Tama Potaka: Māori Development Minister on iwi-owned commercial entities outperforming large companies

Iwi-owned commercial entities have outperformed some of New Zealand’s largest listed companies. 

ANZ’s annual Te Tirohanga Whanui report shows the entities emerged from the economic downturn in good shape, faring better on a return on assets basis. 

Waikato-Tainui’s among the strong performers, having a balance sheet of $1.9 billion. 

Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka told Heather Du Plessis-Allan there are some reasons behind the uplift. 

He says many iwi and Māori businesses are land and people based, they have low debt levels, and are often generational players. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So we've got new data out from A and Z
showing that the Marti economy is outperforming some of the
country's largest listed companies. Research suggests that EWE and Hapoo
owned entities have emerged from the economic downturn and pretty
good shape actually, and they perform better on a returns basis.
Tama Putaka is the Marti Development Minister with us.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Good morning, Tama, Thank you to Heather. How are you
going very well?

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Thank you? What are they doing right?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Oh? Look, you know many of the EWE and Marti
businesses are landing people base, they have low debt levels
and often it's the generational players. So getting the opportunities
to build out things like the Dukulda Logistics Upham Hamilton,
That's what many of the we are all about.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
We're often using the Wycuttle case rights as an example
of how you know we are doing well? But is
this I mean obviously apart from them and Naitahu, what
are the others up to? Are they doing as well well?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
You might have noticed a report just recently about ninety
five to Ka partnering to rebuild Eastcliff up at Eastalklan
cent talking just across the water from where you are
heather and there's a number of EWE who are working
together have gone from about zero dollars to about a
half a billion dollars worth of properly together, it's about
thirty EWE and mini groups working together in a business

(01:10):
known as harpey What toma?

Speaker 1 (01:12):
What have we we got? These three examples that are
the ones that are often used as nati fatawa na
tahu tai nui are they sort of like leaps and
bounds ahead of all the.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Other EWI Well, I think there are some E regroups,
but there are also some land based organizations like trust
people or groups that own gfmal power stations in the
middle of the North Isron groups that own massive dairy
farm holdings throughout the country, particularly places like Tatanaki and
m King Country. So pkaw And Corporation is a great
example in tutenak At, the largest owner of Fonterra shares.

(01:41):
Down that way.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
What happens to the profits, well.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Profits as they are to be made, and a lot
of the reports around balance sheet growth heither rather than
profit and lost growth are often reinvested into the business
and sometimes help out with charitable purposes or pharmo purposes,
for example, helping comart to get ex to healthcare. Audo ka,
I've got something fantastic which has helping pay for health
insurance so many of their ewing members have better access

(02:08):
to health n IBM.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
Do you ever show this to PuO up North and
say you need to sign. This is what happens if
you sign?

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Oh well, I think the challenges are North a little
bit different, but they've got their own pathway. But what
I'm really focused on is making sure I support and
work with people like Paul Goldsmith who leading the Tree
client process, and that can lead to mess and a
messive not just tribal growth, but regional economic growth. And
it's really energizing for me to know that marya strong

(02:38):
contributors to the national economy.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Good stuff, Thoma, Thank you very much for your time.
Is always time of Paul tak a Marti Development Minister.
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Speaker 2 (02:47):
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