For a long time, Te Hiku has been absorbed into the wider Te Tai Tokerau or Far North data aggregates, or both. This can often mask unique local conditions and result in an inaccurate picture of need and opportunity. The increasing availability of Te Hiku-specific datasets is changing that, giving our rohe the evidence base needed to make accurate, locally grounded cases for investment and system change.

Through the strengthening of our relationship with Northland Regional Council economists, an annual Te Hiku-specific Economic Profile has become a valuable reference point for understanding the state of our local economy. Beyond the Data sits alongside that report. We have worked through the Infometrics profile and interpreted what we consider most relevant to Te Hiku communities. We would welcome you to do the same.

Why we wrote a synthesis.

Numbers on their own don't tell the whole story. Beyond the Data is the independent view of Te Hiku Iwi Development Trust, written from within Te Hiku. It does not replace the data; it strengthens it by applying a Te Hiku-centric lens grounded in the lived reality of our whānau and attentive to the way system settings shape social and economic outcomes over time.

The synthesis asks not only what the numbers show, but what they mean for Te Hiku whānau, and what must follow from them. Where claims are drawn from community knowledge or observation rather than published data, we say so. The goal throughout is analytical honesty.

What the data is telling us.

The Te Hiku economy is under pressure. GDP retracted by 2.1 percent over the 2024 to 2025 period. That is twice the national retraction of 1 percent, and seven times the Far North retraction of 0.3 percent. A total of 191 jobs were lost across the rohe over the same period. Put simply, Te Hiku is being left behind. While economies across Aotearoa New Zealand are also under pressure, the scale of contraction in our rohe demands urgent, targeted action.

Everyday whānau who are already managing on limited means are feeling the effects across employment, housing, health, and education. None of this is new to the people who live here. What is new is that it can now be understood with greater clarity, with evidence, with specificity, and with a Te Hiku voice alongside the numbers.

The report works sector by sector through the primary industries, construction, rental and real estate, high value services, education and training, and health care and social assistance. Each section names what the data shows, applies a Te Hiku-centric lens, and sets out targeted recommendations and the outcomes we are seeking.

A call to action.

Across every sector examined, the conditions for recovery and growth exist. The workforce is here. The relationships are here. The institutional knowledge, the Iwi assets, the partnership frameworks; they are all here and they are strong. What is needed is targeted, sustained investment that reflects the true scale of need and the genuine opportunity in Te Hiku.

The recommendations in this synthesis are not aspirational. They are grounded in data, informed by lived experience, and shaped by years of cross-sector engagement. They are directly connected to the outcomes of the Te Hiku o Te Ika Iwi-Crown Social Development and Wellbeing Accord:

• Whai Rawa/Economically Secure and Sustainable: Te Hiku o Te Ika Iwi are engaged in a diverse, progressive and sustainable economy.
• Whānau Ora/Secure Standard of Living: Te Hiku o Te Ika Iwi have a secure standard of living comparable to the New Zealand population as a whole.

This work is delivered through the Te Hiku – Crown Joint Work Programme as part of its role to build a shared evidence base for Te Hiku, using data and local insight to inform cross-agency planning, investment, and system response.

Our ongoing commitment.

We will continue to refine our analysis of these datasets so that the findings make sense for everyday whānau in Te Hiku. The goal is straightforward: to make this information accessible and actionable. Te Hiku Iwi Development Trust will keep using evidence to anchor this work, holding the line on what the data shows, applying a Te Hiku-centric lens, and advocating clearly for the response our communities deserve.

Read the full synthesis: Beyond the Data: Te Hiku Insights on Te Hiku Rohe Regional Economic Profile 2025 (PDF)

Read the full report: 2025 Regional Economic Profile: Te Hiku Rohe

Beyond the Data was authored by Mereraina Piripi, Systems Transformation Lead, Te Hiku Iwi Development Trust.

This document represents the independent view of Te Hiku Iwi Development Trust.