Oranga Marae invests in physical development, cultural revitalisation of marae

“I want to acknowledge Waipapa Marae for their vision, hard work and dedication to build a wharekai that meets the needs of the people, it’s a true testament to their commitment to the manaaki, the people who visit each year”, said Nanaia Mahuta.

Māori Development Minister, Hon. Nanaia Mahuta and the Minister of Internal Affairs and Presiding Member of the Lottery Grants Board, the Hon Tracey Martin today congratulated Waipapa Marae in Kawhia on the opening of its new wharekai.

The new wharekai will provide the space to feed the people that visit the Waipapa marae each year.

“I want to acknowledge Waipapa Marae for their vision, hard work and dedication to build a wharekai that meets the needs of the people, it’s a true testament to their commitment to the manaaki, the people who visit each year”, said Nanaia Mahuta.

Oranga Marae funding, jointly provided by Te Puni Kōkiri and the Department of Internal Affairs, is making it all possible. Te Puni Kōkiri has contributed $250,000 and the Department of Internal Affairs has contributed $475,000 to the total cost through Lottery Grants Board funds.

The new dining room is expected to feed twice as many people as the previous building in one sitting, with half of the number of kitchen workers required to help feed guests during important annual events such as Poukai.

”It’s great to see this initiative – the first out of the Oranga Marae fund,” said Hon Tracey Martin. “Oranga Marae is more than just investing in marae buildings. It emphasises that the wellbeing of the Marae has as much to do with the people as it does with the whare.”

“Oranga Marae invests in both the physical development as well as the cultural revitalisation of the marae with people being at the very heart,” Nanaia Mahuta said.

In addition to repairing whare and capital works, Oranga Marae can support marae whānau to learn about Tikanga and kawa or upskill in traditional practices, such as whaikōrero or Karanga.

The new wharekai has been designed to meet the wishes of the late Māori Queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, who wanted a ‘room with a view’ of the Kawhia Harbour. The new design features glass window panels facing the harbour to capture the view and physically link the wharekai to the Kawhia moana.

“Ngāti Hikairo opened their new kāuta (kitchen) ahead of the formal opening of their wharekai (dining hall) today. This is a fitting tribute to the late Koro Wetere as Waipapa was his whānau marae,” said Nanaia Mahuta.

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)