default-output-block.skip-main
National | Te Ururoa Flavell

Flavell eyes Māori initiatives in Whangarei

Māori initiatives are the focus of the Minister of Māori Development as he travels through Northland this week.  Today Te Ururoa Flavell and his contingent visited a number of projects of interest in Whangarei.

Who better than Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai to lead the Minister of Māori Development around local projects aimed at creating future benefit and livelihood for the region?

“I'm here to look at projects that Te Puni Kōkiri are involved in up here relating to Whānau Ora, Moving the Māori Nation, housing and a range of initiatives,” says Flavell, “And in time, we would expect to see a strategy for this development in Whangarei whereby the government could provide support.”

The beginnings of the Hundertwasser Art Museum and the Whangarei Māori Cultural Centre along with the Whangarei Charter School, Te Kapehu Whetu were visited by the minister.

“It's great to see that Māori playing an active role in Whangarei, be it tourism, education or business,” says Flavell, “But the problem is that there's no single strategy to affect the realisation of these initiatives. That was discussed today but it's only in its initial stages.”

The minister will spend three days in Northland visiting projects from Whangarei to Kaitaia in line with the government's aim to address the issue of social deprivation in the regions.

Tomorrow the minister and his contingent travel to Kaikohe.