Recent settlements with four of the five iwi grouped together under Te Hiku, in the Far North, included seven former Landcorp farms totalling 14,600ha.
In addition, ownership of 6800ha of land under the Aupouri Forest passed to the iwi.
The report said assets owned by self-employed Maori, Maori employers and trusts and incorporations totalled $2.4 billion in the region.
However, much of the Maori capital assets and capabilities were not being used.
Despite 30% of Northland’s population identifying as Maori, the contribution of Maori to the regional gross domestic product was only 13%.
Te Rununga o Te Rarawa chief executive Keith Robinson, speaking on behalf of the Te Taitokerau iwi chief executives’ forum, said 45,000 Maori lived in the region and only 12,500 were employed in the region.
The forum commissioned a separate but related report by researchers BERL, called He Tangata, He Whenua, He Oranga.
“With Treaty settlements iwi will focus on core assets such as farming, forestry and fishing,” Robinson said.
“However, future opportunities will include more productive use of assets and moving up the value chain in the primary industries.
“There are potential new opportunities in aquaculture, eco-tourism, geothermal energy, horticulture, properties, social housing stock on a commercial basis, infrastructure, water and waste management, water storage and irrigation, honey, mineral extraction and management of underutilised Maori freehold land.”
