A sustainable economic strategy for Tairāwhiti
We developed the regional economic strategy for the Tairāwhiti region, Takiri Ko Te Ata – A New Day
The Tairāwhiti region is diverse and has significant economic potential, and needed a coordinated community-focused strategy for growing the prosperity of the region and its people.
Regional coordination organisation Rau Tipu Rau Ora took on the role of developing the economic development plan. In contrast to many comparable initiatives, the work commenced by seeking input and perspectives from the community – finding out what prosperity means for whānau, and building the ground-up plan for achieving that.
From one end of Tairāwhiti to the other, we ran multiple hui to explore ideas and options, guided by our key principles – the economy is a subsidiary of a healthy environment; and the economy exists to serve the people, not the other way around.
We then took the common themes and ideas and developed these into a set of 14 integrated initiatives, covering the primary sector, digital innovation, energy mana motuhake, and more. This formed the basis for actionable, deliverable initiatives that will be progressed collectively by the region in the decades ahead.
We began with what prosperity means to whānau.
We developed Takiri Ko Te Ata through a community-led process that placed local aspirations and lived experience at the centre of the strategy.
We engaged with whānau, iwi, businesses, community organisations and regional leaders through a series of hui across Tairāwhiti to understand what prosperity means for the region and identify opportunities for long-term growth.
We then translated these insights into a practical economic strategy, bringing together 14 integrated initiatives across areas including primary industries, digital innovation, energy and regional resilience. The strategy provided a shared roadmap for collective action and future investment.
The Takiri Ko Te Ata strategy was delivered in 2024, and handed over to economic development agency Trust Tairāwhiti to be progressed. A number of the initiatives have progressed strongly, including the Tairāwhiti Distributed Energy Programme, and the transition of land use from commercial plantation forestry into permanent carbon sequestration. Work is continuing in a number of areas, and the Tairāwhiti economy is gradually diversifying from its traditional primary production roots.
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