Today Te Puni Kökiri released Te Mäori I Ngä Rohe, a report that provides a unique insight into the regional diversity of Mäori. The report looks at the economic, social and cultural makeup of Mäori communities, making it an invaluable planning tool for future regional development.

General Manager State Sector Performance Lisa Davies says this is the first time a comprehensive, regionally focused report has been completed on Mäori in their communities.

"The report looks at 14 regions and covers a range of topics ranging from education, labour markets, personal income through to values and traditions, says Ms Davies. "It summarises population trends in each region, highlighting the differing standards of living and drawing out patterns for Mäori community development. In doing so, it provides an insight into the regional diversity of Mäori experiences and aspirations."

Ms Davies says Te Mäori I Ngä Rohe was originally intended as a resource for iwi, hapu, whanau and Mäori organisations. The aim of the report was to help them develop local level strategies to accelerate Mäori development. However Te Mäori I Ngä Rohe also provides information that links directly to furthering a number of the Government's key socio-economic policies.

"The research contained in the report can be directly applied to initiatives like the development of regional partnerships, strengthening and building Mäori capacity and creating a knowledge economy," she says.

Te Mäori I Ngä Rohe highlights a number of key findings. They are: * Maori are not evenly distributed throughout the country, but live in highly concentrated areas. * There are noticeable differences in the age structures between regions and the dependency of older Mäori on the working age population shows the greatest regional diversity. * Community planning for Mäori should focus on youth, as they look to access future educational and employment opportunities. * Mäori have lower labour force participation rates, employment rates and receive less of their income from wages, than the working population as a whole. * Education is a key contributor to regional migration and directly influences access to employment and levels of income, impacting for how and where many Mäori choose to live. * There is high regional variation in the median income range - usually attributable to the uneven participation of Mäori in the labour market. * Initiatives in broadcasting, information technology and education sectors are important tools for accessing the Mäori language for those who are not connected to place based communities. * There is a need to balance enhancing cultural capital within the urban setting and trying to generate self-efficiency in terms of increasing educational and employment opportunities in rural and small-town settings.

Te Mäori I Ngä Rohe incorporated international research indicators to develop benchmark reports on social, cultural and economic status of communities. Data included information made available from the 1999 Ministry of Education administrative database and the 1996 Census.

The report can be viewed at http://www.tpk.govt.nz/

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