Latest news with #TātauTātau
Scoop
03-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Tātau Tātau O Te Wairoa Calls For Urgent Government Investment Following Alarming Arrears Statistics
Following the release of the June Credit Indicator by Centrix showing Wairoa has the highest rate of people in arrears across Aotearoa – a staggering 18.3% – Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa is calling on the government to urgently step up investment in housing for the region, saying current efforts are not meeting the scale of need. 'The statistics are shocking, but they're not surprising. Wairoa locals are under intense pressure—crippled by high living costs, low incomes, overcrowded housing, and the long tail of climate disasters. The fact that nearly one in five people here are in arrears is a symptom of systemic failure, not personal irresponsibility,' says Lewis Ratapu, Chief Executive Officer of Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa. Ratapu says the Centrix data reflects what people in Wairoa are living every day. 'Our own research shows we need at least 420 homes to meet current demand and recover from the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2024 floods. Over 57 whānau are still living in temporary accommodation, and many others are in old, inadequate homes—80% of our housing stock was built before 1980, and more than a third are damp. It's not just housing, our unemployment rate is over 9.9%, more than twice the national average, and household incomes are 36% lower. These aren't just numbers—they're daily struggles for our whānau, and they demand urgent, targeted investment in locally-led housing and economic development.' Tātau Tātau's flagship development, Te Rauā, is an excellent example of what's possible when iwi, local contractors, and central government work together. When complete, the development will deliver 43 warm, modern homes—including kaumātua units and large whānau homes. "Many of the whānau applying are coming from overcrowded situations, temporary housing, or returning to Wairoa after being displaced by the floods,' said Ratapu. 'Te Rauā represents stability and a step toward long-term wellbeing.' Importantly, through the Te Rauā Affordable Rental Grant, those eligible pay just 80% of market rent—a critical lifeline for those struggling under the weight of inflation, debt, and inadequate housing. Local employment has also been prioritised. Contractors including PCS Projects, Platinum Homes and Iconiq Construction have subcontracted to local electricians, landscapers and builders, a testament to Tātau Tātau's commitment to Wairoa's skilled workforce. Beyond housing, Tātau Tātau's commitment to regional transformation includes Haumako, the iwi's horticultural arm and a subsidiary of E Tipu. With 70 hectares of orchards and crop fields under development, the project is expected to create 60 seasonal jobs by 2027 and currently employs 17 full-time orchard staff, including cadets. 'We're investing in long-term employment and resilience—housing is one piece of the puzzle, but economic opportunity is the other,' says Ratapu. 'The government must back communities like Wairoa that are already building solutions.' Haumako prioritises hiring and upskilling locals, especially rangatahi, with long-term plans for water storage, coolstores and post-harvest processing to support expansion and full regional value-chain employment. Tātau Tātau is urging the government to expand its investment in proven, community-led solutions like Te Rauā and Haumako—initiatives that are already lifting outcomes for whānau, creating jobs, and restoring pride in the region. 'We've shown what can be achieved when local knowledge and national support come together. Now we need the Government to walk alongside us, so we can scale these solutions to meet the real scale of the challenge,' says Ratapu.
RNZ News
30-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
She's moved 14 times since toxic flooding forced her out – now she has a place to call home
After more than two years of uncertainty and constant upheaval, Lucky Hawkins finally has a permanent home in Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa's Te Rauā residential development. Photo: LDR / Linda Hall A Wairoa wahine forced out of her home by Cyclone Gabrielle's toxic aftermath has finally found somewhere she can call home. Lucky Hawkins moved 14 times in two years between short-term rentals, Airbnbs, whānau homes and even beaches after floodwater mixed with chemicals from the business next door swept through her property and made it unliveable in 2023. Last year, desperate for stability, she and her partner bought a house bus. Even that was battered by storms and setbacks. The past week has brought tears of joy and disbelief for Hawkins after moving into a permanent home in Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa's Te Rauā residential development. "After more than two years of uncertainty, constant upheaval, and surviving with only the barest of necessities, we now have something we haven't had in a very long time, a home. "A warm, safe, stable whare," Hawkins said. The residential development consists of 43 homes which are used as affordable rentals. Occupants face a robust selection process to prove hardship, reliability and the ability to pay their bills. Nine of the homes are now occupied. Hawkins says she can't help but feel guilty. "There are so many people in similar situations to mine. People living in sheds. I feel guilty that people are hearing my story. "I know what it feels like to have no place to belong, everything starts to shift. Your footing feels unsure. For us, the first thing to go was our health, physically, mentally, and emotionally. "But now, everything has changed. We're home. And because we have this foundation, we can look forward. We can rest, heal, rebuild and dream again. "For me, it means picking up where I left off, back in Wairoa, continuing the journey I began years ago. From night shifts at Affco to full-time study." On the morning of the cyclone, she remembered thinking about 8am that, after all the hype, nothing had happened. "My mum, who is profoundly deaf, was living with me at the time. I was writing her a note to say, 'see I told you nothing would happen,' when suddenly I saw all this water coming down the street. "The water went through our house. We managed to save a few things, but the reason we had to leave was because we lived next door to a panel beaters and toxic chemicals washed through our home and it wasn't safe to stay." Hawkins said education had changed her life. "After working at Affco for three years, I decided I needed to do something. I did okay at school, so I started studying during the day and worked at night." She has completed 12 qualifications "right here in Wairoa" and is now in the final stage of her Doctorate in Professional Practice, focused on how education can transform individuals and communities. Her first paid job was teaching intensive literacy and numeracy in prisons. She has just begun writing a children's book, which she hopes will become a series. "We are not just thankful to be back in Wairoa, we are transformed by the gift of returning. "We carry our gratitude in everything we do next." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
