domestic Product value in 2025’s first two quarters.
Minister of Regional Development Shane Jones says the Māori economy’s focus on exports and local assets is paying off, even as the rest of the country faces economic headwinds.
“Well, I think that a lot of our assets are confined to the area, which is doing very well, i.e. protein and exports from regional New Zealand. And a lot of the wealth stored in the Māori economy, iwi economy, shall I say, is subject to the vagaries of export earnings. And at the moment, if you’re in the business of meat, wool, arguably, fish, to a certain extent, forestry, milk, cream and those horticulture, those other types of produce, they’re doing very well,” says Jones.
Jones points to a recent deal in the Far North between Ngāpuhi Berries and Turners and Growers as evidence of how Māori-led initiatives are creating jobs and boosting local economies.
“Mariameno (Kapa-Kingi) and I, we were present at the signing of a contract between Ngāpuhi berries and Turners and Growers… That’s a small example where the jobs will flourish. Kaikohe will do well, Turners and Growers are experts in exporting food, and Ngāpuhi was the asset with the climate with the kaimahi. That’s a wee example of how I think we can further expand the footprint of ohanga Māori,” says Jones.
