Manukau City Council Powhiri

Ladies and Gentlemen, I greet you in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean and Tokelauan.

Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni

Specifically I greet you: Sir Barry Curtis, Mayor of Manukau and Councillors; Judith Collins, MP for Clevedon, Distinguished Guests.

May I thank you for your warm welcome to my wife Susan and to ManukauCity this evening.

This is my first visit to the region as Governor-General and it gives me great pleasure to visit what can be described as the most multicultural city in New Zealand.  It is a place to which I relate through having been in another career a working Judge in the South Auckland circuit and a working Ombudsman whose jurisdiction for local government included Manukau.  I am advised there are no less than 165 different ethnic groups living in the Manukau region.

In this sense, I am aware, ManukauCity is a microcosm for wider New Zealand, which in the 21^st Century can truly categorise itself as a multicultural nation.

Today more than half of all children born in New Zealand are, to some extent, of Maori, Pacific or Asian descent.

Whereas 30 years ago, 86 percent of New Zealanders were European, today, just over two thirds of New Zealanders identify as European. Just under a third identify as Maori, Asian and Pacific.

As New Zealanders in 2007, we are increasingly aware that our nationhood lies in our diverse ethnic heritage. Being a New Zealander today is as much about acknowledging this diversity, as it is about celebrating the values and the history we share.

This represents an historic change. There have been times in our past when migrants were strongly urged to shed their cultures of origin and to assimilate into the majority culture of their adopted country.

My own family members met such challenges when they first came to New Zealand from Fiji, before I was born. However, like many of their peers, they successfully maintained strong links to their culture of origin, while also accepting and working within the New Zealand culture of the time.

I was the direct beneficiary of their determination to nurture their heritage. As a child, I was made to see myself as a New Zealander but who also had a background connection with Fiji and India. This sense of belonging to both cultures has remained with me throughout my life.

Today, there is much greater recognition within New Zealand that migrants who treasure their own cultures are not only legitimate New Zealanders, but are more able to contribute positively to their adopted country as a result.

I endorse this change, both as someone who is a New Zealander of Fiji-Indian heritage and as Governor-General.  My wife Susan and I have been able to do something of the same with our children.

ManukauCity has been at the forefront of this change.

I have seen many people, hailing most notably from the Pacific and Asia, choose this part of the world to make a new life. In particular, many have chosen the Manukau region as their home.

Since the establishment of ManukauCity in 1965, the growth of the city's ethnic population has been on a par with the over-all growth of the city.

This has, of course, presented challenges for Manukau, as it would for any constituency.

With the population in the region increasing at around 10,000 per year, I am advised, ManukauCity is set to become the second most populous region in New Zealand within the next decade.

The challenge pursuant to such rapid growth is to develop a youthful and diverse population into being successful New Zealanders. You can do this by working in partnerships with business, central Government and other parts of the community to create a climate in which the young people of Manukau have every opportunity to excel in their chosen field.

Achieving this will not only bring social and economic benefits to ManukauCity itself, but also to the rest of New Zealand. By setting a strong example, one of New Zealand's largest cities, you will show other New Zealanders what can be achieved when diversity and growth is carefully managed.

The Tomorrow's Manukau - Manukau pp project is a key initiative to achieving this vision. Its goals are to promote pride in Manukau's diverse culture and a civic responsibility to pursue progressive development and change for the future.

I commend the Manukau City Council and the various organisations, businesses and individuals who have contributed to the project thus far. However, I am sure you are all aware the work has only just begun.

On this note I would like to finish by issuing a friendly challenge based around a well-known Samoan proverb, which states:

Ua o gatasi le futia ma le umele

While the fisherman swings the rod, the others must assist him by paddling hard.

I challenge each of you to continue working together to develop ManukauCity into a proud and vibrant centre of New Zealand. This is something that cannot be done by one individual or group alone; but requires the input of many.

I wish you all the best in this undertaking. 

I began speaking in all the New Zealand realm languages.  May I close by speaking in Maori issuing greetings and wishing you good health and fortitude in your endeavours.

No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora koutou katoa.