Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell has welcomed a new reo Māori strategy launched by Tainui today.

Tikanga Ora Reo Ora ­– outlines how the tribe will support iwi members to become fluent Māori language speakers. The strategy includes providing online learning tools and programmes to support whānau living outside of the tribal area.

“Tainui’s bold goal– for 80 percent of Waikato-Tainui iwi members to be fluent in its tribal reo and tikanga by 2050 – illustrates the commitment iwi have to revitalising te reo.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy have congratulated this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy competition finalists, celebrating excellence in Māori farming.

The three finalists are Tahu a Tao farm in Rakaia near Ashburton, Te Ahu Pātiki and Maukatere near Oxford in Canterbury and Tewi Trust in Okoroire near Tirau.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell is delighted to unveil the portraits of two remarkable wāhine Māori who helped change the political and social landscape of Aotearoa.

The photographs of Hon Iriaka Rātana and Hon Whetū Tirikātene-Sullivan will adorn the walls of Parliament’s former Māori Affairs Committee, Matangireia.

“These women were trailblazers of their time. They led the way on issues that remain a priority today such as te reo Māori, education, employment and electoral representation,” he says.

Cabinet has agreed to provide local Councils with more workable and equitable tools to deal with issues around the rating of unused and unoccupied Māori land.

Local councils already have the ability to remit rates on general and Māori land. However this proposed change clarifies the law around the rating of unoccupied and unused Māori land.

The changes will provide councils the ability to remove rates arrears on unoccupied and unused Māori land where there is:

Māori Development Minister, Te Ururoa Flavell, welcomes the interim Waitangi Tribunal report on Te Ture Whenua Māori.

The Tribunal released part of its report last night in response to an urgent hearing held last year.

Mr Flavell says he agrees with the Tribunal’s view that consultation with Māori is critical to the reform of the Ture Whenua Māori Act.

“This is why we have carried out extensive consultation on Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill and continue to consult with a range of Māori on the reform.

A new initiative to boost the mānuka honey industry in Northland and provide educational and employment opportunities has been launched today at Northland College by Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell,  Education Minister Hekia Parata and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy.

The Mānuka Planting Initiative at Northland College is part of the Tai Tokerau Northland Economic Action Plan which was launched this morning.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell has released an updated draft of Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill and details around further consultation hui.

“I’m pleased that significant changes have been made to the Bill which reflect the written submissions and feedback from nationwide hui received last year. We listened to the people and acted on their kōrero,” says Mr Flavell.

Some of the key changes to the updated draft Bill are:

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell has announced two new appointments to the Board of the Māori Broadcasting Funding Agency, Te Māngai Pāho.

“I am pleased to appoint Vanessa Clark and Brian Morris, who bring a wealth of experience to the Board,” he says.

Ms Clark has 15 years global experience in the Information and Communication Technology industry, while Mr Morris has been in the publishing industry for 13 years.

Brian Morris is also a fluent Māori speaker and licensed translator.

A Ministerial Investigation into the affairs of Te Aupōuri Māori Trust Board has been completed and its findings have been reported to Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell.

On 17 September 2015, Mr Flavell appointed Grant Taylor, a Partner at Ernst and Young, to conduct an investigation.

Its purpose was to piece together how the Board reached its financial situation.

“The investigation found no evidence of fraud or criminal activity.  I am pleased to hear that this is the case,” he says.

Changes to the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training (MPTT) programme from next year will open the door to trade careers for more Māori and Pasifika learners, Tertiary Education Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell announced today.

Māori and Pasifika Trades Training is one of the key programmes in the skills section of the Business Growth Agenda, to lift the participation of young Māori and Pasifika in meaningful employment, especially in regional New Zealand.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell has released a summary of the submissions made on the exposure draft of Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill.

More than 1200 people attended the 23 consultation hui held around the country in June 2015, and almost 400 written submissions were received.

“I’m grateful to the people who took the time and made the effort to either attend one of the consultation hui or to make a submission. I value all of the contributions people have made to this reform,” says Mr Flavell.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell has announced New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is committing an extra $1.6 million to support Māori businesses wanting to grow internationally.

Mr Flavell says there’s huge interest in the unique value that Māori businesses offer overseas.

“I’ve just returned from leading a Māori trade mission to China that included businesses spanning tourism, dairy, seafood, wine, kiwifruit, horticulture, professional services and manufacturing,” he says.

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams and Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell marked 150 years of Te Kooti Whenua Māori –or the Māori Land Court – in Parliament this evening.

“The Māori Land Court is New Zealand’s oldest and longest established specialist court. It holds a special place in New Zealand and is one of a few courts of its kind in the world so it’s important we recognise this significant milestone,” says Ms Adams.

Ms Adams said the Māori Land Court played an important role in New Zealand’s justice system.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell says changes made to the draft Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill are a result of extensive consultation with Māori land owners and affected stakeholders.

Cabinet signed off on a number of changes to the draft Bill today which will make it easier for Māori land owners to better utilise their land while protecting the retention of Māori land in Māori ownership.

“The changes show that we are listening to the people and have responded to their concerns,” says Mr Flavell.

A pounamu carrying the spirit of Aotearoa will be unveiled at the New Zealand Consulate-General in Shanghai to support its new premises.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell, who is on his first official trade mission to China, will lead the ceremony blessing the greenstone.

“The pounamu will act as a mauri (life force) for the office and staff and it will also represent the connection to home for all New Zealanders doing business or visiting Shanghai”, he says.

Successful Māori companies representing New Zealand’s $1.3 billion seafood export industry will be on display at the China Fisheries and Seafood Expo in Qingdao today.

The companies are a part of a trade delegation led by Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell.

He says some of New Zealand’s largest Māori fisheries companies are participating in the seafood expo.

Successful businesses representing New Zealand’s $42 billion-plus Māori Taniwha economy’ will be represented in a trade delegation that leaves for China and Hong Kong today.

The delegation will be led by Māori Development Minister Hon Te Ururoa Flavell.

Māori have stamped their mark on the newly launched Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Economic Action Plan which aims to lift employment, incomes and investments across the region.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell is welcoming the Action Plan saying it will help tāngata whenua realise their aspiration of being self-sufficient. 

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell says “Cabinet has approved amendments be made to the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill.”

“I am pleased that Cabinet has agreed to the landmark decision to enact the Bill in dual languages and that will mean the reo Māori text will prevail in law”, he says.

The key proposals approved by Cabinet include:

Communications Minister Amy Adams and Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell have announced eight appointees to the Māori ICT Development Fund Expert Advisory Group.

In Budget 2014, the Government allocated $30 million for a Māori ICT Development Fund to support Māori economic development and support access to Māori language and culture through digital literacy initiatives.