Helmut Modlik, CEO of Ngati Toa Rangatira shared his vision for sustainable growth for Ngati Toa and its people. He is aiming to build sustainable growth and prosperity for Ngati Toa and its people. His presentation this week was very illuminating.
Sustainable growth for Ngati Toa and its people
The ancestors of Ngati Toa travelled from Hawaii around 1,000 years ago and settled on the west coast of the North Island. Then around 800 years later they moved to Kapiti. After the usual battles, all was peace until the 1840s after which were many treaty breaches and forced land sales, impoverishing many. It meant that by 1900 only around 100 Ngati Toa adults were left.
Fast forward to the 1950s and Porirua had intensive redevelopment to help house those who needed them, but it produced cold, damp houses and caused significant environmental damage to the harbour. Fortunately, as a result of the treaty settlement started in the late 1980s, there was hope, and a vision for Porirua to be the best place to live and raise a family.
Since then, Ngati Toa Rangatira has invested in improving the social and natural and built environment especially investing in more social housing, along with remediation of the natural environment. With assets now of over $1 billion a staff of over 550, progress has been significant, but still with a long way to go.