Regional growth and New Zealand's relationship with the environment were key features of Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller's maiden speech yesterday.

Wearing a korowai cloak given to him by the Bidois and Borell whanau of Te Puna, his address also acknowledged the electorate, his family and his friends for their part in his journey to Parliament.

Todd wearing a korowai gifted by the Borell and Bidois whanau at Te Puna where Todd attended primary school.

'The capacity of this country to imagine this future, one that leverages our natural resources with our people and for our people, in a way that acknowledges our genuine respect of place and space is one of the defining challenges of this generation,” says Todd.

'All my early childhood memories were about harvesting the bounty, in our case kiwifruit, and the sense of place and space that this remarkable area affords.

'And I can recall the families coming, year after year and the challenge and opportunity that growth brought.

'Our region is one of the fastest-growing in the country and we should welcome and celebrate that growth, be demanding of our city planners and of government for the ongoing investment that is required for our region to thrive.”

He went on to say New Zealand will forever be defined by the land and its influence on the people.

'Aotearoa gets under our skin,” he adds, 'and the longer we have been here, the more intrinsic the connection to the land becomes. Our tangata whenua have specific words that speak to the power of this place.

'The power of this place is real and it affords us as a people huge privileges and responsibilities. We need to be careful that our innate and subconscious awe of our environment does not blind us from the opportunities that present us.”

He also spoke about the region's rapid growth and how its population has grown from 30,000 living in mostly rural communities to today, with Tauranga a city of 120,000 people - a region spread from Katikati to Te Puke, of 175,000 and growing at over 3000 a year.

'My vision for this community looking out to 2030, is a vibrant, diverse region that energetically and innovatively connects itself to the world, confidently drawing on the unique talents and character that underpin our small communities of today,” says Todd.