Regional Plan Stakeholder Event

I am really pleased to be here, at this important stakeholder event; to hear at first hand, the enterprises and employment experiences that distinguish Whanganui, Taranaki, the Rangitikei and the King Country.

From Otorohanga in the north, to Rangitikei in the South; Taranaki in the west and Ruapehu in the east; this region is bound together by lines of whakapapa; by a shared geological history; by the beautiful natural parks of Whanganui, Tongariro and Egmont.

As the local member for Te Tai Hauauru I often travel the long, scenic roads across this rohe; and see at first hand many of the challenges for this area.   Always, whether it is with iwi and hapu or the communities of the distinctive rural locations across this region; I am impressed by the resilience; the optimism and the entrepreneurial spirit of the people of this part of the country. 

And so it is with genuine pride, that I agreed to be part of this special launch today, of the Ministry of Social Development's Regional Plan for Taranaki, the King Country, the Rangitikei and Whanganui.

I want to thank Gloria Campbell, the Regional Commissioner, for the opportunity to be part of this event.

The programme looks as varied and as vibrant as one would expect for this region.  

We seem to have everything from the School Trades Presentation that Year Ten students in Whanganui schools receive; to the concepts of enterprising communities and trades facilitation being led, respectively, by Jenny Pewhairangi and Susan Crawshaw.

We have the great fortune to live in a region which is blessed with lush exotic bush; the depth of our awa; the wild crest of waves crashing on the coast; the majesty of mountains extending our horizons ever higher.  In short it is an environment in which we are destined to thrive.

But there is also a chequered history across this region, which has not yielded equally positive outcomes for all families, all communities.

And so today, we are all aware of the complex range of social issues faced by so many of our families; issues which threaten their stability; and erode their confidence.

Today is a chance to face the reality of our communities, and to consider what we can do, together, to make the difference.  I am hopeful that the MSD plan will help to seed new ideas, new initiatives to respond to these challenges.   To that end, I want to mention two particular initiatives that represent to me, the promise this plan holds to focus on positive outcomes for employment and ongoing education and training.

The first project was established on Ngati Tama land in the midst of the Whitecliffs/ Parininihi area.   This project is being pioneered by Conrad O'Carroll and his Community Max team; and it targets the prevalence of rats, stoats and possums in an effort to protect and preserve the precious kokako.

The survival of the kokako is now being assured through the collaboration of key players such as MSD; Tegal (who are providing the eggs for the traps) and the Taranaki Electricity Trust who supported the project with track-cutting gear, bikes and a vehicle.

The second project is the Ruapehu-Whanganui Trails Ngā Ara Tūhono which crosses two iconic national parks and a World Heritage Area in creating a major economic development, tourism and adventure destination.

The trail will provide long term economic benefits for the Ruapehu - Whanganui region estimated at $2.4 - 3 million per annum.  To date some thirty people have been employed as temporary Conservation staff, including six Community Max staff, and 2 DOC Trainee Rangers. Approximately $700,000 has already gone into the local economy primarily from construction contracts.

The Ruapehu-Whanganui Trails is a regional initiative involving Ruapehu and Whanganui District Councils; Whanganui iwi, and the Department of Conservation working closely with community groups such as Ohakune 2000 and the Tongariro Natural History Society.

Both the Kokako survival programme; and the Cycle Trail; are good examples of initiatives which provide meaningful employment and an opportunity for further development. 

They are models of collaboration across a number of players, they add to the tourism, economic and natural heritage potential of this area, and they are tailored to the unique environment of this region.

Both of them also exemplify the amazing value added by the Community Max scheme which was an initiative I established last year; to ensure that as many of our young people as possible were able to be positively engaged during the recession.  

Community Max, along with Job Ops, has been a crucial approach to helping young people turn their lives around.  In fact, if I'm thinking about the projects that have got me really excited over the last year, it would have to be the innovation and the energy associated with these enterprises that has really stood out.

If we are going to improve any of the outcomes for our young people across this region, for whanau and hapu, meaningful employment is crucial.  

Tangata whenua make up nearly half of Work and Income's job seekers in this region, so it is really important that the expertise of organisations like the Ratana Ahu Whenua trust or our runanga and marae structures is actively encouraged and engaged.

I want to really encourage us to focus on the plentiful opportunity before us. 

This region is of course home to the country's largest exporter of dairy products; and is also recognised as the energy capital of Aotearoa; particularly in gas exploration.

Dairy and meat processing, agriculture, tourism, forestry and manufacturing are key industries throughout the region.   Over these last two years, as times have been tough, the work with employer groups, local economic development agencies and labour market advisory groups has been vital in maintaining the local economy.

Industry training partnerships are a good way for us to support local businesses with skilled staff where there is a potential to grow.

The region currently has four Industry Partnerships, in engineering, meat, hospitality and security industries and there are other opportunities which are really breaking new ground. 

Last month, for instance, I launched Whakatipuranga Rima Rau which aims to fill 500 jobs for Maori in the health and disability sector - solving both skill shortages in this region but also supporting those who need it most.

I'm really aware too, that as our population ages, we need to be investing in initiatives to enable our older people to be valued and supported to live independently while at the same time participating fully across our communities.

In summary then, the priorities that this Government is trying hard to support are five-fold:

• We are focusing on work;
• We must protect our children;
• Our young people must have opportunities;
• Our older people must be supported and included;
• And we recognise that our communities depend on a whole range of dedicated, skilled people and organisations working together to deliver what their own communities need.

A fundamental element to everything we are doing is the driving force of Whanau Ora.

Whanau Ora, is essentially about transforming social service delivery so that the focus is on the needs of whanau rather than the needs of an individual or the priorities of a provider.

It is a fantastic opportunity for funders, providers, practitioners and whanau to work together to create the momentum required to lift whanau wellbeing.   The transformation comes from focusing on outcomes - lifting our collective vision, to enable whanau to restore themselves to the essence of who they are.

Each of you in this room, will have had ample experience of the priorities and passions of the people you work with.  

Your understanding of the burning ambitions of your families will be a much needed point of direction for this region and I ask you, today, to consider how our plan can best represent the vision of the people you serve across Whanganui, Taranaki, Rangitikei and the King Country.

You are at the frontline every day; the needs and aspirations of your communities need to be tapped into, if we are to truly reflect the people of this region. 

I am absolutely committed to ways of working which enable communities to enjoy more control over how they address their needs in order to deliver better results for all our families.

Whether it's protecting kokako; challenging the tragedy of family violence in our midst; or doing everything humanly possible to restore the roles and responsibilities of families to care for the collective wellbeing of their own  - this plan we launch today must mirror your world back to you.

I wish you all an inspiring and challenging year ahead, and I am delighted to officially launch the Taranaki, King Country and Whanganui Regional Plan.