Government Supports Tairāwhiti Marae To Relocate To Safer Ground
Press Release – New Zealand Government
The Marae Trustees of Puketawai, Hinemaurea ki Mangatuna, Okuri, Takip, and Rangatira Marae supported by their whnau and hap have made the difficult decision to relocate and re-establish their respective marae in new locations.
Hon Mark Mitchell
Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery
Five Tairāwhiti marae impacted by the North Island weather events of early 2023, are moving to safer locations with support from the Crown,' said Mark Mitchell, Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery and Tama Potaka, Minister for Māori Development.
'The Marae Trustees of Puketawai, Hinemaurea ki Mangatuna, Okuri, Takipū, and Rangatira Marae – supported by their whānau and hapū – have made the difficult decision to relocate and re-establish their respective marae in new locations.
'The local council designated these marae, as Category 3 – High Risk, and not safe to occupy because of unacceptable risk to life from future extreme weather.
'Each of the marae have accepted the Crown's support package and have acquired new sites to relocate to. The new sites are in close proximity within, or close to, their respective tribal boundaries,' says Mark Mitchell.
'The impact of the severe weather on the marae was devastating for the many whānau and hapū connected to these marae and their wider community.
'The decision to relocate is not an easy one and has come from the desire of the Marae Trustees to keep their marae, and their respective whānau, safe and secure, protecting the lives of those who might otherwise be at real risk from any future severe weather events.'
Minister for Māori Development, Tama Potaka says relocating the individual marae will take time.
'We expect the relocation works, including the rebuild of wharenui and whare kai where required due to the damage, will take place over the next two or so years. For some of the marae, the project is a complete rebuild.
'Reaching this point is a significant milestone. Most importantly, it will provide affected whanau and hapu peace of mind, and will have the added benefit of creating opportunities for SMEs and jobs. This augments the growing construction capability on the East Coast as a result of the mahi at Toitū Tairāwhiti and others,' says Mr Potaka.
Of the five marae three are located in the Uawa – Tolaga Bay area and the other two are in Te Karaka.
'The Crown is also working with two Kahungunu Marae, Tangoio and Petāne in Hawke's Bay with support packages available to both marae so they too can reestablish in safer locations. These marae were also designated, by their local council, as having an unacceptable risk to life.'
A total of $136.215m, allocated from Budgets 23 and 24 will fund the entire Whenua Māori and Marae relocation Programme after North Island weather events. It includes the costs to relocate owners of 24 whenua Māori properties to safety as well as demolition of residential structures and covers some assistance to support affected sites of cultural significance, principally urūpa.
'The Crown recognises moving a marae requires careful navigation. This is not an easy journey, and we would like to thank the Marae Trustees for working with us to ensure the safety of people on marae,' Mr Potaka says.
Notes:
In all cases ownership of the whenua remains with the existing owners.
The cost for each Marae relocation is commercially sensitive due to procurement undertakings.
Geographic location of all Category 3 Marae in Tairāwhiti:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
5 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Tribunal urges Crown to engage with Māori on Takutai Moana funding changes
By Pokere Paewai of RNZ The Waitangi Tribunal wants the Crown to make a genuine effort to engage with Māori when making changes to the funding scheme that allows Māori groups to seek recognition of their coastal rights. The tribunal released its Stage 2 report
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
What will the changes to Sport New Zealand actually mean?
