January 26, 2015
Arawa leader eyes economic power
A Te Arawa leader says the iwi needs to be thinking abut how it can use all its wealth to better its people, rather than just treaty settlement assets.
Sir Toby Curtis chairs the Te Arawa Lakes Trust, which incorporates the former Te Arawa Maori Trust Board.
Last year it made a profit of almost $400,000 after its farms were converted to dairy production, and its total assets rose from $27.7 to $28.2 million.
Sir Toby says it is now working closely with the tribe’s fisheries settlement trust, Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa which manages forestry and land settlement assets, and the Te Arawa Federation of Maori Authorities which advocates for the region’s independent land trusts and incorporations.
He says a Te Puni Kokiri study estimated the current tribal asset base as worth between $6 and $8 billion, out of a total of Maori assets of around $40 billion.
"Already we are making a significant impact as a people. We need to continue that. (The Maori economy) is something in the region of $40 billion. We need to get that up to $100b, and we can. If we have that then money does not become a problem to us. Money becomes our servant to work for our betterment," Sir Toby says.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH SIR TOBY CURTIS CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast/x_podlink/MjU3NTc=/
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