He Mauri Ohooho (HMO) is the Māori Economic Development Strategy for the Bay of Plenty developed under the Bay of Connections regional economic development framework in 2014. HMO was New Zealand’s first regionally coordinated Māori Economic Development Strategy and whilst aligning with the goals of the He Kai Kei Aku Ringa national strategy, provides a local and regional context, informed by iwi, hapū and other Māori stakeholders in the Bay of Plenty.
The aim of HMO is to provide the foundation for creating conversations about Māori Economic Development and encourage Māori within the region to take an active role in leading initiatives and opportunities that fall out of the strategy Six strategic priorities contributing to the vision of Māori creating wealth, jobs and prosperity across the region were identified.
These include:
Māori are key stakeholders and significant contributors to social and economic growth in the wider Bay of Plenty region yet there remains a disparity between Māori and non Māori living in the region and we wish to address this with positive action.
In 2019 the He Mauri Ohooho Māori advisory board as part of its natural evolution established an independent entity called Toi Kai Rawa. Toi is an ancient ancestor prevalent in connecting the wider Bay of Plenty. Under the mana of Toi, Toi Kai Rawa means creating an abundance of wealth in its widest metaphorical and physical forms. The availability of wealth that can be distributed to and shared by every whānau member symbolises a community that is connected, heathy, thriving and well - a community where everyone is sustained and can thus rise to meet the challenges of the future.
