16 Aug 2011

Waikato-Tainui could create up to 800 jobs

7:37 pm on 16 August 2011

The Waikato-Tainui executive's chairperson says over the next three years his organisation could create up to 800 full-time jobs.

Tukoroirangi Morgan, was speaking at a conference on the social services Whanau Ora programme, in Auckland on Tuesday.

He says the positions wouldn't all be low-skilled and would provide long term employment.

Mr Morgan says he has asked Social Development Minister, Paula Bennett, to create a longer employment training scheme so tangata whenua can start working on projects around the preservation of the Waikato River.

He also says he has approached a mining company in Australia and suggested his iwi start a training and job programme for people who want to move to Perth.