Kua whakatūria he Rōpū KaipēkeMāori Bankers Rōpū established
Kua whakatūria e ētahi kaihautū Māori mai i te rāngai pēke te Rōpū Kaipēke Māori tuatahi, tōna ingoa ko Tāwhia, hei
whakawhiti whakaaro, hei whakahōhonu hoki i te māramatanga ki ngā take matua mō ngāi Māori i roto i te rāngai pēke.
Kei roto i taua rōpū ētahi kanohi mai i ngā pēke o ASB, o Westpac, ANZ, BNZ, Kiwibank, Heartland, me Te Pūtea Matua (the
Reserve Bank of New Zealand) hei kanohi, hei kaitiaki hoki o te pūnaha ahumoni o te motu.
“E hari ana mātou ki te tū i te taha o ētahi atu kaihautū o te pēke ahumoni, i a rātou e tū tahi ana hei hora, hei
whakatairanga i ngā putanga ka anga ki runga i te kaupapa tō mai i te Māori, whakapiki hoki i te toiora Māori,” te kī a
te Toihau o Te Pūtea Matua, a Adrian Orr.
“I roto i Te Pūtea Matua, e mārama ana mātou he mea taketake Te Ao Māori mō Aotearoa New Zealand, ā, e hari ana mātou ki
te tautoko i tēnei Rōpū me tōna kaupapa.”
Kua whakapūmautia e te huhua o te hunga whai pānga o te ahumahi pēke ā rātou kōkiri ake nō Te Ao Māori, heoi anō, e mahi
ana te rāngai ki te tārei i tētahi kōkiri torowhānui. E ū ana tēnei Rōpū i roto i ngā tikanga o te waihanga whare (traditional houses), mā te katoa e hanga, hei painga mō te katoa.
Kua tohua e ngā mema o te Rōpū ētahi wāhanga arotahi matua e toru – te whakapiki i te wātea ki te moni, te whakapiki i
te māramatanga ahumoni o ngāi Māori, me te whakapiki i te whiwhinga mahi mā ngāi Māori i te rāngai pēke.
“E hari ana tō mātou rōpū hautū me ngā kaimahi o Te Pūtea Matua mō te āhua o te mahi tahi me te Rōpū, me te hora i ā
mātou tautoko, pūkenga hoki, e piki ai hoki he painga mō te rāngai pēke, ngā kiritaki Māori, me Aotearoa nui tonu.”Mō ētahi atu kōreroTe Ao Māori: an evolving and responsible strategyMāori Bankers Rōpū established
Māori leaders from the banking sector have established the first Māori Bankers Rōpū (group), known as Tāwhia, to share ideas and deepen the understanding of key issues for Māori within the banking sector.
The Rōpū includes senior representatives from ASB, Westpac, ANZ, BNZ, Kiwibank, Heartland and the Reserve Bank of New
Zealand - Te Pūtea Matua – as an observer and kaitiaki to the financial system.
“We’re proud to stand alongside other leaders from the banking industry, as they come together to help deliver and
promote outcomes centred on Māori financial inclusion and wellbeing,” says Te Pūtea Matua Governor Adrian Orr.
“At Te Pūtea Matua, we recognise that Te Ao Māori is integral to Aotearoa New Zealand and we’re proud to support this
Rōpū and its kaupapa (vision and opportunities).”
Many banking industry participants have adopted their own Te Ao Māori initiatives, and the sector is working towards a
more collective response. The Rōpū is grounded in the traditional tikanga of building a whare (traditional houses) by the collective, for the benefit of all.
Rōpū members have highlighted three key focus areas – bolstering access to capital, improving financial literacy for
Māori and Māori employment in the banking sector.
“Our leadership team and staff at Te Pūtea Matua look forward to working with the Rōpū and providing our support and
expertise, which will in turn benefit the banking sector, Māori customers and Aotearoa.”