It is often said that New Zealand is a village because of our small population size and the intimate nature of our country.

When I first arrived here in 1974, I found it fascinating to be asked by people, do you know "so and so" when there was no logical reason why I would know them.

But as time goes by, I have found that I now do the same, because New Zealand's small, intimate nature means that there is a very strong chance that we will know.

This intimacy and the small degree of separation that exists here provide plenty of space and opportunity for Kiwis to have our dreams come true.

I have benefited from this and have proven that through dedication, hard work and a "Yes, we can" attitude we can build strong networks that can open the doors of opportunity.

As we move towards the year 2030, I predict that our small population will not accelerate dramatically in size because most of us value the space that we enjoy.

Projections on current trends suggest we will only reach $5.5 million by the year 2061.

This means we must utilise the skills of every New Zealander to maintain our developed country standard of living and the luxury of having spacious living environments.

We simply have to maximise our total population's potential.

According to the latest Census, there are more than 200 ethnic groups in New Zealand, these communities making up 12 percent of our total population.

And it is projected that by the year 2021, our ethnic communities will make up 18 percent of our population.

Over the next 20 years, these figures will continue to grow and continue to shape the changing face of New Zealand as we become a much more diverse society.

Having such a range of diversity will make the new New Zealand a very exciting place, because with change comes greater opportunity.

But to ensure New Zealand benefits from our increasing diversity, we need to ensure that people from all backgrounds feel valued and able to contribute to the growth of our country.

We must ensure that our diversity is not just one of face value, but rather one that has substance and that allows individuals to achieve.

It will be such a waste if we simply let New Zealand drift along, seeing our ethnic communities as only providing the benefits of a larger variety of food and cultural festivals.

We must ensure that communities are able to share not just their culture, but also their knowledge and networks with all New Zealanders.

Imagine the opportunities we would have missed out on  without the achievement of Chinese New Zealander Chew Chong - who produced the iconic one pound butter and revolutionised our dairy export sector - and  Tommy Ah Chee, who opened the first supermarket chain Foodtown.

Our ethnic diversity can enhance the opportunity to grow through innovation; to network with other countries; and to gain access and knowledge through cultural understanding.

By ignoring the many benefits that come from being a diverse society, New Zealand is in danger of having only visible diversity - without any substance in terms of the added value that comes with having a multi-cultural society.

You don't have to look very far to find pockets of brilliance that are emerging from within our many ethnic communities.

For example, we have Dr Shieak Tzeng, who was awarded a prestigious $10,000 AMP Scholarship by Prime Minister John Key on Friday night.

Dr Tzeng was one of two recipients and has been given the scholarship to continue his ground-breaking health research into the brain and the body's autonomic nervous system at Harvard University in the United States.

I also recently met a young Pakeha boy named Chuck at the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise who won an award in Singapore for a business project of marketing prayer mats with a compass on them to the Muslim communities in Egypt.

He came up with this idea without the help of a fellow Muslim New Zealander, so imagine what he could do by utilising the connections that our diverse society offers.

I intend to invite Chuck to make a presentation at an upcoming Muslim Economic Forum so that he can foster the idea further and gain the knowledge and insight that is essential to fully develop his idea.

Recent research released by the Asia New Zealand Foundation revealed that Asian businesses largely confined their suppliers and customers to their fellow Asians.

This highlights a massive waste of opportunity, especially given the fact that trade between New Zealand and Asia is rapidly growing.

Imagine what the speed of growth would be if we all worked together

There is an emergence of young innovative New Zealanders and it is crucial that they learn to join the dots and form a critical mass that can enhance their chances of success.

Young Chuck, should not only rely on having a chance meeting with a Minister who happens to be enthusiastic and passionate about her role, especially when it comes to promoting our young people, to further his idea.

Our young people deserve to live in a country where access to information and idea sharing do not rely on chance meetings. The Government can play a leadership role in enabling our people to prosper.

I have brought a new, different dimension to the role of Minister for Ethnic Affairs, because I have lived and breathed among our Ethnic communities for the past three decades.

I know from experience the energy and individual talent that exists and I am impatient for New Zealand to realise the many benefits that they can offer our country.

As Minister for Ethnic Affairs, I have a vision that ethnic New Zealanders are confident, equal and proud citizens of our great nation.

Because when we are confident, we can actively participate in all aspects of New Zealand life. We know that we have a voice and we know how to have it heard.

When we are Equal, we can reach our full potential and not feel hindered by barriers that can hold us back.

And when we are proud, we know we have a sense of belonging and a stake in the future of New Zealand.  We do not just celebrate bi or multi-ethnic heritage, but can utilise it to the benefit of ourselves, our families and our country.

The Office of Ethnic Affairs is working to make this happen through a range of projects designed to build bridges between our many different communities to ensure that every New Zealander is able to reach their full potential.

These include: Identifying qualified individuals to serve on Government boards; organising business networking functions; hosting leadership training workshops for young people and women; an inter-cultural awareness programme targeting businesses to provide equal work opportunities; and Building Bridges, an initiative designed to enhance inter-community understanding.

The Office of Ethnic Affairs also promotes Ethnic Policy framework amongst government departments to ensure they take into account ethnic diversity during policy developments.

Nowadays, 60 government departments and agencies currently use Language Line, which allows people to communicate with them in 40 different languages - ensuring language is not a barrier when accessing services.

The Office also holds workshops to foster understanding of our Parliamentary and law making process to ensure that every New Zealander knows how to have their voices heard in the decision making process of our country. 

Our Parliament also celebrates Chinese New Year, Diwali and the Festival of Eid to engender individuals' pride of their ethnicity.

In order for New Zealand to move forward, we must ensure that we utilise the strengths and talents of all New Zealanders and we embrace the many benefits that come from being a diverse society.

We must ensure that our diverse society is one of substance and I am impatient for New Zealanders to stop seeing only the face of diversity and to see what exists underneath the surface. 

By the year 2030, I wish to see our country through the eyes of a young year-two boy I once met at a Christchurch primary school.

While I was talking to the boy's teacher in the playground, he ran up to tell-tale about another kid who was being naughty, describing him as "the boy in the yellow top".

The teacher smiled at me and when I asked why, she said that the boy in the yellow top was the only student in the class from Africa.

When we can all see past the different colours of skin, features and accents and look at people for who they are, we can realise the full potential of our people.

That is a dream that is worth having and worth pursuing.

Thank you.