Maori institute big winner of state cash

The spectacular growth of Te Wananga o Aotearoa has made it one of the highest earners of Government tertiary education funding, and it has gathered significant property.

In the 2003 financial year the Te Awamutu-based organisation received $177 million of state funding, second only to Auckland University ($191 million), and ahead of all other universities and polytechs.

The Ministry of Education figures, which exclude money from research contracts, are the most recent available which give a proper basis for comparison.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard this week revealed that for the 2004 year, the wananga received $239 million from the Government, but the Tertiary Education Commission said it was not yet able to provide accurate figures to compare this amount with other institutions.

But the 2003 figures and other public documents reveal the extent of the wananga's rapid development.

By that year, it had more students than any other tertiary provider - 34,282 compared to Auckland University's 27,205, Massey's 23,343 and Otago's 17,195.

Reflecting the growth is the number of properties of which the wananga has taken ownership in the past few years. Public documents show it owns 34 properties under its own name and the Aotearoa Institute Te Kuratini o Nga Waka Trust, a body linked to the wananga which leases it land and buildings.

Since 2000, the trust and the wananga have bought 25 properties in deals worth $21 million.