Photo: Explainer: The news landed with a thud within, and outside, the walls of Sport New Zealand. When the then-minister for sport and recreation, Chris Bishop, ordered an independent rapid review of the crown agency in November last year , the nervous rumblings were felt immediately across the sector. The purpose of the review, according to a statement from the minister's office, was to "provide assurance and visibility… that the use of public funding by the Sport NZ Group is efficient and effective". One sports official with knowledge of the review told RNZ there were concerns that Sport NZ's funding strategy had become a "cash free-for-all". The move was interpreted by many as a signal from the government that fundamental changes were coming for the way Sport NZ operates and funds both elite and community level sport. Last week, the long-awaited findings of the review landed with barely a whimper. Mark Mitchell, who took over as minister for sport and recreation in the cabinet reshuffle at the beginning of the year, said the findings of the independent review highlighted the "effectiveness and efficiency" of Sport NZ . Far from the brutal overhaul many had feared, the report's recommendations focused on potential changes to the institutional and governance arrangements of the agency. The review, led by senior public sector leader Brendan Boyle, gave Sport NZ a tick of approval when it comes to the agency's operations and performance. The findings also dispelled concerns over Sport NZ's financial performance. Boyle found Sport NZ's corporate and operating costs were in line with public sector benchmarks. Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle said the findings of the review reinforced the work her agency does. "The biggest thing is that all of the measures of how we're performing as an agency - the headcount we have versus our revenue profile, the number of contractors we have - all of those things that are really big for a government organisation came out very positively and at the lower end of the guidelines," Castle said. "So, the sector and our partners can be assured that we are always wanting to make sure we have the right headcount to support the sector. But also we're always thinking about what we can do to cost save, so we can invest as much as we can into the people that are doing the work on the ground." Minister for Sport and Recreation Mark Mitchell. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi The key action Mitchell is taking following the review is to move the strategic policy function to the Ministry of Culture and Heritage (MCH). The review highlighted an anomaly with Sport NZ's set-up in that the agency serves as both the policy advisor to the government and a decision-maker on funding. Boyle pointed out there were potential conflicts of interest in this arrangement. "As a Crown entity, the operations of Sport NZ are at arm's length from the minister. However, Sport NZ is unusual in that it also includes the policy function that is typically included in the monitoring agency, providing independent policy advice and line of sight to the minister," the report reads. "The current arrangements create a potential conflict of interest for Sport NZ in being both policy advisor as well as the decision-maker for funding." The report also noted that this arrangement means that Sport NZ is not as well-integrated into the wider government policy network and agenda as it should be. The minister is also advancing "minor amendments" to the appointments process for the High Performance Sport NZ and Taumata Māori boards. Sport New Zealand chief executive Raelene Castle was pleased with the findings of the review. Photo: Photosport Castle said Sport NZ's partners and wider stakeholders won't see much of a difference in how the organisation operates. "There won't be a significant difference. It's more back house operational policy and relationships between government departments is where that change in responsibility will sit, but actually the implementation on the ground won't change," she says. "It means that going forward, the big pieces of strategic policy that get developed will be led by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage. They will hold the pen, if you like, but they will work with [Sport NZ] to seek our input to understand the impacts for the sector. So, we'll still support and contribute to those processes, we just won't be the lead agency. "Then, once the high level policy stuff is determined, that then comes to deliver that piece of policy and put in place the operational things around it." A working group of Sport NZ, MCH, Treasury and Public Service Commission officials has been established to work through how the final structure will look. Castle says it is likely some staff from Sport NZ will move over to MCH. The strategic policy function is intended to move to MCH by 1 October this year. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- RNZ News
Tribunal urges crown to engage with Māori on Takutai Moana funding changes
Photo: RNZ The Waitangi Tribunal wants the Crown to make a genuine effort to engage with Māori when making changes to the funding scheme that allows Māori groups to seek recognition of their coastal rights. The Tribunal released its Stage 2 report into planned amendments to the Marine and Coastal (Takutai Moana) Act on Friday, the report relates to allegations by claimants that the Crown breached Treaty Principles through mismanagement of the Takutai Moana Financial Assistance Scheme. The Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) (Customary Marine Title) Amendment Bill is currently making its way through Parliament as part of the National-NZ First coalition agreement to amend Section 58 of the Act "to make clear Parliament's original intent". Section 58 of the Act sets out the statutory test Māori groups must meet for recognition of their coastal rights, this is known as customary marine title (CMT). Groups can request funding to progress their CMT claims through the High Court. Te Arawhiti (now Te Tari Whakatau) advised the government the costs would go up to around $19 million for the 2024/25 financial year. The Tribunal said the government waited too long before it declined to up the funds, leaving claimants in the lurch. "We acknowledge that the regime under the Act is expensive. However, it is a regime of the Crown's own making, one in which Māori have participated in good faith. "The Crown accepts that the applicants' costs have not been unreasonable, however, it is concerned that its own regime costs more than it would like - a problem not caused by the applicants," the Tribunal said in its letter to Ministers. The Tribunal found the funding changes were introduced quickly, without consultation, impacting applications on the verge of hearing and that the funding changes limited applicants' access to legal representation. For the next financial year the Tribunal recommended: The Tribunal re-iterated its recommendation in an earlier report that the statutory deadline for applications be removed from the Act, as this has put financial pressures on the scheme. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
