Tāmaki Makaurau has a strong, vibrant and growing base of Māori entrepreneurs and assets, particularly in high-value manufacturing and construction. These industries also have large, highly-skilled Māori workforces.
Māori businesses have an emphasis on Māori values, joint ventures and enduring relationships.
They are commercially driven with well-defined long-term goals that promote a sustainable approach. They also focus on growing the Māori asset base and creating direct benefits back to iwi. This embeds a process that both empowers communities and cultivates an untapped part of the economy.
A visible thriving Māori economy creates unique opportunities for Auckland. Greater Māori economic success will have benefits for all Aucklanders and contribute to the further development of an internationally attractive Auckland economy.
Globally, consumers are increasingly interested in sustainable and responsible business practices and products.
This interest aligns well with Māori values, and provides an opportunity for Māori to continue to apply a te ao Māori approach that is of growing value to the world.
How this can be done
Priorities for Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau include:
- improving economic outcomes by backing the strengths of the Māori economy
- tackling the root causes of the significant gap in income between Māori and non-Māori.
Iwi and Māori communities, government, organisations and businesses will be instrumental in developing new ideas, methods and solutions needed to improve Māori economic wellbeing.
Areas that could be looked at include:
- supporting Māori business development
- boosting rangatahi participation in education and training
- increasing Māori employment and wages
- supporting collaboration of iwi and Māori collectives to share lessons and maximise economic value
- supporting a te ao Māori approach to Māori enterprise development
- supporting Māori entrepreneurial initiatives
- continuing partnerships between council and iwi.
Learn more about Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau, council’s performance measurement framework for outcomes that Māori identified as mattering most to them.
Related information
