New Australia-New Zealand Indigenous Deal Enables Waikato-Tainui to Fund Large-Scale Projects

Indigenous Business Australia and the Waikato-Tainui iwi formalised a letter of intent in Sydney, creating a joint investment vehicle aimed at backing large-scale First Nations projects across Australia. The partnership, hailed by IBA chair Darren Godwell as a “seismic shift” for Indigenous self-determination, gives the iwi, which holds roughly $AU2 billion in assets, access to sectors ranging from renewable energy and mining to infrastructure and agriculture.

Waikato-Tainui chairman Tuku Morgan called the pact a “watershed moment” that could foster deeper cultural and environmental alignment between the two Indigenous groups. IBA will provide market intelligence and connections to Traditional Owners, with early prospects including Indigenous stakes in ports, major renewable projects and the Yindjibarndi WaterCo acquisition of the Dampier seawater desalination plant. Yindjibarndi Group CEO Michael Woodley said the arrangement exemplifies cross-border First Nations empowerment and could spur further global Indigenous investment. The agreement will be signed again in New Zealand at the upcoming Māori Queen’s coronation ceremony, attended by thousands.