Māori are key partners, stakeholders and members of our community.
The Bay of Plenty has the largest number of iwi within any region in New Zealand and also has New Zealand's second largest Māori population.
- There are 35 iwi groups (iwi authorities and/or iwi rūnanga), 260 hapū and 224 marae.
- The Bay of Plenty region has the second highest rate of Māori language speakers in the country.
- Māori represent almost a third of the region’s population.
- Around 37 percent of land tenure is in Māori title. There are more than 5000 parcels of Māori land in the region.
- There are approximately 1800 land trusts in the region which hold more than $6.6 billion in assets.
- Recent Treaty settlements delivered $433 million of investment funding into the Bay of Plenty region. This will increase with future settlements.
Māori make a significant contribution to our region through their ownership of notable assets; contribution to economic development; participation in co-governance and their growing influence in the conservation, preservation and management of our natural resources.