Multicultural future ahead

FACE OF TOMORROW: Te Puawai Hiki with her two children, Ngakohu Farrell, 10 months (left), and Geordie Farrell, who is 2.

Te Puawai Hiki is mum to 2-year-old and 10-month-old sons.

By the time the eldest is 25, Maori will make up 45 per cent of Northland's population, a 32 per cent increase since 2013.

Opportunities, jobs, regional growth and the settlement of Ngapuhi Treaty claims are just some of the things Ms Hiki hopes will have happened in 23 years.

By 2038, 74 per cent of Northland's population is projected to identify as European or other (including New Zealander), down from 76 per cent in 2013. But the Maori population in Northland is expected to increase from 34 per cent in 2013 to 45 per cent in 2038, according to Statistics New Zealand.

Under Statistics NZ criteria, people can identify with more than one ethnicity.

Ms Hiki said she hoped by the time her eldest son Geordie Farrell was 25 and her youngest son Ngakohu Farrell was 24, they would not have to move away from the region to get jobs.

"I think there should be more education opportunities. I'm at Northtec and I had to move to Whangarei [from Kaikohe] for this. I think there definitely needs to be jobs, because otherwise more people will be on the benefit," she said.

In November, Professor Peter Harwood will be talking to the Kaikohe community about his plans to build a tertiary education centre with the aim of combating social issues such as suicide, poverty and unemployment. Ms Hiki said projects like that would benefit Northland.

Ms Hiki, who is of Ngapuhi descent, said a big part in creating change in Northland would be the settlement of Ngapuhi Treaty claims. The Crown's current goal is to have claims settled by 2017.

"I do hope settlements are completed by 2038. I believe it will play a significant role in changing economic conditions for Maori in Te Tai Tokerau."

Maori population growth will be mainly driven by high rates of birth and natural increase (births minus deaths).

Asian and Pacific populations are expected to double.

The number of people identifying as Asian will grow from 3 per cent to 6 per cent, while the Pacific population will grow from 4 to 8 per cent. Growth in the Asian population will be driven by net migration.

Women's International Newcomers Group Social (Wings) co-founder Gina Eiger said Northlanders generally supported different cultures - but getting started up in the region could be tough.

"The biggest issue people have is getting jobs. A lot of our members have moved here with their husband who has a job and children who go off to school. They might be just as qualified as their husband but they struggle to get work because there simply isn't the economy to support lots of jobs. Sometimes there can also be language barriers," she said.