Mauri stone laying at Te Āwhina Marae marks site of 20 new homes

Sunday, 3 April 2022

Te Āwhina Marae board chairwoman Rima Piggott and redevelopment project chairman Paul Morgan by a mauri stone that was laid on Monday where 20 homes are to be constructed as part of a $12.3m papakāinga development.

Twenty new homes for whānau are to be built at Te Āwhina Marae in Motueka – the first stage of a proposed $28 million redevelopment.

The new homes are to be constructed as part of a $12.3m papakāinga development, in a partnership between the marae and Te Puni Kōkiri – Ministry of Māori Development.

It is the largest papakāinga project Te Puni Kōkiri has supported, with the Government investing nearly $10m.

A mauri stone laid on the grounds of the marae at dawn on Monday marks the location of the planned homes.

A crowd gathered for the laying of the mauri stone at dawn.

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The partnership in turn marks the beginning of a broader Te Āwhina Marae Redevelopment Project – a 10-year vision to rebuild the marae facilities. Anticipated to cost about $28m, the project is expected to create jobs and contribute to the local economy through construction, tourism, education, social services, and arts and culture.

Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson says the papakāinga project marks the beginning of wider marae redevelopment. (File photograph)

Speaking of the papakāinga development and the laying of the mauri stone, Te Āwhina Marae board chairwoman Rima Piggott said it was a “momentous occasion for the whānau and hapū of Te Āwhina Marae, and we have worked hard to get here”.

“This will be a significant step change for our marae that will take us from the six current kaumātua flats to 20 homes for whānau to enable intergenerational living on our marae,” Piggott said.

Expected to take two to three years to complete, the priority would be new two-bedroom kaumātua homes and three to four-bedroom houses for families.

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Describing the existing marae buildings as “humble”, Piggott said they had serviced the Motueka and wider Te Tauihu community well for decades. However, the hapū and iwi of Te Tauihu were on a path of revitalisation of culture, and marae were the focal points of that revitalisation.

“This redevelopment gives us the platform to share more of our Te Tauihutanga (culture and identity), connect our whānau to their whakapapa and play an important role in the cultural and economic resilience and regeneration of the region following the [Covid-19] pandemic,” she said.

The decision to start with housing whānau through papakāinga was deliberate.

“Housing is undoubtedly the most pressing issue for our whānau and by creating homes that can act as pathways to progress to homeownership, we are supporting our whānau to live here in their ancestral home of Motueka and contribute to the local economy and community,” Piggott said. “This is a hugely significant project for the whole region.”

Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare and Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson congratulated the community of Te Āwhina Marae o Motueka on achieving the milestone.

“I mihi to the whānau involved in this project who, after many years of hard work, will be able to provide their own community with safe, healthy, affordable homes with secure tenure,” Henare said.

Jackson said Motueka was a beautiful part of the country, “but with its beauty comes housing security challenges for whānau”.

“I know this papakāinga project marks the beginning of wider marae redevelopment and is a key enabler for cultural revitalisation and economic development for the whānau and hapū of Te Āwhina Marae and the wider Motueka community.”

Henare said the project, delivered through Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga investment in Māori housing, was an example of the programme in action.

“This is a great example of a by-Māori-for-Māori approach delivering the housing supply that whānau need. This papakāinga development also shows that by growing the capability of Māori-led housing providers, we are enabling Māori-led housing solutions to thrive.”

Redevelopment project team chairman Paul Morgan said the project also contributed to the ongoing implementation of the Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy, which identified “new models and smart housing solutions” as one of the 17 priority actions for the region. Morgan was also chairman of the strategy team.