Hon Te Ururoa Flavell
Te Minita Whakawhanaketanga Māori
Minister for Māori Development

Te Minita Tuarua Whanaketanga Ohaoha
Associate Minister for Economic Development.

29 March 2017

Waikato-Tainui continue to break the mould

Three Waikato-Tainui initiatives show an iwi mind-set and skill set that breaks the mould to bring solutions and approaches that benefit its people and the wider Waikato region, says Minister for Māori Development and Associate Minister for Economic Development Te Ururoa Flavell.

Mr Flavell visited the Waikato River Festival, the launch of a new Drivers Licence Grant and meeting with graduands of the Waikato Beekeepers Training Collective today.

The Minister says, the talents of Waikato-Tainui people and building partnerships with local agencies like Te Puni Kōkiri shows that the iwi is prepared to cast the net wider in order to bring about new collaborations, exciting solutions and approaches.

He described each initiative, as realising a different future for Waikato-Tainui – a transformation that showed their belief that something better was possible not only for their beneficiaries but also the wider region.

“Doing what we have always done will not get us to our destination of achieving our aspirations. The tribe’s collective courage and appetite to shift thinking to overcome any constraints to progress contributes to a powerful platform from which to grow collectively,” Mr Flavell says.

“These initiatives continue to show Waikato-Tainui to be masters of their own destiny - in charge of shaping their own affairs for the good of their people and the Waikato region.”

Te Puni Kōkiri has partnered with Waikato-Tainui in all three of the following regional based events:

• With Tainui Waka Tourism, Trust Waikato, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, NZ Tourism and Aotearoa Experience to deliver the Waikato River Festival He Piko He Taniwha. The Waikato River Festival aims to establish and develop a month long programme to showcase and acknowledge the tupuna awa and its’ tributaries as a national taonga.

• With NZTA and Mercury to support the launch of Kia Haere Tū a tribal development initiative to support Waikato-Tainui beneficiaries to obtain their drivers licensing and undertake a defensive driving course. This will lead to outcomes that will better prepare tribal members for employment opportunities and in the long term contribute to safer roads.

• With Waikato River Trust and Whai Manawa Limited to support the Waikato Māori Beekeepers Collective to establish its Beekeeper Training programme aimed at Māori landowners. A year on (1 April) the collective will graduate its inaugural intake with their Level 2 Apiculture certificate.

ENDS

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