Te Rarawa to hold Summit Hui on Iwi Investments

Exploring iwi investment opportunities is one of the many development initiatives Te Rarawa will focus on at the Iwi Summit hui to be held in Kaitaia from the 22nd-24th November, 2012.

The summit will look for direction on an investment strategy to build a solid financial foundation for the future of Te Rarawa descendants that will create employment opportunities and protect iwi and hapu resources. Directors of the Te Rarawa asset holding company, Te Waka Pupuri Putea, will provide strategic investment advice for the iwi as they consider a number of key priorities for development.

Deloitte's Partner and Te Waka Pupuri Putea director Leon Wijohn says, "One of the messages we're getting loud and strong from the marae delegates is that everything we invest in has to be done using strong relationships our marae communities and people, so that we're all moving in the same direction as one."

One of the investment priorities we've already spoken about will focus on building a 'Te Rarawa economy', to create employment opportunities and iwi, hapu and whanau based business development.

"There is some really good learning from within New Zealand and overseas where organisations invest in developing their own people, through education and innovation hubs, where skills and ideas can be nurtured into new business creation," adds Wijohn.

"We have to look well into the future, but have a 5, 10, 15 year plan so that we can make the investments now to ensure our people and iwi business are ready to take up the future opportunities that will emerge from our investments."

Another area of focus for Te Waka Pupuri Putea is to secure the resources to protect them for the future. The money that Te Rarawa will initially receive as part of their settlement will be held in secure short term deposits to allow time for a thorough development of investment options and business cases. "It's important that these resources are parked up in safe way while we go through this planning process; talking with our people and undertaking research and development of the various investment options available to us."

Iwi Chair Haami Piripi agrees that the settlement contains intergenerational resources which must be protected and nurtured for the mokopuna that are yet to be born.

In the agriculture sector Te Rarawa has a substantial land base and established farming communities and businesses. "It would therefore make sense to invest and expand in the area of land use which includes agriculture, horticulture and silviculture." says Piripi.

"This doesn't mean that the investment only sits at a local level. These primary industries are interconnected with a number of support industries and other high end niche marketing opportunities, some of them worldwide. We need to explore other opportunities in the supply chain to markets which may involve joint venture agreements with other iwi or business partners."

"The essential key to all our business arrangement is connectivity, between us as Te Rarawa members and our stakeholders and business partners. With the addition of the ultrafast broadband network which we've already invested in, we'll be able to amplify our current investments in primary productions, as well as potentially creating new opportunities in areas like ecotourism, data management and remote customer service centres." says Piripi.

ENDS

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