It is widely acknowledged that the development of the Māori economy is fundamental to achieving region-wide growth in the Bay of Plenty region which is due to the large (up to 1/3rd) proportion of the Māori asset base (mostly underutilised land) in the region and the significant participation of Māori in key land based industries such as forestry, dairy, sheep and cattle farming, horticulture and aquaculture.

Although there are several operators/ supporters in the Whenua Māori development space, Toi Kai Rawa sees an ongoing demand and interest by Māori Land owners for support with identifying land use options for their blocks and assisting them to navigate with various agencies to unlock the possibilities and to realise their Māori Land aspirations, however any development needs to sit within a broader community development context for example with Kiwifruit development there will be significant strain on infrastructure and ability to access workforce.

Our Focus:

Toi Kai Rawa will look for opportunities to fund prototypes that will assist Māori communities to identify their aspirations and co creating an action plan to realise this potential.